Luke Yates’ Australia – part 3

On the final leg of his journey, Luke Yates takes to the Pacific Highway and discovers skydiving, heavy metal and hostel heaven.

Away from the big cities, two smaller towns stand out for different reasons. Coffs Harbour is best known as a stop-off on the long drive up the Pacific Highway between Sydney and Brisbane. It’s a relaxed place with some beautiful beaches and good restaurants but it isn’t one of the main travelling centres and is reasonably quiet.

Instant friendship – the hostelling way
What it did highlight was one of the true joys of travelling: the people you meet. We only stopped there two nights. The bars weren’t particularly noteworthy – except for one that was hosting a heavy metal night we managed to sneak into – but the friends we made in our hostel were just awesome. In the space of 5 hours we went from complete strangers to partying in the Pacific Ocean at midnight. Staying in hostels is great. Putting yourself out there and talking to people takes a bit of getting used to, but it’s ultimately fantastically rewarding.

Crystal Falls
On our only full day in Coffs Harbour we headed to Dorrigo National Park, home of the beautiful Crystal Falls. We drew looks of bemusement from other tourists wearing waterproofs and hiking boots as we stripped down to swim shorts and bare feet and headed under the waterfall. Chances are you’ll only get here once so make the most of it – just watch out for leeches!

Byron Bay – does it deserve the hype?
The hype around this place is legendary and for once, I can honestly say this is a spot that lives up to its reputation. Everything about Byron Bay is just awesome! The atmosphere is relaxed and bohemian with a hippie, environmental heart that means the beaches and town are beautifully clean and the sea is cherished rather than taken for granted.

The beaches stretch for over 7 miles and it’s hard to convey just how good an evening stroll along the sand is for your soul. Heading to the Cape Byron Lighthouse, the most easterly point of mainland Australia, is a must – as is a late night trip to the beach to take in the huge sky.

Cheeky Monkeys is another legend that lives up to its reputation, but even wandering around town provides a very high standard of entertainment for every type of tourist thanks to the (actively encouraged) buskers.

In terms of eating, a couple of takeaway spots next door to each other are really worth a mention. Ozy Mex does excellent Mexican food and BayGer is up there with the best burgers I have ever had.

We got lucky with some fantastic roommates in Byron and went out with several different groups. Unfortunately, saying goodbye after having made such good, intense friends in a short period of time is something I don’t think I’ll ever get used to.

Cape Byron Lighthouse New South Wales Australia

By sea, by air…
In Byron, we did treat ourselves to a couple of activities: sea kayaking and skydiving. As a final treat, they were both worth it. Heading into the bay to kayak around dolphins and turtles is a relaxing experience, but freefalling out of a plane from 14,000 ft is something I will never forget. If you can, spoil yourself! The views alone are almost worth it but the feeling of the wind rushing though my hair as I hurtled toward the ground, followed by the gentle glide to earth was a truly incredible way to round off a trip.

Travelling Australia – the verdict
We crammed a lot in to three weeks. Going out in the evenings was a big part of the experience but we always made sure we were good to go the next day. When you have a limited amount of time to explore, sitting hung-over in a hostel room just screams of wasting time to me. Just really make the most of your trip. Explore on foot, speak to people both local and international – and don’t be afraid to give new things a go.

So by the end were we ready to come home? Like hell we were. Give me a couple of hours to wash my clothes and let me set off again. I’d go back tomorrow!

Thanks to Luke for sharing his adventures with us – and now it’s over to you. Where’ve you been? Where are you going next? What have you learnt along the way? We’d love you to tell us here.

Last stop … Sydney

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