See you Later Byron, We will miss you!

The time has come, we are leaving Byron Bay. Dave and I have spent the last 3 and a half months in paradise enjoying the beaches, but we are ready to venture on our backpacking adventure and see what the rest of what Australia has to offer. It is crazy to think that we have been out of Canada for four months, and are 1/3 of the way through our year in Oz! Byron Bay has been such a great home and we will miss everything about it. We will spend our last couple of days in Byron enjoying the beaches, BBQ-ing under the sun, and saying good-bye to friends. As sad as we are to leave, I am looking forward to getting my backpack on again and seeing some new sights. We have a lot to look forward to once we arrive to Melbourne! We are attending the men's quarter-final match at the Australian Open, we are going to see 'Swedish House Mafia' play their final tour together, we are also going to see 'Of Monsters and Men' perform, and shortly after we arrive we get to celebrate Australia Day witth the rest of the country. It will be a fun filled first week in Melbourne, and we will update you on all the excitement soon. Until then, you will find me on the beach!

Byron for the Holidays, a long overdue update

Tallow Beach from the lighthouse

Morning trip to the beach before work

Twilight at the beach

Spending our Christmas in the sun and away from snowy Canada (even though it wasn’t a very snowy Canada), was a very different experience. We spent our Christmas on the beach with great friends who were all away from their homes and family, which gave us time to reflect on why we are so lucky to be here in Byron Bay together. Byron is so unique, and this is why:



-No shoes, no shirt, no service... does not exist in Byron Bay. In this Shire (yes, we live in a Shire), it is acceptable to wear only your bathing suit practically anywhere.

Byron Lighthouse

This includes grocery shopping, going out for coffee, or just strolling down the street.
-There are countless locals that make the city what it is. There is Dancing Tommy who dances everywhere he goes, the Kebab thief who runs past our local ‘Abra Kebabra’ and steals a freshly purchased Kebab out of an unsuspecting persons hands, and the man who dresses up like Batman (cape and all) and rollerblades down the street as fast as he can in the middle of the day, just to name a few.
-Fashion in Byron is a mixture of surfer-hippie. Everyone is very tanned, often with full body tattoos, feathers and flowers in their dreadlocked hair, and of corse no bra, and no shoes.
-The markets! Whether it is the Thursday fruit market, Saturday art market, or Sunday farmers market, you are guaranteed to have a good time and get some great deals, eat some great food, and hear lots of live music.

Six person Christmas Cracker

Christmas at the beach, lighthouse in background

-Busking is a huge part of Byron Bay. Day and night you will find a man playing the didgeridoo, someone singing with their guitar, a jazz band, or a full on 5 piece band starting a dance party in the street (this was a very fun night)! Every bar has live music every week as well, great live entertainment.
-There is an overall respect for life and nature in Byron. Everyone seems to be doing their part, whether you just respect the nature and enjoy it, or you are actively defending Australia’s marine wildlife by being a Sea Shephard, everyone is respecting Australia’s nature.
-Byron is a small town, with a big town vibe. You can find nature that is completely untouched, and then head to the centre of the city and see all of the activity and night life.
-The friends I have met in Byron Bay have made this city so amazing. The whole Holiday Village family, and especially Sandra, Anton, Chris, and Emma who we have become so close with.
-And finally, the beaches! Everyone lives within 10 minutes of a beach. There is Main Beach, Belongil Beach, Wategos Beach, Tallows Beach, Whites Beach, Seven Mile Beach and so many more. Some of them are busy, some completely deserted, all of them are beautiful.

All of these unique characteristics make the Shire of Byron so special. It has been great to spend Christmas here, but the celebration wasn’t quite the same. It was hard to think about Christmas when it is 30C outside in the middle of the sub-tropics, and with no malls to surround you with Christmas music. It wasn’t the same as at home, but we enjoyed it just the same!

Finally figured out the camera timer!

Dave and I spent Christmas Eve celebrating our family traditions with our Swedish roommates Anton

Six person Feast!

 and Sandra, and British friends Emma and Chris. We decided to combine all of our cultures and make way too much food to celebrate. We turned the Christmas music up, and all cooked our traditional Christmas dinners. Sandra and Anton made traditional Swedish meatballs with a  beetroot salad, and a delicious chocolate cake, Chris and Emma roasted potatoes and veggies, with a beef roast, cauliflower cheese and of coarse, Yorkshire pudding. Dave and I made a classic turkey with stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. We decided that we had all cooked enough food to feed about 20 people, for 6 of us. I was surprised when we were able to fit all of the left-overs in the fridge, but I am still enjoying them today :). The night was spent sipping on margaritas on our patio, exchanging gifts in a game, and enjoying the evening. Dave won a kite in the gift exchange game, and I got a pair of warm lama socks!

Catching a little wave Christmas day

The next day we decided to spend Christmas with the rest of our family at the Holiday Village hostel, and on the beach.

            We started our morning heading to the beach and flying our new kite, and jumping in the waves. After our morning dip we headed to the hostel, where they had a giant Christmas dinner prepared! This included a turkey, ham, and pork roast. This was another day filled with food and friends. We ended our day at a beach party, watching the sunset on Tallows Beach around a fire. Christmas felt very different this year, but very special at the same time.

This past week, we have watched the streets of Byron Bay get busier, the campgrounds fill, and the lines at the bar get very long! Australians and backpackers from all over have been heading to Byron for New Years Eve. Friends came over to our apartment for a few hours to enjoy some cocktails, and barbecued food, followed by New Years celebrations at Main Beach with fireworks! The energy in the city was fantastic, with everyone happy to welcome the adventures to come in 2013. Yet again, we ended our night at Tallows beach for a swim and a camp fire.

Thank-you to all of our family and friends who sent us Christmas cards and packages, as well as spending some quality time chatting on Skype. It wouldn’t have been the same without celebrating with all of you. As the next couple of weeks roll around we will continue to work and enjoy the sun, before the next chapter of our trip starts when we move to Melbourne! For now, you can find us at the beach or relaxing in our hammock.

New Years at the beach