It took me by surprise!

I wasn’t aware that this lighthouse was at the Easternmost point of the Australian mainland until I read the sign that informed me of this interesting fact.

 

 

And so began a pursuit to see if I could stand at as many of the furthest away points of this island country that I could. While searching what they were, I came across this Wikipedia article about it.
I was currently at the Easternmost point. To read how I got myself to the Northernmost point, check out this post.
I didn’t get to the Southernmost or Westernmost points. But I did get as far West as I could at the time and got close. I stopped for a night at the closest town to the Westernmost point, Denham. I say I got “as close as I could at the time”, which is relative. Via a four-wheel driving track, Denham is 232 kilometers away from the Westernmost point, called Steep Point. At the time, I was travelling with a backpacking couple in a 2-wheel drive van. We had no access to a 4×4, so there was no way we would have made it to Steep Point. I hope that next time I visit Australia, I can make it there.

 

I have so many places I want to visit next time I am in Australia. Some of them I have already visited, and I want to return with my wife. And other places I didn’t get to at all on my first trip, so I definitely want to go there next time. But Australia is pretty big, so getting to all those places will take some doing! Comparing Australia to Canada, they are similar in size, so there’s much to see! Did you know that Canada’s landmass is 1.3 times bigger than Australia’s landmass? But Australia is still huge! Check out this map, showing the comparison. Most of Australia’s population resides on the coast (specifically the East coast), so there are relatively very few towns or cities in Australia’s center.
Based on the time when I was living and travelling there; by popularity, the biggest destination for tourists was the East coast, then the South, followed by the West, with the North being the least travelled/explored by tourists.

I think I almost preferred the West coast, because there were far fewer tourists and it had a more rugged feel to it. The biggest disadvantage that keeps tourists away from the West coast was that there weren’t any buses that run along that coast. That necessitated a personal vehicle be used, either my own or catching a ride with other backpackers who did have one. Check out this post for my journey down the West coast (link to come in the future, after it’s posted).

 

 

When I first came to Australia,

after a layover in Sydney, I flew directly to Cairns (in NE Australia). Within a couple of weeks, I realized that I wanted to stay for a while. The tropical climate and oh-so-green rain forest sucked me in and kept me there! As soon as I figured that out, in an effort to help my limited funds go further, I made a significant change. Rather than just paying for a bed, when the next opening became available, I began working for accommodation (woofing) at the hostel. Then, to further supplement my travel budget, I worked some part-time jobs here and there when the opportunity arose. I always worked these around my woofing, and saved that money for my next leg of travel.

I ended up living in Cairns for three months before I left the first time. While I lived there, I did lots of local tours. Once I felt that I had seen and done most everything that I could in and around the Cairns area, I planned a trip South. No matter how many times I left, I always seemed to come back to Cairns. Of all the places that I stayed, I stayed in Cairns the longest, if you add up all the nonconsecutive times that I lived there.
When all was said and done, I ended up travelling the Australian East coast three times. From Cairns, I worked my way down the East coast. Before I left Australia, I had worked my way back up the coast, and down again. While doing all this travelling up and down, I did almost all of the available tours. Full disclosure: I was a travel agent during some of the time I spent travelling, so I was able to get discounts on a lot of the tours that I did. Travelling as a backpacker on a limited budget, honestly, that’s the only way I was able to do some of those tours.

Most backpackers only stayed in Cairns between 3-5 days, as it was either at the beginning or end of their East coast trip. Living there for as long as I did, I met lots of backpackers. But most of them were understandably short encounters, a few days at best. However, I also met some people who, like me, stayed longer. One such memorable couple was Matt & Nicole, who were also woofing. I relished meeting people with whom I got along, especially those that I could share part of my adventure with, so we became friends and hung out. After saving up enough money, we each planned our own trips down the East coast, with the stops and tours that we preferred. We happened to plan these trips around the same time, but their itinerary had them leaving Cairns a little before I did. I felt like we had a bond because we’d both lived and worked there for quite a while (on a backpacker’s timeline), so we definitely kept in touch.

 

 

While on my journey South, my bus made a scheduled stop in Airlie Beach. As I was disembarking, I was pleasantly surprised to see Matt & Nicole waiting to hop on that very same bus! We chatted briefly and took a quick selfie, then I collected my luggage and headed to my hostel while they boarded the bus. It’s always good to see friends while travelling! Thank you, Matt & Nicole, for making my day! Especially since it was a less exciting “travel day”.

Days spent travelling on busses were necessary, as busses were the least expensive public transport option. However, they were not the most fun days; as I was just sitting, rather than doing something fun! Arriving at my next bus stop was always something to look forward to, as there were always adventures planned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Byron Bay is one of the northernmost towns in the state of New South Wales, and is a major stop for tourists. When I learned that Cape Byron Lighthouse was located near Byron Bay, I knew that I just had to go visit! It was a mere 3km from the town and was an easy walk. The beautiful Cape Byron Lighthouse is quite possibly the most famous of lighthouses in all of Australia. It is also the Easternmost point of the Australian mainland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love lighthouses!

Big or small, I love them all! From somewhere deep inside of me, I feel drawn to them. This is due to what they represent, and the fact that they were built to be guiding beacons. So in the inky blackness of night, there was hope, a way for mariners to safely continue their journey or safely get back to port. Also so that when the water turns rough, as it sometimes does; the mariners knew what passage was safe, and where to avoid. I find a comfort in that, and I feel at peace when on the grounds of an old lighthouse.
To clarify, I am talking about the lighthouses that were once manned (not the small, modern lights that are commonly put up now). Often the caretakers lived in lonely and very remote places, as that’s where the light was most needed. But what a noble calling those caretakers had, tending to and keeping the light shining! In the early days before electricity, they kept the wicks trimmed and the lanterns filled with oil. Usually, they only lived in the lighthouse with their families. And often, the son would take over the keeping duties when his Dad retired. Talk about passing the torch, literally!

The Cape Byron Lighthouse has a wonderful history. Its construction was completed in 1901, having been started in 1899. It was electrified in 1959, but continued to be manned, until 1989 when it was fully automated. Fun fact: The original lens is still in use today, and to reduce the risk of fire due to the sun’s rays, it is kept rotating during the day.

 

 

 

One afternoon, a small group of backpackers was planning to walk to the lighthouse to go watch the sunset. Most of that walk would be along the beach. They invited me to join them, which I eagerly accepted. The lay of the land and where the sun was, dictated which way we faced while watching the sun set. Therefore, I was unable to get the lighthouse and the sunset together in any of my shots that evening. It was just nice to sit high above the sea next to Cape Byron Lighthouse, with some new friends and watch a lovely, colorful sunset.

 

 

After the gorgeous sunset, we began walking back along the beach in the dark. At one point when we were a good distance away, I turned around and looked at the lighthouse, watching its light sweeping through the night. It was beautiful to see, almost mesmerizing. I wanted to capture it with my camera, but I hadn’t brought my tripod. It was then that I remembered my camera had the ability to shoot at a ridiculously high ISO, 12,800. Knowing that I’d need a short shutter speed if I had a hope of making this handheld shot work, I decided to try it. I had never used the maximum ISO setting before, and I have rarely used it since. But this shot worked on my first try! I was thrilled and impressed with what my camera could do, even in very challenging conditions.

Unfortunately, due to ongoing maintenance and upkeep on the exterior structure during the time I was there; all of my pictures of the lighthouse include the scaffolding that was set up at the time. I do hope to see it again sometime when it is unencumbered, standing proud and free!

The next day, I learned that Matt and Nicole were also in Byron Bay. They were actually staying at the same hostel that I was, so I met up with them. They had recently purchased a van that they were now travelling in, so there was a freedom to explore where the busses don’t go. Matt & Nicole informed me that they had planned a day trip for the next day, and invited me to join them, before we went our separate ways again. One of the things we all agreed on was our desire to see a sunrise from the Cape Byron Lighthouse. I told them that had I really enjoyed the sunset I had recently beheld there.

 

 

 

 

So, the next morning we all got up early and drove to the lighthouse, where we watched the sunrise. It was so worth getting up early for! The way the sun’s early light colored the incoming waves while most of the sky was still dark was amazing to see from that high vantage point. Something else clearly stood out to us from our perspective above the water. It was the repeating waves that continually crashed on the shore, and how they stretched from so far out, from somewhere in the deep.
Viewing a sunset or a sunrise from high above the sea is quite different than watching it from on the beach, with the waves almost lapping at my feet. To read how I hiked into a little bay in the dark to see a sunrise, check out this post.

 

 

What we Canadians would call a “hoodie”, the Aussies call a “jumper.” That morning as we sat watching the sunrise, we were all wearing jumpers, because it was a little brisk in the cool pre-dawn before the sun heated the air.

 

 

After the sun had risen, we went back to our hostel for breakfast. Then we drove to Minyon Falls, which is about an hour’s drive West (and a little bit North) of Byron Bay. For part of our trip, we drove on the Coolamon Scenic Drive. Some of the small towns in that area are hardly more than just names on a map. It was between two such towns, Coorabell and Montecollum, that we drove past an awesome lookout point. The way I remember it, this lookout wasn’t marked as such. We just noticed that we could see all the way to the ocean while we were driving on the highway, but only in glimpses through the trees. So we pulled into someone’s private driveway and got out of our van to look. The view from up here was spectacular!! From the colorful plants in the yard, to the sweeping farmland, all the way to the coast. It took a little while to soak it all in!
The ocean that’s visible is Cape Byron, which is part of the Pacific Ocean. On the right, there’s a small peninsula that juts out. It is at that point where a thin patch of green touches the horizon, interrupting the ocean that’s hugging the horizon. The town of Byron Bay (which can’t be seen from here) is at the left base of that peninsula; and near its tip, just a little too far away to be seen with the naked eye, is the Cape Byron Lighthouse. I wondered if the lighthouse would be visible from here at night when its light was turned on. We marvelled at the view, took a few pictures, then carried on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minyon Falls is an impressive waterfall, because the water falls over 100 meters (330 feet) to the bottom, which was actually hidden from our view. The location of the viewing deck, at the top and beside the waterfall, allowed us to watch as the water ran off the edge and fell away from view. It sounded so awesome! I later learned that there was a trail we could have hiked to go see the bottom of the waterfall. Looking back, I wish we would have done that hike, but instead we moved on. Our next stop for the day was a little hippy village called Nimbin. On the way, we drove through the village of Dunoon. According to the signs we saw, it’s the self-proclaimed macadamia nut capital of Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found Nimbin to be a very strange place. There was a strong sub-culture that the hippies living there seemed to fully embrace. A big part of that was the open sale and consumption of cannabis (even though in the State of New South Wales, it was punishable by law). Because this was infamously known among tourists and backpackers, it seemed to be one of the biggest draws bringing them there. Lots of art was displayed: large paintings above shops, murals on interior and exterior shop walls, and art in varying sizes for sale. The art was almost always in the very colorful 60’s psychedelic style, and almost all of it had some cannabis symbols incorporated into it.

It was very interesting to dip my toes into another culture, one so radically different from how I was raised. Truth be told, I am glad we only spent a little time there, as it was more than enough for me. I mean, it was interesting and all, but it just wasn’t my scene.

 

Shoutout to Matt & Nicole! I want to thank them for sharing their day with me; I was very glad to have spent the day with friends!

 

I have a surprise for you, my readers! I made a couple of GIFs of the sunset and sunrise that I witnessed from the Cape Byron Lighthouse. Here they are, please enjoy!

 

 

So this month, I showed you a town beside the sea, along part of Australia’s Eastern coast. Stay tuned for next month, when I will take you near the center of Australia, into the outback. I hope to see you then!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Till next time, keep dreaming big!
» Jamie

 

“Never let your memories be greater than your dreams” – Douglas Ivester”