Wed, 15th May, 2024 Discovery Park, Byron Bay, NSW (exploring Byron)

Heavy shower of rain in the early hours. 7am 17 degrees and the sun is out in a clear sky.

I joined the others in their hire car to go up to the lighthouse - no room for Steve so he was going to go for a walk around to the beach. Made our way through the busy township then up the hill. No one was collecting the $10 parking fee so we chose a spot and went for a walk. Lynda’s family are here too so we wandered along chatting up to the lighthouse. Great morning for it.

So glad Steve and I came and did the walk to the most Easterly Point in October last year as the walk down to the lookout is closed. No wonder they aren’t charging for the parking then.

We could still walk down to the first landing below the lookout though. Jon and I saw two pods of dolphins just rolling about in the calm sea.

Had a cuppa at the cafe and got a nice photo with my boy.

Then one of my new darling ‘boy’, Beau. Sleeping beauty.

Back to the van park. Steve was back after doing a long walk around to the dog beach then along to the main beach. Into town where he got spotted by Miles etc when he was buying a coffee. He took some good photos with the phone camera.

Clouds are coming over by lunch time.

After lunch we walked around to Roald and Joan’s cabin - on opposite side of the small lake. Their neighbour was out sunning himself.

Hitched a ride with Roald and Joan into town as they were going to have lunch at the Beach Hotel - they eat later than us!! Nice park out front of Main Beach with the Beach Hotel on the other side.

We had a cuppa with them. This is the hotel John ‘Strop’ Cornell bought in 1990 - it was run down then and he did extensive renovating. According to Google it was sold to Moelis Aust in a record deal worth more than $100 million. Wow - and we only had to pay $4.50 for a coffee. We left them to enjoy their lunch.

Steve took me down to the arcade where he found some old history pictures on his earlier walk. Looks a bit different to the 1940 photo.

Walked back to the beach. Bit of history and the remains of the sternpost of SS Wollongbar that was wrecked here in 1921.

Along a bit for the view over the water to the lighthouse.

Modern history trail - get the info off the QR scanner on your phone at each spot. We didn’t bother.

Further along some info about whales.

We headed back into town - whale mural and town centre.

The Great Northern Hotel (est 1897) doesn’t look too different from the historical photo we saw.

Assortment of murals down Surf Alley and another across the road.

Checked out the old rail station - looks like a spot to ‘relax’!

Continued down the old tracks.

Crossed the road where there still is a railway line and a solar powered train. Only $5 a ride. This is what we hear go past the van park all the time.

We walked back along the main road past the wet paperbark swamp and back to the van park.

Joined the others at the cabin for drinks with Roald and Joan. Light rain has started. Over to their cabin for dinner. It has been lovely having them here to spend time with too. The rain got heavier just after we got back to the camper.