Byron Bay

I'm hangin' in Byron Bay.  Along with Noosa, this is one of my absolute favorite spots in Australia, indeed anywhere in the world!  Yesterday we had 4.12 inches of rain here.   Today was not bone dry, but in between the showers exploring and beachgoing was feasible.  This is the Cape Byron lighthouse, on the easternmost point of the Australian mainland.  Built in 1901, it was automated in 1989.  You can stay in the old keepers' quarters.  That gig is one I haven't done yet...it's available in numerous places in Oz and the US.  Reckon I should try it out!  The Lizards are representin'.  Lizard broke his arm yesterday...I think he had a tangle with my bottle of Johnny Walker Red.  I'll superglue him with I get home.

Here we're looking from Cape Byron down Tallow Beach to Broken Head in the distance.  The beach is normally very wide...it was high tide when I took the pic.  I'm staying in a comfy condo at the Oasis resort, in the bush about a quarter way down the beach.

Tallow Creek, browned by tannin, flows into the sea as a storm approaches.

Just inland from the beach the countryside is lush jungle.  This is just a few hundred metres from Wategos Beach. 

It was a busy surf day today.  The waves were gentle, enabling surfies of all abilities to have a go.  When I first visited Byron in 1988, it was still a rather quiet surf town, and I loved it immediately.  Now it's a world tourist destination, but the surfies still rule.  It's kind of a cross between Carmel, Santa Cruz, and Pismo Beach. 

Glowering skies promise a storm.  Here I'm down on Tallow Beach, reached by a five minute stroll through the bush from my resort.  IT'S NEVER DULL AT THE BEACH.