Now we are already sitting at home on the couch, but only now do I have time to continue writing.
In Byron Bay we arrived on April 17th and headed to the camping site that I had booked in advance. I searched for the right one for a long time, as we wanted to stay for a few days. It was located slightly outside the city and not directly by the sea, but it was affordable. We got a great spot, right in front of the jumping pillow, water park, and kids club ;-)
Motte was in paradise....
You could have left your child there as well.... if it weren't for the language barrier.....:-( Motte completely ignored anyone who spoke English.... so Mama had to step in....
Otherwise, the camping site was also very modern.... not so much "back to nature".... the camp kitchen even had a television
But there were also some nice spots, as there was a small river/swamp area around
The beach that stretches behind it, like most beaches here, is not directly accessible, we had to drive a short distance. Conservation is highly regarded here.... right so.... that's why the beaches here are fantastic.
Belongil Beach..... located behind our caravan park...
In the background you can faintly see a bridal couple on the beach.... they are taking photos.... who does that? ;-)
Otherwise, Byron is a charming little hippie tourist town..... with a parking problem for large cars.... It was a drama to go shopping because there was nowhere to park..... and when there was a free spot, it was always for vehicles up to 6 meters.... it cost us a lot of nerves, because we still had a few things to do.....;-)
Everything alternative was bustling here.... there were signs from the old hippie era everywhere.... like the Rainbow Shop.... with rainbow umbrellas..... well that was missing.... we also wanted to buy umbrellas.... but not colorful...:-)At first, all of this was a bit too much for us..... but when we later drove further towards the Gold Coast and saw the typical Miami picture there, we missed our Byron Bay and turned back ;-).... that's how many travelers feel, which is why Byron is also a haven for dropouts and emigrants....
Also, we only admired the landmark of Byron, the lighthouse, from the motorhome, as the kids were sleeping. It costs 8 AUD to park up there and it was difficult with our battleship.... we really wanted to do the walk to the lighthouse, but we didn't manage it in the first few days and then the weather didn't cooperate anymore.... unfortunately :-( But with 2 small children, you're not so spontaneous. We'll probably have to come back ;-)
Beautiful view from up there to Tallow Beach
But now to our main concern here.....Well, with my writing being so far behind, it's no longer a surprise..... we got married :-) in Byron Bay!!! But let’s start at the beginning.....We got in touch with a celebrant here in Byron through our travel agency, they are kind of Australian "marriage registrars", who, in addition to magistrates, have the right to marry you (almost) anywhere in Australia. Our celebrant was Nadja, an emigrated German.... perfect.... the language barrier already overcome.... But beyond that, she was a stroke of luck.... she took care of everything, starting with the documents we need for a legally valid marriage..... these almost arrived too late in Australia because my local registrar's office has an unreliable postal service.... but she also took care of choosing the right location, a hairdressing appointment, and floral arrangements, I just had to make a few phone calls to communicate my wishes and everything went smoothly.... perfect.... we are more than happy with the final location.... Nadja had advised us to consider Byron at Byron Resort as a backup option for bad weather because we actually wanted to get married on the beach. In the end, we chose the hotel, or rather the rainforest behind the resort.... as there are often passers-by on the beach who walk through your ceremony (we've seen it all before).... besides, you never know what the weather will be like.... rain, wind.... not so great on the beach, especially not with small children.... and in the rainforest, there was a small pavilion as shelter in case of rain.... perfect.... so we chose the option of a rainforest wedding and photos on the beach afterwards. The photographer was also included in the package....We visited the location a day earlierDreamlikeWe also enjoyed the beach for taking photos beforehand, in the sunshine... We also got help from Nadja in making a deal with the hotel.... on the day of the wedding, we took a room there (or rather a suite) and were allowed to check in 3 hours earlier to get ready.... not the price of a backpacker accommodation, but a dream for a wedding..... Would have loved to stay there for the rest of the trip :-)On April 20th was the big day.... on our 14th anniversary..... well, about time ;-)In the morning, we packed up our tents at the caravan park and Normen dropped me off at the flower shop in the city. I had ordered a bridal bouquet, flowers for my hair, and a flower girl basket for Motte.... First, I picked up the hairpiece and walked a few meters to the hairdresser. Then I walked back and picked up the remaining flowers.... perfect.... Normen picked me up again, the kids had their morning power nap, and we could check into the hotel fresh and awake.The hotel itself is a dream, as is the service.... the day before, we dropped off our clothes there and the hotel made sure everything was wrinkle-free the next day... we also received a small wedding gift (champagne and chocolates).If you still wonder why we had so many suitcases, an extra large suitcase was needed for this day.In the last moment, Nadja suggested that we could take a German-speaking "nanny" as a 2nd witness.... coincidentally, she knows someone... oh how wonderful....The nanny arrived an hour earlier and helped me into my dress and created the most beautiful flower girl hairstyle for Motte.... incredible.... almost prettier than my own hairstyle.... THANK YOU ROSA!!!! And then the time had come! Normen was already on site, waiting with Mini-Maus, Nadja, and the photographer. A Caddy picked us up and drove us to the venue (not without getting lost because the driver was so engrossed in conversation with Rosa ;-) Best and cutest flower girl of all time......But she got bored during the ceremony..... Rosa had her hands full :-) So beautiful and the weather was perfect.... (we forgot about the umbrellas and the drama of getting them)Afterwards, we drove to Broken Head Beach to take photos. Actually, we also wanted to go to the lighthouse, but that would have been a bit too much, plus you have to pay $60 here if you take wedding dress photos in the national park... and the lighthouse is part of it... (the beach is too).... crazy....The beach was also more appealing for Motte.... she was right in her element and we had to quickly take photos in clean clothes.... Our "nanny" was also with us here, so we could take photos just the two of us "peacefully"Incredible woman, she put our almost 9 kg Mini-Maus with stroller under her arm and chased after the older one..... Thank you, thank you, thank you ;-) But the best part was that we were celebrated on the beach by a group of young people, invited to their bonfire, and provided with beer.... And afterwards, when we were soaking wet, Rosa put the kids to bed and we could go out for a nice dinner..... a dream.... We were glad that we didn't have to dance and entertain guests....We could instead enjoy our beautiful suite....We also had a delightful breakfast in the morning.... And then we had to go again :-( Bye Bye Byron Bay.....
