Student Bloggers

After taking some time to get acquainted with my new home on the Griffith campus, I decided to take a weekend trip to Byron Bay to see what else was in my new backyard. I had heard that this was a must see place in Australia, and I couldn’t wait to see it for myself. Plus, the fact that the village community had already organized a trip made it impossible to pass up. So I packed what I thought would be necessary into a backpack and hopped on the bus.

The bus ride was quick, with the bustle of signing up for activities and looking out the window at the new landscape. When we arrived, we quickly checked into the hostel, changed into white t shirts, and went off to Cheeky Monkeys. This rustic building was home to an infamous Friday night paint party, where everyone gets splattered in neon colors upon arrival. After hours of dancing and free food, we returned home covered in sand from the beach and paint from the party.

The next morning, the group leaders led us on a lighthouse walk. Throughout the trail, I saw magnificent views of the beach. I couldn’t believe that just an hour south of where I had been staying, the beaches could look so different. The day happened to be rather hot, and I couldn’t help but hop in the water when we arrived at Wategos Beach along the way. Despite the rocks rolling in and out with the tide, water had never felt so refreshing. After a quick dip, we continued on and after conquering some hills, we made it to the top. The bright white contrasting against the green hills and bright blue sea was beautiful. You could see far out on the coast. Surfers, swimmers, the occasional dolphin if you looked carefully enough. I explored around the lighthouse at all the different views. It was surreal to realize that I was standing at the eastern most part of the continent. Coming from the east coast of the United States that also touches the ocean, I felt a sense of security in realizing that despite being on the other side of the world, I was still somewhat at home. We finished the day with an all you can eat pizza dinner on the rooftop of the hostel and a trip to Woody’s surf shack.

After a great first day in Byron, came my favorite part of the entire weekend. A friend and I woke up early and headed to the beach for sea kayaking. Although I had kayaked in the ocean many times before, I never experienced waves like this and I was a little apprehensive at the start. Despite my nerves, the guides were very reassuring and positive, and promised that as long as we continued to paddle, we would make it over the waves. So excitedly, we jumped in the water and embarked on our kayaking journey. After getting over the first few waves, we settled into flatter water and stopped to look for dolphins. Yet, we could not seem to find any, so we moved on. The views from the water were incredible. You could see the beaches, surfers, the lighthouse, the island. Everything look so much larger and brighter from the water. Eventually, we got really warm again and decided to jump into the water. I have never swam so far out in the ocean, and although I had a slight fear of encountering a shark, I was also excited by the idea that I could also find a dolphin. After a lot of paddling and waiting, we finally saw them. Two dolphins swam up right by us, and then a few moments later, a few more swam by. I have always loved dolphins, and to see them in their natural habitat, so closely, was unbelievable. I was also lucky enough to find some turtles swimming below my kayak as we stopped on our way in. Seeing these animals and taking in the view of the bay from the water made the fact that we capsized our kayak twice all worth it.

I spent the last few hours of my time in Byron exploring the beach. I walked all the way to the end where I climbed rocks and watched surfers go by. It amazed me how easy they made it all look. Eventually, it was time to go, so I got back on the bus and headed back to the village. This trip really made me realize how many incredible places there are in Australia, both close and far to where I am located, and now I anxiously await my next adventure.