Life in Byron Bay

Our last days in Byron Bay were filled with lots of sunshine, lazy beach days, and dinners at our new favourite restaurant, Mokhas. With the torrential downpour behind us the “Dark Days of Byron” were officially over and we took full advantage by getting outside as often as possible. Troy and I had a run route that we did everyday around sunset from our hostel up to the lighthouse and back. Keeping up with the Ironman was a challenge, but nothing I couldn’t handle, and given that the view was so incredible at the top, it was well worth the sweat to get up there.

We met two guys at our hostel, Joel and Yann, during an afternoon of cards at the YHA picnic tables and went out to some of the Byron hotspots at night: The Beachside Hotel for live music and Coco Mangas for Jam Jars as well as a dangerously sticky dance floor.

Troy's favourite accessory ;) Cheeky Dalts...

Me and Yann at YHA

Joel, June, and Yann

Mokha (we ate here a lot)

Troy and the guys at the Beachside Hotel

Although Byron Bay wasn’t actually what I expected the water and beach definitely made up for the overpricing of… well, everything. My idea of a friendly hippie town and lazy living was way off, and I think we were all ready to leave by the time that day came.
That said lazing around for 8 days with the June Bug and Troy was pretty “awesome”… so I definitely can’t complain.

Soaking it up at Cozy Corner on Tallow Beach

Lots of surfers and HUGE waves

Run route...

View from halfway

At the Lighthouse

...Next stop Sydney!

In the Shire of Byron lies a town called Nimbin

The weather continues to be cool here in Byron so yesterday we decided to rent a car and drive to Nimbin, a town eternally trapped in the 70's about an hour away. Their claim to fame is essentially a Woodtock type music festival that was held in 1973 and serioulsy, it seems to have just never really ended. Self-proclaimed hippies hang out along the street, and I don't think I was out of the car for two minutes before being asked if I needed any weed... haha, I panicked and said I was good. Basically we checked out the museum there which appears to be a shrine to Christianity, free love, Buddhism, and of course marijuana....

Our rental car... Driving on the wrong side of the road was scarrrrrry!

Some pics from inside the Museum

Troy and Joel

I can't figure out if this is profound or not...

This old man had a shirt on that says, "I may not be totally perfect, but parts of me are excellent." He was the best part of Nimbin.

Our new friends Joel and Yan.

Cairns to Byron Bay

I feel a little behind on the blogging so here it goes....

Troy and I flew from Maui to Cairns last Thursday and met up with Ash the following day. Cairns was HOT and really humid, but without a really awesome beach we knew that we weren't interested in staying there longer than a few nights. We stayed at the Great Northern Hotel- akathe dodgiest hostel/hotel/Asian brothel on the strip. It was really late when we got there and the only place with a room, so while we didn't really have a choice the first night, we definitely didn't have to stay there another 3 nights (which we did.... ??). Anyway, it was cheap and close to everything so I guess it just seemed right.

Once we picked up Ash from the airport we hit up a hostel/bar called Gilligans, but paced ourselves in prep for an early morning boat ride to the Great Barrier Reef. This was by far the most amazing snorkeling experience any of us have had... Our boat left at 8am and drove first to this small island basically entirely inhabited by birds... I am talking thousands of birds. Unfortunately June got majorly sea sick and didn't have quite the same sailing experience as Troy and me, but she was a trooper and after getting pooped on 3 times by those birds decided a snorkel was in order. Troy and I swam from the island back to the boat and saw a ton of crazy fish, including a huge stingray. It was crazy!

The second location was just out in the middle of the reef and was even better than the first... there were hundreds of fish just swimming around- some were gigantic and kind of scary, but they would come right over to you with their little faces and it was just really awesome. We were all totally blown away.
The ride back was beautiful- the sun was beginning to set and they put the sails up so it was a little slower and just the perfect end to our day...

Our journey to Byron Bay was a little less wonderful, but we made it to town yesterday and despite the huge storm that continues to blow through here, I can tell that we are going to love it. We are staying at a hostel right on the main strip and got the lay of the land this morning... Really amazing beaches (the waves right now are terrifying though), a cool yoga studio just up the road, and a trail run which Troy and I are going to go check out this afternoon.

Keeping our fingers crossed for nice weather and a chance to get out in the surf, but we have 3 weeks so it definitely should clear up.

Today is my last day in Hawaii....

...Crazy that I went from a house with 8 girls and am left now with 1 boy :)

I don't think any of us Yogis were expecting to connect in the way we did with one another- the concensus is that we literally laughed for 2 weeks straight and we have all forged an incredible bond on this island. I feel beyond lucky to have spent this time here and am ready to embark on the next stage of my adventure, however it will all play out.

Troy and I decided yesterday that another 6 weeks apart is too much, so he booked a ticket to Cairns yesterday and we fly out together tomorrow morning (I am smiling as I write this...) We talked about all the different options, but this feels right. I am blessed to have this man at my

side.

Plan today is to bust out a run, lounge in the sand at Kanapaali beach, go for a final swim and paddle board in the Maui ocean and make it for a yoga class at 5:00 in Lahaina.