Byron Bay

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Originally uploaded by theslaad.

Apparently, Byron Bay is historically significant, but it's mostly for surf dudes and aging hippies these days. In an attempt to fit into at least one of these stereotypes I went for a surf lesson yesterday. As it had been since we got here, it was a grey overcast day. It wasn't raining, which makes a change. Anyway, having got kitted out with wetsuits the 3 other noob surfers and I got into the van and were driven off to find some waves.

Clark's beach was apparently the place for beginners so we carried our boards down to the beach and went through the process of lying down and jumping up and running around and lying down and jumping up and running around and that sort of thing that you need to do before you actually get out into the sea.

I was a little distressed when the first person to try and catch a wave got onto it perfectly and surfed all the way to the beach. Needless to say, that was probably the best wave anyone caught all day. I certainly never surfed that far, however I did catch some good waves and stood for quite some time. More often than not though I wiped out. On probably the largest wave all day I somehow contrived to get the board a bit too far sideways at which point I was taken sideways on to the top of the wave and pounded into the ground when it broke. Anyway after 3 hours of that sort of treatment I ache today, but I'm looking forward to hiring a board tomorrow and getting out there again.

Jen's feeling a bit poorly at the moment. Her foot is a little bit infected and it's a bit painful for her to walk around. She's got some cream to rub in and it's getting better, but we'll probably stay in Byron Bay until she's up to walking around all the surf clothes shops. In the meantime she's going to attempt to fit into the other sterotype and sit around making some jewellery.