Byron Bay, Australia

Click here for photos of Byron Bay.
According to Jeff, "There are three categories of trips: travel, visit with family/friends and vacation. The three should not be confused." It's spring break, so we took a vacation from our travels in Byron Bay. The locals refer to it as the Shire, though Hobbiton it is not. The good restaurants, health food stores, yoga studios, new age shops and walkability of the town give it a comfortable, even groovy, ambiance.

Byron Bay becomes an all-ages street party after dark. Friday night, Lemonheads played a 400 seat venue at Hotel Great Northern. Families walked around eating gelato, teenagers paraded up and down Jonson Street, while others dined at sidewalk cafes or went to the beach to watch the lighthouse beacon. Eclectic street musicians entertained passersby on every street corner: cowgirl-folk, power pop trios, jazz, funky caribbean grooves and one you just don't see anywhere, didgeridoo over a techno backing track accompanied by a video of marine life.

During the day, this is a mecca for water sports and sky diving. "No, Maya you still can't sky dive." So, why not kayak with dolphins as the brochure promised? Our family has successfully kayaked in Klamath Lake, Kaileakekua and Airlie Beach, so it was time to kayak in the open ocean. Read Jeff's surreal account of the adventure below to learn what happened when we overestimated our skills.

Michelle and Maya have always wanted to surf so they got back in the ocean the next day for a group lesson with Ben, from Surfing Byron Bay while Jeff and Skylar had fun on dry land. There's a lot to remember when you're surfing and if you've ever tried to jump you foot forward in a yoga pose, imagine doing that on a board in the waves. Here's how you do it: Lay on your stomach with your toes on the back of the board. Paddle, paddle, paddle. Hands under the ribs. Jump up to a wide crouch. Stand up with arms in surfer pose. Whoop and scream really loud and fall off the board with grace and decorum or at least cover your head to avoid the flying surf board. What a great sport. One minute you're one with your board, balanced on top of the water, harnessing the power of a wave and the next moment, you're eating sand.

We'll be sore tomorrow for sure, but today we're proud that we both stood up on our first day in surf school.

Byron Central Apartments provided a cozy home base where we could cook our meals, sleep late (like at least 8:30) and swim in the pool. There are no ocean views here, but that keeps it affordable. When we weren't attempting a new ocean sport, we enjoyed long walks on the beach, collecting shells, watching surfers, browsing bookstores and doing school work. (Yes, even during spring break.) We also worked with Byron Bay Flight Centre to organize our Japan rail passes and accommodations for the next leg of our trip. No matter what we requested, Suzanne's answer was our favorite Aussie expression, "No worries....."

With an international blues festival and surfing competition during Easter week, we're glad we beat the crowds to Byron Bay. It's someplace we'd really like to return. A policy researcher from Sydney compared it to New Town in the city, so we'll need to visit there when we travel south tomorrow.