Beach, Bangalow, Byron and BBQ

Another beautiful day and another opportunity to get out and enjoy it!

David, Daniel and I went to Norries Beach this morning. Dave hit the surf again while Daniel and I walked up Norries Headland. There is a timber staircase up the north side, however once you reach the top that ends and the walk around the southern side is a warn track.

Daniel took Dave’s camera and had fun taking pictures, getting quite creative with positions to capture unique shots.

I walked back up and down the timber stair path again which was an accomplishment I had not achieved before today. Whilst at the top the second time I met two council workers who were about to start their days work on the lookout that is being built at the top. I learned that they have to carry all of their tools and materials up every day, including all of the timber the deck has been made from. It made my accomplishment seem somewhat insignificant.

While waiting for David to catch a few more waves, I read an article on a photographers blog about how many of us think we are too fat to be in photos. It was insightful and bang on the money for me….so I set myself a goal to be in at least one photo today. Considering I had a phone with camera in my hand I figured there was no time like the present and turned around to snap a selfie with the view I had been looking at at the time. I promise to make a conscious decision to be IN more photos in the future!

The last time we were down here (in September) David and I had taken a drive around and by chance passed through a little town called Bangalow. We didn’t have time to stop that day but I thought it looked like a nice place to go one day….and today we went…and I was right, it was a nice place to visit. The main street is lined with little shops and cafes. Most selling gift wares, boutique clothing, books and knickknacks. I admit I made a contribution to the local economy, acquiring a few items that I could have lived without…but I think I restrained myself quite well.

We stopped at the Town Cafe for lumch which was bustling when we arrived which is generally a good sign for a cafe at lunchtime. Thankfully they were able to accommodate all six of us in the courtyard out the back where it was cool and quiet. The food was good enough and the service was nice. I had the pumpkin, spinach, feta and pine nut tart…it needed just a bit more flavour, , some cumin or even just salt would have picked it up a little, but it was nice enough for me to finish it all. I even took the time to write a review on TripAdvisor which is a rare occurrence for me…even though I use it a lot when we are planning and travelling.

A visit to a couple more little stores allowed us to walk off lunch. At one I noticed a small compass ‘antique silver’ it said on the label though there was nothing ‘antique’ about it….but anyway it had a portion of a Robert Frost poem on it which I particularly like so I was interested anyway. The price was too much for me, though I noticed that the compass needle was bent and not working so I thought I would let the sales lady know…she thanked me for letting her know, tried to fix it to no avail and then gave it back to me and said I could have it. I asked several times if she was sure…to which she adamantly confirmed she was…so I bought a small book (feeling it was the right thing to do) before leaving.

From Bangalow we headed back to the coast for an ice cream on the beach at Byron Bay. I had ‘white chocolate’ and ‘salted caramel peanut brittle’ which turned out to be a delicious combination!

Back at home the kids went for a swim….David and I settled for a glass of wine and a few games of backgammon (which I am sad to say I was not as successful at today). When the kids were sure they could not survive another moment without dinner we headed down to the bbq for sausage burgers and chicken kebabs…followed by an entertaining series of bad jokes. The best of which I am going to record here as otherwise I will never remember.

Daniel: Are you getting cold down here? Go and stand in the corner…it is ninety degrees!

Courtney: Why can’t you surf on microwaves? They are too short.