17 - 19 May 2016 - A few days in Byron Bay

For late May the weather along the East Coast had been unseasonably warm.  A great time to visit Byron Bay, which is somewhere I had always wanted to visit after hearing nice things about the area from many people I have met over the years.

Based on the normally very reliable information from Wiki Camps, an excellent map based app on parks, camping spots & stop overs Australia Wide, I booked a few days at Glen Villa Resort, just across the old railway line from Byron township.  A great cabin, caravan and camping park.

Did a lot of walking, including a very long round trip up to Cape Byron and the lighthouse surrounds.  That certainly tested the aging body.  Everything was hurting that afternoon.  Needed an anti-inflammatory and a nap.....

 Spectacular Cape Byron & Lighthouse.

 Amazing stretches of beach - looking towards Broken Head.

Morning yoga and a large Pandanus at Byron Main Beach.

Broken Head is a nearby National Park area with more beautiful scenery.

Great Byron sunset - amazing numbers of flying foxes in transit each evening to a swamp near the caravan park.

Before I left Gordon & Edith's, I sent out a bulk email with a brief travel update & a few photos attached.  Many people from many places responded, including Dave Sealey, whom I have known since the 1970's when living & working in Invercargill in New Zealand, again with Baroid, the drilling mud Company.  Dave has been a fairly regular visitor to Byron over the years and recommended a breakfast at "The Top Shop", a cafe on the outskirts of the Byron suburbs on the way up to the Cape.  On my second morning I was up early, walked up to The Top Shop & enjoyed a good breaky and even better coffee.

As I returned to the caravan park, I walked past a couple, who were moving gear in the back of their Toyota Hilux in preparation for moving to a camping site.  To my surprise and amazement, it was Bryan & Leonie Hughes, who I had also first met in Invercargill in the the 1970's.  Caught up with them last year in Melbourne, while I was there attending an Australian Shareholders' Conference. They now live in Sale in Victoria and both have recently retired from the workforce.  They had been camping further South in NSW and saw my email mentioning that I planned to visit Byron.  As they both like Byron, they came North to surprise me - certainly did that.

Bryan & Leonie in front of the "elaborate" camp set up.

Was great to share a meal and gossip about previous times.  Rumour has it that I was Best Man at their Wedding in Singapore (a very long time ago) but I have no memory of that at all.....still not 100% sure that they are not having it on with me - no offence Bryan......I know it was a special event for you both and the beginning of much intensive breeding.  Leonie & Bryan now have a very large family with many grandchildren already.  A bit of a worry as they don't look old enough......