Stop Press: Roadtrips mess with the space/time continuum.......

The calendar tells me it's been one whole week since my last blog entry. 

My body and memory bank feel it must be a month at the very least. 

We have crammed so much in and let me tell you, a road trip is not relaxing! To be fair I knew this after spending a year on a motorbike travelling the Americas 15 years ago. 

We set off from The Entrance last Wednesday after a frustrating day of taking care of business. On the plus side I got the data/wifi issue fixed but not without losing the van keys into the bargain. 

Each of the following fifteen minutes stretched into at least an hour each. I frantically retraced my steps, my heart sinking and blood pressure rising with each negative response shop after shop. 

At last at the final shop I faced the Spanish Inquisition to identify the huge bundle of keys (ignition, camper door, fuel cap, storage box, gas cupboard, toilet cartridge cupboard etc etc). The sales assistant took pity on me as I desperately hissed 'it's a rental Campervan, I have NO idea what the keys look like!!!' as she magic'd them up from behind the counter!

God the utter relief that flooded thru me!!

Night 2 in the camper was another early one - partly jet lag and partly a desire to get on the road bright and early. 

So, apparently in Australia, T and I don't do early and it was past 10am before we finally got on the road. Heading in the wrong direction too - annoyingly!

Road signs aren't as ubiquitous as in the UK. My sense of direction hadn't quite kicked in either. 

Finally after 6 hours and 449km we pulled into Scott's Point holiday park and found the most idyllic deserted beach.  

Tempted as I was to stay, had I been alone I would have, we were surrounded by the ultra common Grey Nomad and I feared for the vitality of my daughter's youth!

Our final destination was Byron Bay and I felt pulled on by the adventures to be had there. 

Another 320km and 4.5 hours and we arrived. 

I felt a little stunned, not 'amazed' stunned but 'numbed' stunned. The distances and time it took. The enormous skies, cornflower blue scattered with wispy streaks of brilliant white cloud. The changing scenery, sugar cane, bananas, live stock and distant mountains brought closer as we ate up the kilometres. 

It seemed time had stretched to match distance and Sydney felt a distant memory and London a past life!

Perhaps that's why Byron is so popular as a hippy hangout, an Eco haven, an alternative lifestyle choice. The journey

requires that you change pace before you arrive.....