Crapping on a yak.....overland to the other side of the world and the rest: Day 275

In the morning, it is clear that Anita and Dave's eldest son Kurt wants to spend more time with his surfing uncle, so he joins Rohan, Janaya and me to look for a good surf spot south of Byron, while Dave and Anita go to Clark's Beach at Byron Bay.

We stop at the Byron Bay lighthouse, which stands on headland that is the most easterly point of Australia and which overlooks the bay to the north. A posse of hang gliders hovers around the headland, which looks both exciting and silly at the same time, as the wind is so strong that they are largely hung still in the air. They could turn the other way I suppose, but they would probably end up in Sydney.

However, the swell today is much diminished in comparison to previous days, and we go back to Clark's Beach as at least there is The Pass. However, even here it's a boring day for the surf leaping dolphins as it's a long boarders day, i.e. low and slow. In fact, I consider having a go on Rohan's spare board, but it isn't a long one and so I would be even more likely to make a complete tit of myself, so I don't. Meanwhile, Rohan complains that his new lighter and shorter board is like trying to surf on a toothpick on these waves.

For its beautiful beaches, exciting surf and the laid back quality of the hostels and restaurants, Byron has been my favourite place that I have visited in Australia so far, though Sydney is the only other place I stayed for any length of time.

After Anita, Dave and kids leave to go home a couple of hours drive south of Byron, R&J take me northwards up the coast, stopping at their friend Rod's place near Currumbin, where we will stay tonight. Rod is another hospitable Australian who has no problem being foisted a complete stranger into his home without any notice. This seems strange to me. I just keep expecting to get told to p*** off.

Rod works as a construction sit foreman, and has recently finished building his home himself. The design is simple, being a rectangular wooden block, but it is well built with quality materials and fixtures and has a sizeable porch space. Situated up a narrow lane, it feels like a perfect hidden bachelor pad, though this being smalltown / rural Australia, it is big enough for a family with four bedrooms and a large lounge and kitchen.

The house is surrounded by trees and birdlife. Rod has taken to feeding the birds with large chunks of sausage meat. A Magpie seems to have won the battle for birdland dominance, but I quickly become concerned that the meat is having an effect not unlike that of the 'special meat' from the UK horror comedy TV show 'The League of Gentlemen', which had a rather sinister effect on the people of the Royston Vasey. The magpie will approach any person coming onto the porch and squawk plaintively and continuously. Sitting down at the porch table, it jumps up and stands inches from my face inviting me to look down its throat over and over again. I think Rod may have created a monster.

I go to bed fairly early leaving the others to polish bottles of wine and beer.