BYRON MY SPIRITUAL HOME

I think in everyone’s lives there is a place or places where you just FEEL good, even at the mention of it. It’s a place you feel at ease in, comfortable, and at home. Where there is a little bubble of happiness inside you just waiting to burst into smiles and laughter. These places I call SPIRITUAL HOMES. Byron Bay is mine. I first visited this place 4years ago with some wonderful, crazy girlfriends. And yes, it was good to be together to share some great times, but it was just as good, for me, to spend time alone, walking along the beach, eating at a cool café and generally just chillin. I’ve been back a few times since and I’m always surprised how hard it is to leave, though I shouldn’t be by now. But it just catches me. In my heart and throat.

So, of course, Byron was my next port of call. And it isn’t too expensive to find the odd place around there to stay. Providing you don’t expect the Ritz! Which, I don’t. In fact I have a ‘thing’ about paying for overpriced caravan parks, which I won’t go into here. Let’s just say I would only use one in an emergency. And I did find a couple of parks at Belongibil, 5 min outside Byron, which only charged $15 for an

unpowered site. But, even better I went onto Youcamps and found a powered site at Suffolk Park, again 5min to Byron,for the same price! However I had to book ahead as it is a private house in a lovely area and there was only one place on the wide driveway. Sooo glad I did. What a beautiful place. The beach there is awesome, and for me, it was made even better by being the most dog friendly beach I’ve come across. And, as with dog friendly areas, so were the people too! I spent a very pleasant two nights there.

Which gave me two wonderful, amazing  days at Byron Bay.

The first day started with breakfast at a favorite café of mine called ‘the Dip’. Spicy bean stack with poached egg on sourdough toast. Yummm. Then a nice leisurely walk around town, taking in the sights of Byron and the eclectic shops and cafes there. I love the diversity here. Yes it is touristy… but in a unique, laid back almost hippy way. Unlike most tourist places the shops here are reasonably, even cheaply priced! You can get anything from the best vegetarian meals (Manna Heaven) to high Cuisine at the Sails. Same with clothes. Kaftans to designer gear.  In fact there really is something for everyone.

The afternoon was simple. BEACH. The main beach is just a gorgeous horseshoe of white sands and deep blue sea which sweeps from the town centre around to Clarkes Beach. It can get really busy in the summer season, but here in Autumn, the water was still warm and the sun still hot, yet the beach was almost bare. Easy for swimming or just lazing on. I did both. As I prefer Clarkes Beach end, I parked on Massinger Street where there are  free parking bays big enough for my Chihuahua, and left her to her own sleepy afternoon.

The following day I decided to make up for my previous days hedonistic pursuits by doing some exercise! I felt so relaxed and easy, even my Fibro had receded. And so- back to Massinger St. Across the road from there is the famous Clarkes Beach Café, where I intended to come back for lunch. But it is also the start of a secure, wide, wooden walkway, alongside the road, which takes you around the bay to the  Pass.  You get some wonderful views along here. From the Pass you can then go to the Lighthouse if you want to. Oh didn’t I mention there was a lighthouse here too? Now come on… if it’s my favorite place… it HAD to have a lighthouse! I only did the first part of the walk to the Pass and then back again as I wanted to see how I felt first.

 And… I felt great! So I hopped in the Chihuahua and took her to Watego Beach. One.. because I love Watego. It is a surfers haven. Two because I thought the path would not be as long from here. It’s at this point that I have to question my sanity. When I got to Watego I realized the reason it had such great surf was because of its hilly, rocky bay AND the reason the path is shorter to the lighthouse is because … the path is up a sheer cliff! But having got there and finally finding a park (it was packed!) I was doing it! The first part wasn’t TOO bad as the wooden steps kept breaking off to little wooden seats and viewing platforms. However as time went on and I could see no end in sight, the perspiration ran off my face and my curly hair became a damp, humid haystack. Gasping for breath, with aching legs and heavy heart I realized this path was for goats and mountaineers… oh, and the 75yr old lady who smugly bounded past me on one of the endless steps. But she had a face like a goat anyway.  But I did it! I got to the top and to my wonderful lighthouse. Though I have to admit those weren’t the words I was using at the time. I sat for a while regaining my breath (my composure and pride had long gone) and looked at the stunning views whilst gulping down an ice cold coke from the blessed cafe. The path back down was so much easier. I hugged the Chihuahua when I saw her.

Afterwards I headed straight for the café at Clarkes beach. Did I care what I looked like? I did not! And the staff were well mannered enough not to show what they thought. Instead I grabbed a front seat on the patio, right up to the veranda and stared out at Clarkes Beach. The sands soothed me and the waves calmed me, and I was at peace again. It was then that I noticed the waitress hovering near me, not looking at me, but out to the tree where two kookaburras sat.   She turned and smiled. “ They tend to dive for food” she said. “No worries” I said.” I love animals.” Remember I mentioned Karma in my last post? Bless… I never learn. My meal came.Just as I was putting the bread in my mouth one of the bread snatching thieves swooped and literally took it, inches from my lips! “No problem” I laughed, in embarrassment. So they came and sat directly in front of me on the veranda. They stared at me. I stared at them. They looked at my plate. I hoarded my plate to me. They looked at me again. “No worries” They said “We can wait!” The rest of the meal was a staring contest and… ok… I gave they some.

.

After that it was more beach and buying postcards and delaying leaving Byron for as long as I could.

But in the end, I had to go. Strange how forlorn I felt, how it tugged at my heart.

Remember-Home is not bricks and mortar but where the heart is.
The Grey Chihuahua