Yesterday, after leaving the mountains, I had a hard driving
afternoon, and only made it to my camping place in Ballina late in the
afternoon.
On waking up I drove for about an hour to Byron Bay, only to
realize that I have reached the equivalent to Southern California along the central
coast of Australia. It is still pretty cloudy and there are sudden bursts of
rain, but there is no doubt I have arrived to the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Belt
of Australia. Byron Bay reminds me a lot of Newport Beach, with its many shops
and beautiful stretches of beach. A bit too much for me as a solo traveler, but
I can see renting a house beach and spending a week here basking in the sun and
patronizing boutiques and fancy restaurants.
As I said this was not quite my scene, so I moved on north,
with the plan of crossing Brisbane around noon, with minimal traffic. Once
again my GPS took me through the city, which was significantly more attractive
than I had suspected. I hate to say this, but it reminded me a lot of Los
Angeles and Long Beach. Nice architecture, lots of freeways, and sunny skies.
Moving farther north I reached Noosa Heads, which I was
hoping would be a quiet coastal town where I might find a camping place. OMG! I
feel I have driven into La Jolla, where every piece of land is beautifully
manicured with waterways and superfancy developments. It is a big tourist
destination, as well as a meeting point for surfers. The small downtown area is
super ritzy, but it gives way to a National Park that has a beautiful coastal
walk along the cliffs. Way down there one can see the tiny forms of hundreds of
surfboarders, bobbing up and down in the waves waiting for that perfect curl
that will propel them toward the shore. I have enjoyed my time here, but I have
three more days of camper van use, so I am going to improvise and head for the
hills.
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