From Sydney to Byron Bay

Although I was a bit sad about leaving Melbourne behind, my trip so far has been quite nice. After a looong Greyhound bus ride (Australia is huge man) I arrived in Sydney. After dropping off my backpack in the hostel I visited the most photographed items of the state capital: the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. A very nice sight, although somehow I expected the Opera House to be bigger - don't know why... My choice in hostel was somewhat poor. At night the area where I stayed in (Kings Cross) changed into a red light district. For the rest, Sydney is just a big city and although it gave me a good impression, I'm quite glad I've been living and studying in Melbourne. I'll be back in Sydney at the end of my Australia trip as I fly from there to Malaysia.

After two days in Sydney I made my way up to Byron Bay, a little backpackers town on the coast. It was raining cats and dogs when I arrived, and it didn't stop until this morning. The place is a lot nicer when the sun is out I must say, it's got atmosphere. The bay is absolutely beautiful and it has a very nice surf. I've just returned from a hike to the light house, and the most Easterly point of mainland Australia. Apart from the lovely views, I SAW WHALES!!! Apparently it's the season that the whales migrate, and seeing those huge animals jumping out of the water along the coast was an unexpected and absolutely amazing experience. Hoowhee!

Tomorrow morning early I'm off to Rainbow Beach, from where we'll be doing a three day 4WD-trip on sandy Fraser Island, which I'm very much looking forward to.