It was wednesday afternoon, and just as i was wondering what to do with myself and how i should enjoy my last few days of freedom before heading back to my May semester at Bond university, my boyfriend asks me on Facebook, ever so frank, 'want to go roadtrippin'?' well, hell yes! We all love spontaneity and it was perfect. He cruised on down from Brissy to my place here on the Gold Coast, had some Thai for dinner with my family (we've had better, so thanks to mum we got our money back). Bought some alcohol from Dan Murphys and after i scrambled some things together including a few snacks and a sleeping bag, we were on our way. Our first stop, hippy loving Byron Bay.
Ahh Byron Bay. About an hour 10minutes drive south of the Gold Coast past Tweed Heads and not as far as Ballina, Byron Bay is one of New South Wales hidden treasures boasting beautiful beaches, environmentally sustainable living, boutique retail stores, great coffee and a very friendly small town atmosphere. One of the best things? No place in town is higher than 3 storeys (due to council regulations) to keep this treasure a gem of a town so all can enjoy the beach view from a far. We arrived at night time but enjoyed drinks by the beach, a nice walk in the cool breeze and slept in the car like true 'roadtrippers.' It wasn't the most comfortable night sleep for myself - i had a non-stop shift in feeling hot and cold so it was on with the ugg boots, off with the beanie, under the doona, no doona, cuddle my man then damn, i need the 'ladies' aka the fifth tree along the back sand dune off the beach. Nevertheless we got some rest and soon woke up to a beautiful sunrise and a small set of waves kissing the shoreline. What a way to start the day. We walked along the beach and headed back to the car for needed coffee and some 'food for thought' - then it was time for some real food and a trip to the Byron Sky Dive shop.
Check them out here: http://www.theskydiveshop.com.au/ It's the only one stop skydiving shop for skydivers in Australia. We met an awesome dude there called Joe who showed Jindy (my boyfriend) the gear they have for sale, where they jump and general awesome skydive chat.
Our stop in Byron was short but always welcoming and considering Jindy may be moving to Byron, it will be great to spend more time in the place. I'm definitely keen to check out some yoga.
So it was back to the car for our next stop Yamba. Click here to see it on the map - Google Map.
Yamba was so beautiful, pristine and simply captivating. It reminded me of a small slice of Mount Tambourine living but on the beach. The locals were friendly and we had a lovely lunch with handmade goodies at the Caper Berry Cafe and of course freshly squeezed juice with a hint of ginger. Instead of crashing in the car again we decided to stay in the 'Room with a view' which was $80 for a night in the Pacific Hotel. It wasn't cheap or nasty and to pay that little $10 extra for a tv, fridge and a view of the beach like we saw, you had to do it. The only downside was shared communal facilities where i was unfortunate enough to be locked in the bathroom. Great. It was one of those doors with a rusty lock that was flush to the floor - no way under or over the door and the loovers of the window were jammed tight. I banged loudly more than once, no answer. So i hit the loovers down hard a few times till they shifted. I literally stood there for a good 5 minutes before this old couple walked out to their car. I screamed hello, so they waved at me and were about to hop in the car to leave. "No i'm stuck!" I yelled. "you're stuck in there?" the old darling asked. "Yeah i'm stuck inside..." She cracked up laughing at me and sent her husband in to let them know. Yes, it was pretty funny, so i waited and eventually after her attempts and my boyfriends attempts, including me wedging the pliars around it and just pulling with all my might, we got me out. I was so glad, i had to laugh and see the funny side. Of course it was going to happen to me.
Yamba, the sleepy fishing village on the north coast of
NSW (population 5600), was named the Best Town in
Australia, pipping renowned holiday hotspots like Byron
Bay, Noosa, Port Douglas, Broome and Apollo Bay.
Byron Bay is the only other NSW town to make it into the Top Ten
of the 100 Best Towns in Australia.
Australian Traveller editor Greg Barton is already
apologising to local residents for telling the world. “Sorry,
Yamba locals. We’ve let the cat out of the bag,” says
Barton. “You can’t keep a secret this good forever.”
“Yamba has that X-factor: underdeveloped, underrated and
totally unpretentious. Great surf, a fantastic community, it’s
a safe and peaceful getaway,” Barton continues.
To read more click the link below:
So Yamba proved itself to be one of the best towns i've ever visited, and with company like mine we had the best time. It's definitely one town not to be missed. All i want to do now is live in Yamba or Angourie (it's neighbour).
