Last trip in Australia

Yesterday (June 5th) I got home from my last trip in Australia. I flew up to Ballina/Byron Bay on Wednesday (June 2nd) to hang out with my friend, Christian, for a few days. The flight from Sydney to Ballina is only a little over an hour, so it wasn't too long of a journey to get there. Christian grew up in the area, and he showed me around all the must-see places. We had a lot of fun, and he turned out to be a fabulous guide (not that I was doubting his guide skills). I love having a local at my disposal to show me around! 

The first place Christian took me was the Pat Morton Lookout in Lennox Head. From the top of Lennox Point, we had a truly great view.

We wanted to have a picnic lunch at Cape Byron Lighthouse, but we weren't the only ones who wanted to go there on this particular sunny day. There were cars and people everywhere, and there were no vacant parking spots. We decided to have our lunch at Wategos Beach instead, which wasn't a bad place to have lunch if you ask me. 

After lunch, Christian had to go off and get some things done for work. I just hung around by the beach, and was happy as a clam. The weather was gorgeous; sunny and warm with a slight breeze. The time I spent just laying on the grass looking out over the water was great. I heard the waves crash against the beach, and saw them splash along in a sort of domino effect. The sunlight glistened on the water, and looked like millions of diamonds. Simply beautiful. 

After laying by the beach lazily for a few hours, I decided it was time to get moving. I walked from Wategos Beach to the Main Beach via a nice walkway along the coast. 

I window shopped in some of the cute shops for a bit before finding a spot on the grass by the beach. The sunset was beautiful, and the colors on the water were magnificent. Just after the sunset, Christian returned from work. 

Christian grew up on a farm in Doubtful Creek, about 100km/62miles from Byron Bay. I wanted to see some of the Australian countryside, so naturally I was super excited when Christian said we could go up there. Before we made our way to the farm we stopped by the Cape Byron Lighthouse. 

The drive to Doubtful Creek was nice. It was already dark when we got there, so I wasn't able to see much of the surrounding area. I did, however, see an absolutely gorgeous starry sky. It was amazing how many stars we could see. 

Aside from the fire building skills, Christian also showed off his superb piano skills. Hearing him play made me regret not continuing taking lessons when I was younger. My poor rendition of "Heart and Soul" and the first ten notes of "Für Elise" paled in comparison to the songs Christian played. 

The next day (July 4th), I got a much better view of the farm and the area. It was such a charming place, and it reminded me a lot of my Bestemor and Bestefar's (Norwegian grandparents) farm. 

There were heaps of gorgeous trees around. 

I wanted the cows to come and say hello. Unfortunately, they decided to keep a safe distance. Even Christian's excellent cow-mooing sounds didn't make them come closer (the cows did moo back though). 

After a nice breakfast, we headed to the Border Ranges National Park in the afternoon to explore the World Heritage listed rainforest. What a great way to spend the 4th of July! 

The view from the Pinnacle Lookout was gorgeous. 

As were the waterfalls and other things we saw. 

It was a great few days, and I'm glad I managed to squeeze in one last trip before leaving. It's hard to believe that it was my last trip in Australia. It's also hard to believe that I will be heading home to Norway tomorrow afternoon... Yikes! Where has the time gone? 

Love, 

Suzy