Cute koalas, jumping kangaroos, flying boomerangs, the immense Great Barrier Reef, the mysterious Ayers Rock, and the iconic Sydney Opera House—these are the things that flash through ones mind when one mentions Australia. But the so called Land Down Under is so immense, like a whole continent immense, that there’s virtually no limit to the things you can see and do around it.

Some months back, we embarked on a ten-day trip to Australia. We really didn’t have Oz in our sights, but a chance presented itself for us to go, and we took it. The country is so vast that planning to cover even just its major places would probably take months of traveling.

With limited amount of days and money, we settled for ten days, targeting the cities around its eastern coast, Sydney, Gold Coast, and Brisbane.

Finding nothing that really interests us at Surfers Paradise, we decided on booking a day trip to the nearby city of Brisbane. It was just an hour away and booking a tour was easy and affordable enough via Klook. We simply fired up the app on our phone, checked out the available tours, decided on the Grand Brisbane Tour, and was whisked off to Brisbane with no fuss.

►BOOK TOURS IN BRISBANE

 

A van was supposed to pick us up right in front of our hotel, but the tour company affiliated with Klook requested that we rendezvous on another hotel about five minutes by foot from where we were. It was no biggie so off we went to the hotel on the morning of our second to the last day in Australia.

►CHECK FOR AFFORDABLE HOTELS IN BRISBANE

THE SPACIOUS MINI-BUS WE USED TO TOUR BRISBANE

A chirpy fellow greeted us and we were soon zooming off across the wide highways of Gold Coast. The guy was quite impressive, shuffling between English and Japanese—for the benefit of our Japanese companions—as we passed points of interests en route to Brisbane. We were dropped at bus depot, then transferred to a larger van—or rather a mini-bus—picking up a few more tour participants before the tour proper commenced.

►FIND THE CHEAPEST FLIGHT TO BRISBANE

What to do with five days at Gold Coasts’ Surfers Paradise? A lot, if you’re into surfing, shopping, and theme parks. But we’re totally not into surfing, shopping, and theme parks. So, I was wondering myself why I booked a total of five long days here instead of stretching our stay for a day or more at Byron Bay—a town which we feel a deeper connection with.

SURFERS PARADISE FROM OUR BALCONY AT RHAPSODY HOTEL

Our first and second day at Surfers Paradise was spent on a forced staycation at the Rhapsody Hotel. Incessant rain kept us in, but I’m not complaining. With friends in tow, a cache of grocery food to cook, and plenty of alcohol, we were more than happy to stay cooped up.

►CHECK RHAPSODY HOTEL DISCOUNTED RATES

It was way past midnight when we arrived at Surfers Paradise in Gold Coast. A few hours ago, we’re baby sitting at G’s crib in Ballina, trying extremely hard to put L to sleep at their living room sofa, and now we’re on a totally different kind of living room, one seventeen stories up from the street, with a full view of the raging pacific from a floor to ceiling window. It was swanky as heck, but we miss L.

Similar to our previous lodging, Byron Bay Hotel and Apartments, we had to check ourselves in by following the email instructions given by Rhapsody Resort—input a code on a deposit box outside the lobby, take our key, access the lobby, then our room. Problem was we had a hard time finding the said box. It turned out we were at the wrong entrance, lol.

►BOOK DISCOUNTED TOURS IN SURFERS PARADISE

It was almost dusk when our car navigated the ascent towards Byron Bay’s famed lighthouse. We just flew in from Sydney that same day, visiting the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary right after touching down—our backpacks still at the back of G’s car.

THE GANG AT CAPE BYRON LIGHTHOUSE

She dropped us off a hundred meters or so from the lighthouse, Tallows Beach was in full view on our right, while she went back down to park her car. She doesn’t want us to miss the sunset, she said. She’s sweet like that.

Byron Bay changed its name from Cavvanbah after Lieutenant James Cook anchored along its waters, naming it after sailor John Byron. From a sleepy industrial town, it has since become a haven for hippies after surfers has discovered its swells. The deal was sealed during the seventies when the Aquarius Festival, a counter-culture arts and music festival, arrived in town.

►BOOK TOURS IN BYRON BAY

TAKING AN UBER TO LAKE AINSWORTH THE NEXT DAY

BYRON BAY AND BALLINA DIY TOUR WHAT’S INSIDE? • Cape Byron Lighthouse • Lake Ainsworth • Seven Mile Beach • The Point Cafe at Lennox Head • Lighthouse Beach ► AUSTRALIA ITINERARY 10 DAYS

CAPE BYRON LIGHTHOUSE

 ENTRANCE FEE: FREE | OPENING HOURS: 8:00AM TO 6:00PM | GPS COORDINATES MAP: -28.638535,153.6346196 

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Built in 1901, the stately Cape Byron Lighthouse boasts of being the most powerful of its kind in terms of light intensity across the whole of Australia. It sits on the easternmost promontory of the continent and is three kilometers away from Byron Bay. People actually walk up and bike to this place.

Since it’s on the eastside, the best time to go here is actually during sunrise. But since we didn’t have a choice, sunset it was. Being quite old, I can see how immaculately preserved it was—it actually looks new if not for the 1901 numerals carved along some of its pillars.

Going back down to the car, we passed by a viewpoint overlooking Tallows Beach. Once flocked by people panning for gold during 1870’s, the beach is now a haven for surfers. We promised ourselves we’d visit the beach the next day, but promises are meant to be broken, especially if you’d be drinking beer cider ‘til past midnight.

►CHECK FOR AFFORDABLE HOTELS IN BYRON BAY

THE BYRON BAY LIGHTHOUSE DURING SUNSET

THE LIGHTHOUSE IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED IT ACTUALLY LOOKS NEW

A VIEWPOINT AND A WALKING TRAIL OFF THE SIDE OF THE LIGHTHOUSE

TALLOWS BEACH CAN BE SEEN FROM THE CAPE

LAKE AINSWORTH

 ENTRANCE FEE: FREE | GPS COORDINATES MAP: -28.7815749,153.5871468

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Checking out late from Byron Bay Hotel and Apartments, we decided on heading straight to Lake Ainsworth instead of Tallows Beach. M and C were just so entranced with the photos of the lake on the interweb that we’d have to go, like, right away.

This particular body of water is surrounded by tea trees, and the tannins from these leach down to the water giving it a red-orangey tint, hence its monikers Orange Lake and Tea Tree Lake.

Getting there by public transport is impossible, but since we were three in the group, we decided on getting an Uber ride right up to the lake’s edge. Imagine our chagrin after paying a hefty bill to find a lake with no hint of orange whatsoever. Seemingly, the sun needs to be on full blast for the effect to be apparent. And it was darn cloudy.

On closer inspection, we did find the water along the banks to be orange in color. It’s not gonna get a thousand likes on Instagram though, lol.

With barbecue pits and picnic grounds, the place is popular for weekenders wanting to chill out—as if Byron Bay itself isn’t chill enough. We also saw a couple taking a dip on the water, we were like, eww why at first, but upon further reading, we found that its water has healing elements, sort of like a medical bath from the tea trees.

►FIND THE CHEAPEST FLIGHT TO BALLINA

LOOKING FOR ORANGE WATER

THE LAKE APPEARS ORANGE UNDER INTENSE SUNLIGHT—IT WAS, UNFORTUNATELY, CLOUDY

TEA TREES SURROUNDING THE LAKE

THE LAKE’S ORANGE TINT COMES FROM THE TEA TREES SURROUNDING ITS PERIMETER

SEVEN MILE BEACH

 ENTRANCE FEE: FREE | GPS COORDINATES MAP: -28.7612643,153.5688558

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Parallel to the lake is the Seven Mile Beach. It was an easy two-minute walk and we’re right by the Pacific.

The beach, which stretches for, uhmm, seven miles from Broken Head—where Thor actually has a house—up to Lennox Head, is utterly deserted. Well, there’s a dog walker or two and a few people off the horizon. But they’re so far away that we might as well be on Mars.

We’re ready for a swim even if C forgot her swimsuit but signs warning of sharks and rips told us we’re better off at the water’s edge. We turned back after taking a few snaps.

ALONE AT SEVEN MILE BEACH

COLD DAY FOR A SWIM

THERE’S A CROWD AT THE NORTHERN END OF THE BEACH

THERE ARE WARNING SIGNS FOR SHARKS

THE POINT CAFÉ AT LENNOX HEAD

 OPENING HOURS: 6:00AM TO 4:00PM  | GPS COORDINATES MAP: -28.7941648,153.5910754

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With no cabs or Internet to hail an Uber car, we walked our way to the not-so-near Lennox Head. Why there? Well, we can’t find anywhere else to go. Besides, we saw a few cafes on the map and we were hungry. And, they probably have Internet, it might be the only way we get out of this place.

While updating our social media apps at The Point Café, we sipped on bracingly cold milkshakes and feasted on their larger-than-mouth The Point Burger. Our tables and hands were pretty messed up right after.

CLEAN AND SIMPLE INTERIORS OF THE POINT CAFE

WE CHOSE TO EAT AL FRESCO

NO WAY WE CAN FIT THOSE IN OUR MOUTHS

LIGHTHOUSE BEACH

 ENTRANCE FEE: FREE | GPS COORDINATES MAP: -28.8698223,153.5890083

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Coming from work, G rescued us at Lennox Head. We proceeded on raiding a liquor store and a KFC joint before crashing at her pad at the nearby town of Ballina. We picked L, her super adorable six-year old kid, en route.

The plan was for us to visit a watering hole while G goes to work, but we decided on scratching that off our to-do list. Instead, we offered on babysitting L instead. While feasting on a bucket of chicken and guzzling a dozen cans of beer and cider, that is. Cider is the bomb, by the way.

L is so much fun, right before sundown, we went to the Lighthouse Beach, which is like three minutes away from their doorstep. The 700-meter stretch of sand apparently formed when an entrance wall was put along the nearby Richmond River, filling up the then Shaws Bay with sand, instantly producing thirty hectares of prime real estate property. G’s house probably sits above the former bay.

Again, like most beaches in the area, there are sharks and people actually get swept to the sea due to currents. Apparently, it’s only good for surfing. So we did the next best thing. We taught L how to play hopscotch, the Filipino way, on the beach until it went full dark.

C AND L WAITNG FOR THE DUSK AT LIGHTHOUSE BEACH

SEAGULLS RESTING ALONG THE SHORE

GEOMETRIC GIANT JACKSTONES ON ONE SIDE OF THE BEACH

 

SCOOT HAS DAILY PROMO FARES FROM MANILA TO AUSTRALIA

SCOOT, KLOOK, AND ONE VINE MIGRATION MADE OUR TRIP TO AUSTRALIA POSSIBLE. VIEWS AND OPINION ALL MINE.