After flying cross country from Perth, we landed in Brisbane! We stayed a few days in the Gold Coast and then took a road trip down to Newcastle, stopping along the way in Burleigh Heads, Nimbin and Byron Bay.
A surf at Burleigh Heads. Note Surfers Paradise (all those tall buildings) in the background.
The beach at Burleigh Heads.
We of course made sure to hit all of the important cultural landmarks... including this giant shrimp and a big banana.
White girls can't jump.
We also had a pit stop in Nimbin, an ultra-hippie little village.
Byron Bay was as stunning as I remembered it. Though the main things I remember from my time there (when I was 22) was an outstanding chai latte I drank and coming THISCLOSE to winning a limbo contest at a bar called Cheeky Monkeys. Which just goes to show you that memory is a strange thing and it's important to take photos.
If you squint here, you can see a dolphin jumping out of the water. (!!!)
The local flora, which appears to be exotic pinecones.
Along with pods of dolphins, I also saw lone lurking sharks so Byron Bay was a mix of magical and terrifying.