16.04.2026

Before we get started, here are a few photos of the surroundings of the lodge. Notable are the Chinese flame trees, which are hard to miss...

We have now arrived at the easternmost point of Australia, in Byron Bay. The evening beer, which looks like cloudy lemon soda, has a different effect. We will spend two nights at 'Discovery Park Byron Bay', a campsite or family leisure resort. Today, instead of the paved walking trail, we have a tent with a built-in kitchen, bathroom, air conditioning, and a large terrace. Instead of cicadas, we are treated to frog concerts, as a large lake is part of the property.

We had about 250 km to cover today, much of it on a nearly empty highway, with occasional glimpses of the Pacific Ocean. We passed through large forest areas, some banana, sugarcane, and fruit plantations. The travel guide described this route as uneventful for 'mile munching', meaning there were no worthwhile detours in sight. About 30 km before our destination, we decided to signal off at the exit to Ballina to check out the giant plastic shrimp in front of a hardware store. In the town, there is still the old post office, now the courthouse, from the architectural style of the 1880s, which is interesting. Then it wasn't long until we reached the kitesurfing, surfing, and bathing hotspot - Byron Bay. A tourist town as described in the books, 'meat and tattoo show' under good sunshine and strong winds. You stand out if you are not walking through the town in swimwear. The offerings for culinary delights have pretty much everything the world has to offer! We then went a bit further to our resort. Despite the number of different bungalows and tents, everything is well spread out. Here, too, the wind rustles through the treetops, but at 6 PM, it is still 23 °C. The kids are tired from swimming in the pool and water park. Only the frogs and the waves of the Pacific are loud. Let's see when the former will end their concert?