Lazy days in Byron

surfer crossing

The past couple of weeks have been delightfully uneventful, allowing Dave and I to enjoy the true beauty and relaxed lifestyle of Byron Bay. Our new apartment has allowed us to enjoy the peace and quiet in the middle of the sub-tropics, and is only a short bike ride away from the crowded streets of Byron Bay. The past two weeks have been a busy time for Byron and the Gold Coast because of 'schoolies'. These couple of weeks, 20 000 high-school graduates from all over Australia head to Byron and take over the city, partying day and night, celebrating their graduate status. In response to the flooding in of young people, locals tend to stay home and away from the city. This has led to the cafe that I work at to temporarily close for two weeks for dinner, leaving me only to have a couple of short morning shifts, and lots of time to relax! Dave has been quite busy at the travel company he works for, working five days a week, but still finding time for the beach and day trips.

our walk to the beach

While we have been lounging around the apartment, we have been making good use of our hammock on our patio, and great use of the ceiling fans. It has been the beginning of a hot summer, and our average day is 30⋅C, which has led to many trips to the beach. We are so lucky that it is a short five minute walk away from
paradise, a secluded bay on Tallow Beach.

Kurt learning to skate :)

Kurt, our 'pet' water-dragon

 When we get home, we have the entertaining company of a gutsy and curious water-dragon we have named, Kurt (he is named after a funny and unique friend of ours we met in Byron Bay, who has continued to travel). He is not very shy, as we often find him attacking our glass door trying to get inside, and from time to time he succeeds when we leave the door open for air. Kurt spends his days lounging on the patio with us, swimming in a small pool in the garden, learning to skateboard, and sometimes mating with other lizards on our porch... he is all around a great pet.

Becki's day off... bad hair day

our beloved pies

 Dave and I have a new obsession... pies. Australia seems to have the right idea when it comes to snack food, as you can find a pie shop around every corner, with a long list of creative flavors. Some of our favorites have been chicken and mango curry, bacon and cheese, or a classic peppered beef. Anything wrapped in delicious puff pastry is great in my books. Not only are these pie shops found everywhere, but they are open all night for the convenience of those who want to get a snack after the bar. Convenient, and delicious!

Our bike ride down Seven Mile Beach Road

 In order to keep our pie-bellies non-existent, Dave and I have been quite active around town. We took a biking day trip to see more local beaches and trails around Byron Bay. The ride was beautiful, along very rustic dirt roads. Despite my whining about the hilly landscapewe made it to the top of a mountain overlooking many beaches and a nature reserves. We took a walking trail down the mountain through the sub-tropical forest, to a beautiful beach surrounded by rocks (little did we know it was a well-known nudist beach in the area...). The sights we saw were breathtaking (not the people, the nature), and we are amazed that they are so close to our backyard.

view from the top of the mountain

spiders too!

scary snakes in our backyard!

There are a few 
 thins that come with beautiful nature, and that is unwanted wildlife. On our path to the beach, there is a threatening sign warning us that there are brown snakes. We haven't seen any deadly ones yet, and I hope it stays that way! The spiders however, we are finding more and more around the house. In the shower, on the ceiling, and on the porch! I spend a lot of time researching which ones are harmless and dangerous. The big bugs are starting to come out, especially the Christmas Beetle. They are similar to the June Bug, but they come out from now until Christmas, and they are huge! They aren't very smart though, and usually run into the wall, get dizzy, and die.

getting in the Christmas spirit

 It doesn't quite feel like Christmas is less than a month away with the hot weather and beaches, but I can't complain about the circumstances. Thank-you to my amazing family for sending some Christmas spirit my way! It will be a different experience being away from family this holiday, but we will make new traditions to bring home.

Thank-you to my wonderful family for sending me a little taste of Christmas!