Julesandjames's travel blogs:
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The last van trip in Australia
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Well, sorry this travelpod entry has taken so long to get from reality into text/photos.
On the easter weekend we set off for our last mini van trip down the coast. The primary reason for the trip was to see Ben Harper play live at the annual Blues and Roots festival at Byron Bay.
We had been pre-warned by local resisdents that it always rains over the easter weekend, so we took rain coats, hoping that we wouldnt have to use them. Ha! local knowledge proved to be right and it pretty much rained the entire time. Although the heavy short-lived-tropical-downpours are much easier tollerated than the steady drizzle in the uk in April. So armed with plastic bags to sit on, rain coats, plenty of food for james bottomless pit, we arrived at the festival to be met by a strangely dressed crowd of aussie festival goers. Apparantly the 'glastonbury' attire is very popular at aussie festicals, which comprised of big wellies, short skirts, all sorts of plastic bag outfits and glow sticks bracelets! (The temperatures that day were a mere 25 degrees....)
Outfits aside, the festival was great and we had a very chilled day soaking in the atmosphere and music, mainly staying in the Mojo tent. The bands were on top form, and even Missy Higgins forgetting her words was soon forgotton as Ben Harpers slot rapidly approached! Ben Harper was fantastic and he even invited Jack Johnson on stage for the last song. Anyone who knows my music taste will know I was ecstatic!
The next day was spent nursing a small hangover.. and walking round and about Byron and Cape Byron. Saw some hang gliders getting endless air time over the hills.
We took an inland route back through the hills to the sunshine coast. Stopping for a walk through the nightcap national park to visit the falls where in 1973 protestors chained themselves to trees to put a stop to the increasing loggins. Afterwards we stopped off at Lismore, a weird hippy town where all the locals are permantly high and the police seem to turn a blind eye - we had a brief walk about, but were weirded out by the cross-eyed looks we were getting.. So we hit the road and next stopped off in Surfers Paradise to see the waves at Kirra and Snapper rocks, world class surf breaks.
We stretched out the van trip for as long as James' boss would allow him off work. On arrival back in Buderim the wind greeted us and hung about for quite a few kiting sessions. These days seem a long time ago as we havent had any wind in 11 days now...
So with the absence of wind we have been a place called Bli Bli to a ski'n'skurf cable park. (i think only a few people will know what that means - its like wake boarding but instead of a boat, a metal over-head cable pulls you round a lake! James and Ryan have been quite a few times, but myself only once. Not sure if i really like it yet as i am not adventurous enough to try any rails/kickers.. Fun going round in circles though!!
Last weekend at Bli Bli was held the Nationals of the Pro Tour event. So we rocked up with our big expensive lenses to take shots of the pros.. Fingers crossed you'll see them in magazines in the next few months.
So we have 2 weeks left in Australia, so 2 weeks more of web chats. The next place to maybe have internet will be Dominican Republic on July 1st. Web chatters, get chatting!
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