Byron Bay

Today we went on a "road trip." At least a road trip by local standards, and frankly our own since we don't have a car yet...even though Byron Bay is only about 45 minutes south of the Gold Coast.

Byron Bay is the closest thing to a sort of hippie community in the area. Downtown, they have funky little shops and cafes, and you have a better chance of not getting hit by a car crossing the street. Oh the humanity there! :) I should explain a little...in the US, Theo always marveled at the way drivers of vehicles would actually stop and wait for pedestrians. He would tell me, "That wouldn't happen in Australia. They'd just run you over. You can't just walk out in front of cars there!" Since I've been here, I actually have noticed a general respect for vehicles among pedestrians. I've even seen a lifeguard truck make a lady with a stroller stop on a sidewalk so they could drive through. Anyway, my point is that Byron Bay is so hippie that they'll even stop for pedestrians. Imagine!! (By the way, I didn't really see any actual "hippies" of the magnitude we have in the US, but it did seem more liberal.)

So we woke up at 4:30 a.m. so our friend Takkeshi could get some quality surfing in. Here's the surfing shot of the day, compliments of Theo:

It was a beautiful morning and the waves were great. We ate breakfast, went back to the beach, then had seafood & chips for lunch.

It was a nice, relaxing trip and I'm sure we'll be back. The vibe is definitely different there. Cute, funky, and even more laid back than usual. I'd love to have a house there. I found a newspaper and browsed the real estate section. Property near the beach is over $2 million. Guess I better get a job soon.