byron bay

Last Sunday, I went to Byron Bay again with a couple of friends, for the surf. However, when we got there, there were no real waves, so we spent the day swimming and sunbathing - which over here they call sunbaking. I suppose the sun is that much stronger, it is more like being in an oven than a bath!

We swam out to a wrecked ship in the bay, with the aid of a surf board and S's muscles. I can swim, but I am neither fit nor a strong swimmer at the best of times, so the surf board was a great idea. I swam the first 200m or so and then S paddled the board and I hung on to the tow rope. As you do. The wreck is pretty old, a big metal arm sticking out of the water encruated with barnacles, and below, a looming dark shape of the bow of the ship.

The water is very clear here, so you could see quite far into the pale blue water to see the fuzzy outline of the ship. I was happy enough swimming (and being dragged) out to the wrexk, putting aside the thoughts of sharks and jellyfish and aliens and seaweed, but once I got there, and touched the arm, and looked down at the black shape... I have to say I panicked. Thoughts of giant octupuses and decapods from childhood story books, ferocious eels and who knows what else sprang immediately to mind, and S was turfed from his surfboard as my strength suddenly came back to me...

After lying on the sand gasping for breath from the long swim back, it became chilly so we moved off the beach. Having had all these grand ideas of taking lots of beachy photos I then decided I didn't actually want any photos of myself in a bikini, so I didn't take any. I did however take some of our trip up to the lighthouse and of the sunset.

Here they are: