Now you might remember last month I said I would try not to do a u turn to the beginning of the month so I will just start at the beginning of April in Byron Bay instead. 

 

Weather, yep got heaps, all month even. The month started with mid to high 20's every day and high teens nudging 20 occasionally every night but the last week was mid 20c during the days and nights still high teens, oh, and humid. Very little rain most of the month but a couple of storms early in the month just to keep us alert. The middle of the month did get 60mm in 24 hours though. Surprisingly Byron Bay is a surfing town but not much surf during my stay. Surf was not up much at all.

 

I like to go down to the surf and watch it rolling in and amazed the number of people swimming away from the flags at the patrolled beach. Mid month some people kayaking reported 6 sharks hanging around the beach area about 50 meters off shore. The authorities closed the beach for swimming and surfing for two days but still some people further down the beach ignored the warnings and kept swimming and surfing, crazy people. Any wonder there has been shark attacks around this area and people killed. A few attacks during my stay.

 

The month didn't start the best for me really as I came down with a cold that hung around for two weeks and knocked me around a bit so not much done. That cleared in time though so I could get a Flu Shot I had arranged for the middle of the month. 

 

I decided to get up before the birds one morning and headed down to the main beach to witness the sun rising. Most people head for the lighthouse, the most eastern point of Australia but due to hundreds of people wanting that photo of the first ray of sun from that point, I decided to give it a miss. Being at the main beach you see the sun come up behind the lighthouse instead and not many people. Much more to my liking and gives a different look on things, the start of a new day in a lovely place. There are some great photo opportunities at that time of day while Byron Bay awakes. 

 

My stay at Byron Bay coincided with Easter, mentioned in my March update and school holidays. Busy busy busy, cars, people and happy campers everywhere. Thank goodness I don't go to the big caravan parks, all packed in like sardines and way too costly for me. The place I stay at is out of town and very old and run down, more a camping ground that allow caravans as well. Suits me as I have my own facilities on board anyway, much much cheaper too. 

 

Even though it is very busy around the area I managed to move around ok and timed things to allow for parking etc. Speaking of parking, A lot of changes took place from my visit to Byron last September. Those dreaded parking metres had been installed, everywhere. No free parking within the CBD and beaches at all. You have to park quite a way out now. Not cheap either $3.00 per hour. The most confusing meters I have ever seen as well, not easy to work out how to use them at all. They have a digital screen that when in the sun you can't read, real clever. Maybe that is on purpose.  

 

For those that travel the Pacific Highway/Motorway there has been some big changes around the area, firstly as you approach or leave the area around Byron Bay from the south the new St Helena Tunnels are now open and make a huge difference. Before as you come in from the south there was a not too steep but steep slow drive down and that means as you go from the north you had a climb, well the tunnels changed all that and double lane both sides as well. The tunnels are probably about 300mts long and well lit with ventilation. Very modern indeed. 

 

Second, the big round about as you get to Ewingsdale road turn off to come into Byron Bay it self has some major changes as well so be careful if towing, it is well signed though. As we speak don't take a lot of notice of a GPS or even Google Maps if coming from the south especially, as there IS a turn off getting you onto Ewingsdale road. Mr Google says you have to go a little further north and do a u turn, seemed strange on the map to me but there ya go. Maybe it was during road works but I don't remember it from September 2015. Also as you come out of Byron and get to the round about you now go to the right around it to get on the M1, not to the left and do a loop back to head north. All works well though. 

 

Speaking of road works, heaps as you travel along the Pacific and Bruce highways but no problem at all. Just allow a little extra time due to varied and reduced speed limits. No major hold ups though so that's good. I was talking to a couple of people and they said that by 2018 it will be duel motorway non stop from Sydney to Brisbane. I can't believe it because there is no 'by pass' around Coffs Harbour and only just starting to talk about one. Sounds good to me though. 

 

The only  thing I don't like is the 110kmh speed limit while towing. I sit around 95kmh still and keep to the left so feel much safer and I tell you that for free. I always have my UHF radio on and communicate with truck drivers as needed. Speaking of UHF, if you have one and travel the Pacific Hwy the trucks use channel 29 not 40. I don't know why, maybe they think they are special in NSW :)    Doesn't bother me anyway as I scan 29 & 40 plus a few others at all times anyway. 

 

During my stay in Byron I had some good friends and fellow Grey Nomads arrive on the Gold Coast from the other side of the ditch, New Zealand. Yep Brandt and Lorraine arrived back in OZ to continue their journey in the big playground. Two other very good GN friends that live on the central NSW coast drove up to spend some time with them and I went up for a day to be with them as well. A great day catching up with great people. 

 

Now I planned my long stay in Byron Bay for two reasons, 

 

1. I have a long time, since we were 16 actually, mmmmm, was I once sweet 16? Not sure on that one?, friend and his wife that live on the Gold Coast but don't get to visit them much at all as they spend a lot of time in Thailand. After checking a few months back when they were coming back for a while they were arriving back in OZ 26/4 so it was too close to miss a visit. I went back to the Gold Coast a second time and spent a great day catching up, even the youngest of their 3 sons called in while I was there. The last time I saw Colin and Jude was the year 2000. 

 

The 2nd reason for the long stay was since my first visit to Byron 3 years ago I have liked it and thought I could live there if ever needed. I decided to set up camp for at least a month but added an extra two weeks due to my visits. During my stay I had Easter and school holidays as already mentioned plus Anzac day long weekend. I thought Greens Lake, Nth Central VIC was busy at those times but not as busy as Byron Bay, busy is not the word really. 

 

I must say though during the week wasn't too bad, still difficult in town it self but ok at the camp I stayed. As for Easter and Anzac day, well, I will never stay in Byron again on  long weekends again, at least not at the camp I was in. I have never seen so many inconsiderate people, ever. I had them camped that close to me a couple of times I couldn't walk down the side of my van, I even had a young couple sleeping in their car about 2 mts from my entrance to get into my awning area, I could here them breathing, so rude. There was heaps of room so no need for that. Even when I asked them to move, they didn't. The caretaker doesn't care and can be quite rude and campers are let run wild all day and night, loud music and yelling  all night and I mean all night. I had a group of 10 people next to me that were still yelling and loud music at 4.00am. Mongrels. No, I wasn't going to ask 10 young blokes and fowl mouthed girls to stop, not this little black duck, I might look stupid but.

 

Why didn't I leave I hear you ask, well I had paid for another week and even though it's not a lot, I wasn't going to throw that away. My visits were close as well.  Now I hear you saying down the back why did he go there in the first place? He can only blame himself. Yep you are 100% correct, it was my fault but as explained had my reasons.

 

That all said I will not be staying in Byron Bay again during School Holidays or long weekends again and nit live there.  I may not even go back. Time will tell. It was a very relaxing time most of the time though so mostly good. 

 

Oh!  Where am I now? Well not Byron Bay or even NSW. I am now in Queensland and north of Gin Gin and will be in Townsville during this week sometime. 

 

That's it for this update so until next time, keep safe everyone. 

 

Some pics below as usual. 

 

 

Top..............St Helena Tunnels looking south

Middle.........Byron Bay Lighthouse

Bottom........Inside St Helena Tunnel south bound. 

 

  

 

 

 

Top..............Sunrise at Byron Bay looking east

Middle.........Just after sunrise Byron Bay looking west

Bottom....... Coolangatta Beach QLD