Unfortunately the weather that had started to take a turn for the worse during our evening barbeque last night at Coffs Harbour didn't improve overnight, and when we woke this morning it was apparent that there had been some quite bad weather overnight with windswept tree branches and leaves scattered everywhere around the hotel and Coffs Harbour itself. I think I can vaguely remember hearing the wind battering the hostel throughout the night. The weather also didn't look like improving when we woke either, with the wind and rain still pounding. Why are we being so unlucky with the weather?

Today we continued our journey North, with Junni and Lucy ultimately heading to Cairns with me bailing at some point to fly back to the UK. With the weather not the best we spent most of the day just pressing ahead, only stopping to marvel at the (not very) impressive "big" monuments to nonsensical objects that the Australians seem to like to litter their highways with - the big banana? The big prawn? Come on! I must admit they did make the drive slightly entertaining trying to work out which is the next "big" thing we will pass. I had visited the "Big Prawn" last time I was in Australia as a stopover on a bus trip back to Sydney and it didn't seem to have changed much. Inside there is a very touristy, and very expensive, souvenir shop that we wasted 20 minutes of our time perusing.

Around lunch time we reached Byron Bay. When I was last in Australia, in 2002-2003, and travelling with Mark by that point, Byron Bay was one of my absolute highlights. I loved the town, the relaxed beach atmosphere, the beach, the weather, the hostel we were staying in, the bars, the food, the activities we did (sea-kayaking). It really was a highlight and I was really looking forward to coming back. Unfortunately I think this was maybe the biggest disappointment of my whole trip so far. Admittedly, the weather probably had a major impact on my opinion, but they do say you should never try to revisit happy memories as it will never be the same again. This place seemed different - I thought I could remember a small, happy, sea-side town, and this seemed to be a large, impersonal, expensive tourist metropolis. As I said, maybe the weather dampened my opinions and affected my judgement, but certainly the size of the place has grown significantly and maybe spoiled some of that charm. I used to think that Byron Bay was the kind of place I could live, but on this evidence I think that is no longer the case. Given the choice I would choose Montañita in Ecuador any day of the week.

Whilst in Byron Bay, even with the rain drizzling down on us, we did decide to take a small walk up to the lighthouse on the top of the hill (again, something that I had done last time I was in Byron Bay 6 years ago) with a visit to the most easterly part of the Australian mainland. The photo I took of me leaning over the sign advertising this geographical fact is almost identical to a photo I have of me in the same place and in the same pose 6 years ago! The weather was a lot better back then though! I am starting to feel sorry for Lucy and Junni - I have had months of travel but this is their summer holiday and the weather is dreadful.

We headed back into Byron Bay town for a very nice, but expensive, lunch (eggs benedict - yummy) before continuing our drive Northwards towards Surfers Paradise, where I am now and where we will spend the next few days.