प्रकाशित: 23.04.2017
Just before 7:00 pm on Wednesday evening, my tour continued, which will ultimately take me to Cairns. On the first evening, one of the longest stages was on the agenda, covering about 700 kilometers to Byron Bay. After boarding, I was disappointed to find that there was no WiFi on my bus, so I didn't have many things to do. However, until our first stop, there was a "special" kind of entertainment for all passengers, and it was free of charge. There was a German-speaking family on the bus - probably from southern Germany or Switzerland - with a small child. This child managed to scream the entire bus together for two hours straight, without interruption. The parents' reassurance did not help, and all passengers were simply annoyed. I'm not sure if the parents didn't have a pacifier or simply didn't think to unpack one. Anyway, everyone was probably relieved when the family got off at the first stop. I was able to get some sleep during the night before the daylight woke me up in the early morning. From that point on, we were on the road for maybe another 2-3 hours, and I was able to see some of the scenery. We arrived relatively early in Byron Bay, and I was taken directly to the hostel by a free shuttle. Unfortunately, check-in was not possible yet, so I stayed in the hostel for a while before going on a first exploration and shopping tour on a summery warm day. Byron Bay is an extremely touristic and lively place, known for surfing and having a large beach. After I could finally settle into my room, I decided to walk to the easternmost lighthouse in Australia. On the way there, I also passed the easternmost point of the entire mainland. The path is very beautiful, with many bays, beaches, and cliffs. Additionally, I was able to see wild turkeys for the first time, of which there are many on the east coast. After the hike, I stayed at the beach for a while, as it was now heavily cloudy, until it quickly became dark. For the evening, I had arranged to meet Leonie and Julia in a small club, whom I had met on my Stray trip to Hahei in early November. Once again, two Germans who graduated from high school last year, and once again two from Swabia. I don't know why, but in comparison, I have met an excessive number of German backpackers from Baden-Württemberg. Anyway, we had been in regular contact since then and were very excited that our paths would cross again in Australia. We had a good, delicious meal and reminisced about our experiences in New Zealand, spending a lovely evening together. After saying goodbye, I was caught in a sudden shower on the way back, and I got quite wet within those five minutes.