Byron Bay Day 5: Beach Blanket Bingo

Moderately early get up for one reason and one reason alone: solid blue sky, hot weather and a sandy beach. Brought the iPods along, though we only used them briefly: I watched the Rifftrax for Point Break on an Australian beach. Isn’t it ironic? Don’t ya think? Felt like my shoulders were getting a bit toasted, so put on a t-shirt and headed into town for lunch and things (you like things, right?).

Also finally realized something: when I got my haircut on the 1st of November, the stylist managed to make sure the front bits were just barely not long enough to tie back with the rest of my hair. I’m really feeling that here, where the sea breeze is always behind you and your hair is always in your face.

While Tanja was taking money out, I noticed a sign advertising Bundaberg rum and it’s new redgum-filtered line, styled Bundaberg Red. I started laughing, and tried unsuccessfully to explain why a poster advertising “Red Rum” was so funny. She didn’t get it.

Bought myself a Transformers t-shirt and a beachy new hat and ogled jewelry with Tanja. Lunch was calamari and chips from the pub. With beer. It was there that I realized that though my shoulders had been spared a sunburn, from just above my elbows down to my hands were bright red. Eeeyow. Bought some aloe vera cream to help stave off the ouchies.

Went swimming on the way back to the hotel, and the water was bathwater warm. Now feel absolutely covered in sand, even though I’m not.

Tonight we were to go to dinner at The Orient Express for fancy Asian food. We waited a while as we were still stuffed from lunch. As we went to leave at 7, we stood outside the door with our umbrellas watching rain fall. “Just give it a minute,” says Tanja. “It’ll slow down.”

10 seconds later a gust of wind blow my umbrella inside-out and lightning struck in the distance.

“Bugger that,” says Tanja. “I’m not going anywhere tonight. Don’t we have a flyer for a pizza place?”
We did. The place was in Suffolk Heads which is a little ways off. We looked through the menu, selected, then called. By this point, the storm was raging outside.

“Oh, we do deliver to Byron Bay, sure, but not tonight. Tonight the storm’s too bad. Sorry.”

Luckily we had some sourdough bread, leftover washed-rind and blue cheeses, fruit, and some beer left over. A subsistence supper, but needs must when the Devil vomits in your teakettle. Or, at least, sends a storm your way.