Queen of the Surf! or maybe a Duchess' Dog or something

Hey Peeps!

I'm still having a fantastic time in Byron Bay, the weather is scorching now and I've fallen in love with the beach. I'm thinking I don't really want to leave on Monday now, but if we don't we'll be running short for time. It's well annoying.

We went surfing yesterday with Black Dog Surfing, and they actually have a black dog called Gidget who can surf like a pro. We had to carry the boards down to the beach from the car park and I'd never really given much thought as to how heavy they would be - and they really were! After some stretches on the sand our instructors Evan and Sam (who was British) showed us how to stand on our boards and how to get ourselves up by having us draw boards in the sand. I could do it all pretty well... until I got in the water! The guys pushed us with the waves and chose them for us so the only thing we had to do was try to stand up, but it all just totally left my brain and I didn't even attempt to stand up on my first go! I was completely useless. Seriously, the worst surfer in the world ever would've been laughing at me. Then after an hour of being called Aguilera by Sam, not managing to stand up and always falling off (and Claire doing extremely well, which took another whack at my already wounded ego!) we went for a break, and sat on the beach feeling very hot and bothered in our wetsuits and ate oranges. Then we went back in for another 30 mins or so, and on my first go I managed to stand up. For about a whole 30 seconds! I was so chuffed! I was like "Yeeeessss!! Come on!" Then after that I only managed it about 3 more times. And on my last go my toes got tangled in the ankle rope. Well gutted. Anyway it was a lot of fun and it would be a crime to come to Australia and not at least try to learn to surf. So it was worth it!

Yesterday afternoon we were truly exhausted, so the rest of the day was spent lazing by the pool and reading Michael Palin (he's been neglected since the plane), and in the evening we all (of us off the bus) decided we were gonna go on a bender as a guy called Tony was leaving to go to Brisbane the next morning. We all met outside on the benches in the hostel courtyard at about 8:30 (after Me and Claire had trapsed all the way to the off license to get a 5 pound box of rose) and we finally made a move to the Beach Hotel Bar at about 10:30 as the wardens wanted to close up. The Beach Hotel is a really classy looking bar just on the beach. I'd only had 3 cups of our wine and 1 cup of Tony's red but I was totally plastered, so by the time we reached the Beach Hotel I didn't need any more - especially not that tequila slammer that I mistook for a flavoured vodka shot. Urgh. Anyway, we had a right good dance to the band that was on, Elation (www.elation.com.au), who were really good. The music was like nothing I've heard before, it was like a mixture of house and rock. It was well ace. Then we moved on to Cheeky Monkeys which is right opposite our hostel and where a couple of the girls have got jobs, but it was really cramped and crowded so we came straight out again and went for a kebab, as Martin speaks so highly of them! If I can give anyone any advice for going out round Byron, don't have chilli sauce on your kebab. Unless you don't value your mouth. After our kebab we met up with the guys who stayed at the Beach Hotel Bar and we sat on the beach (this was now about 2:15am). I think I texted Mum then. I don't really remember.

Today has been a real lazy day again, we've just been chilling out by the pool but it's gotten so hot we decided to come in the net cafe to cool off! The plan tonight is to go to Cheeky Monkeys for tea with the guys, as they apparently have a $5 (2 quid) menu! I hope it's BYO though cos we've got 3 litres of rose sat in the fridge!

I really am loving Byron too much and I don't want to leave! I hope Surfers isn't too hardcore cos I'm liking the laid-backness of Byron and we've heard Surfers is a bit more touristy. The upside of it all is that all the guys we've made friends with off the coach are all leaving on Monday like we are and are staying in the same hostel when we get to Surfers. We've already arranged a day out at Wet and Wild. It's gonna be so cool!

I'll post again at the end of the week and tell you all about Nimbin. That should be interesting!

Ta ta for now campers!