A lot of train lines were shut down this weekend for servicing so it took us more time and much more confusion/stress than anticipated to get into Brisbane where we were catching a Greyhound. Once we got to the right station in the city things went smoothly though. Since I hadn't gotten home from the rugby game until late the night before and had to get up early again I napped for a decent portion of the 2 hour ride. The van for the hostel we stayed at was waiting for us when we got there so we went there first to check in and drop our stuff off then caught the same bus right back into the main area of town.
We headed down one side of the street, stopping in some of the shops along the way, and decided to grab dinner at the seafood place right on the beach. That was when it started pouring... luckily we were able to find a bench undercover to sit on and eat while we waited out the rain. It lasted for a while but let up for long enough for me to get some pictures and us to make a run back to the main street and under the cover of all the shops.
Once we made it back up the other side to where the buses were we decided to head back to the hostel. It was dark and raining and there wasn't much else we could do out and about on a Sunday since everything closes early. We ended up watching a movie in the common area with some other backpackers (you meet people from all over when you stay at hostels!) and heading to bed early so that we could be up early the next day.
We woke up a pretty cloudy sky but hoped for the best as we enjoyed free pancakes and coffee before we checked out. Deciding to test our luck with the weather we started the roughly 2 mile walk up to the lighthouse.
We stayed pretty dry for roughly the first mile... then it started pouring. Between finding trees to hide under and sharing Jillian's little umbrella we were able to stay relatively dry throughout the climb. The view was great and we didn't know we would but we made it to the Easternmost point in Australia!
Between weather and time we didn't make it quite all the way up to the lighthouse. We didn't want to be late getting back for our bus and the clouds were getting even darker so we decided to head back at that point.
We made it back with about 15 minutes to spare and with the clouds clearing up all around us. It was actually quite sunny as we boarded the bus, go figure.
The way back to Brisbane was smooth but with the trains messed up it was a challenge getting back from Brisbane again. Luckily my wonderful roommate Elsie was able to help us out and picked us up from one of the train stations near us so we didn't have to wait over an hour for the next bus. It was cool to get a longer look at Byron Bay and after an intense Monopoly game last night I am settling in to begin studying for exams. Once I make it through next Thursday though it will all be prep for my last Australian excursion (to Melbourne and Adelaide) and packing to head home!
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