Byron Bay
The much wanted, long awaited blog post about Byron Bay is here! I had posted a YouTube video from my trip to Byron Bay earlier this week and not only did I receive great feedback from it, but it made my family decide to come visit me in Australia next month, so they can experience it too! And let me tell you, it was an AMAZING experience!
I keep telling everyone that holding the koalas were the best moments of my life, but after Byron Bay, that changed. Koala holding will still be in my top three, but the main reason I came to Australia was to explore the dolphins and other marine life. As I have mentioned before, marine biology has always been an interest of mine, and although I won’t be studying it thoroughly or doing it as a career, I am trying to make the most out of my experience here! With that being said, instead of going through my day by day, minute by minute from Byron Bay, I thought I would just highlight some of my favorite moments!
Kayaking with the Dolphins
This topped holding the koalas for me. I was very hesitant to pay for this kayaking trip, not only because I am a little afraid of the ocean (sharks mainly) but because I risked paying money to not see anything. The company we went through did have a guarantee, where if you didn’t see anything, you would get a free ticket to come back, but I wasn’t for sure if I would be coming back at that point. We went to Cape Byron Kayaks, which was a fun little business that has been going on for quite some time now. The owner was extremely nice and the tour guides were hilarious and very informative, that made the experience a lot better.
(Photo taken by Lily G.)
We were paired with a partner and were required to wear helmets and life jackets, which was probably a good idea considering we tipped over at one point! To get out was probably the most frustrating part, because we had to kayak against the waves coming into shore, in order to get out into calmer water. This part sucked because we immediately got wet and it also added to the fear I already had. Once we got out into calmer water, we were guided to the outer part of the bay area, where dolphins were apparently heavily populated. Well, they were right because we saw SO MANY DOLPHINS!
All my fears had flushed away once I saw the dolphins. When I tell you my heart sank (in a good way), it sank to the bottom of the ocean. This picture was captured during a video I took, which can be found on my Instagram and TikTok, and it was the moment I realized where I was and how happy I had suddenly become. I really can’t describe much more, but it was almost as if I was in a dream or in heaven, because it just did not seem real. This is a moment I will never forget.
In addition to the dolphins giving us an amazing show in the waves, they also ended up swimming right below us! Before the tour, I had purchased a waterproof pouch to put my phone in, so I can take video under water, and I am so glad I got it! Our kayak tour guides were telling us that this point in Byron Bay is home to about 300 female dolphins, where they take care of their babies, without the presence of males for protection purposes.
Towards the end of our tour, my kayak partner and I were waiting for the signal to surf waves back into shore, when all of the sudden we hear this loud “HUFFF” right next to us. We turned around and a sea turtle had come up for some air right next to us! I am sad I didn’t get a picture of it above water, because he was cool looking, but I stuck my phone under water and captured a little bit of him swimming! This was my first time seeing a sea turtle in the wild!
Lighthouse Hike
If my friends are reading this, I have to apologize for being so out of it during the lighthouse hike, because I feel really bad! In my defense, the hike was HARD! A majority of it was an uphill hike, so it took a lot out of me, and I became winded very fast. I am very lucky to have friends that waited, because otherwise I would have done the hike alone!
Ignoring the pain of the uphill climb, it was so worth it! The views were unlike anything I have seen before! The Byron Bay Lighthouse holds the most eastern point of Australia, so I knew this was a place I had to go to. This was also a moment where I finally realized where I was. The views where my school is are somewhat similar to California or Florida, so it doesn’t feel much different. Once I got to Byron Bay, that changed a lot! You could totally tell the difference between the two.
At the top of our hike, we also spotted wildlife from down below, which was so cool! We saw a whole pod of dolphins, string rays, sea turtles, and some of my friends even saw a shark! It was such an amazing sight to see, especially since we were so high up.
This was the famous lighthouse, where we got to see a 360 view of Byron Bay. The views were amazing up here, and it was super cool to watch this single engine plane keep flying over us.
After admiring the views and wildlife, we hiked back down and went swimming at the bottom of the hill for a little while to cool off. The views from down below were just as cool as the views from above, with all of the surfers, rocks, and beautiful blue water!
Being with Friends
For this weekend trip, we rented an AirBnb that housed 13 of us girls. The guys got their own house, but we had them over for dinner and to hangout, instead of spending money and going out to the bars. I think this was a great idea because we were able to have fun without spending a ton of money. We did get to experience the town a little bit, but we loved our house so much we liked sticking around the house cooking and playing games.
One of my friends, Quinn, cooked us all a fantastic Tuscan chicken dish that I could eat every single day. I also made us a salad and pasta, Kelsey made some potatoes, and Ben prepared the charcuterie board. It was so fun being able to make a huge dinner, that only cost us $6 USD each and be able to have a nice dinner all together, without worrying about getting seating at a restaurant. It was also really nice to get to know some friends more, since we literally met four weeks ago!
Finally, being able to enjoy nature with my friends was amazing. We went on the kayak tour together, spent lots of time at the beautiful beach, went for the lighthouse hike, and watched sunsets. It felt so wholesome to be able to explore with people that bring each other so much happiness! I definitely miss my friends at home, but I am so happy I found my people here!
I have sooooo much more to say about Byron Bay, but you can watch a majority of it in my YouTube Vlog! I cannot wait to go back with my mom, dad, and brother and show them what a beautiful place it is!
Keep doing what makes YOU happy!
Jessica
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