Around The World In 80 Waves

After the hectic nature of Byron Bay we fancy something quieter so drive south for a few hours arriving in the middle of the night at the Yuraygir National Park. You can hear the waves at the basic campsite where we pull up, which is at the end of a 5km dirt road

After snuggling up and keeping each other warm overnight, my surfer girl suggests that I should go surfing the following morning. It’s a tough choice but I think that at least a surf check is in order.

I stroll down the short path to the beach where the very first thing I encounter is an adult Kangaroo having breakfast! (His mate is in the trees on the left too.)

He couldn’t have been less affected by me though. I actually had to step over his tail to get past him.

After getting past them I have a look at the break where there are already two guys in the water and you can see a pod of dolphins swimming around them from the shore.

I race back to the van and paddle out with my camera keen to bag some pictures of the dolphins. I was also hoping that I might be able to ride some waves with them too.

However I don’t get more than 10 shots on the way out including this one before the battery dies. I hadn’t charged it properly. Doh!

As soon as I paddle out the other two guys have had enough and go in so I am in the water on my own in this very remote spot.

Whilst that ordinarily would make me very twitchy because I am so far from any help, there are so many dolphins that are jumping out of the water around me and swimming underneath me in the crystal clear sea that I know there is unlikely to be anything else with sharper teeth knocking about.

I’m gutted that I can’t show you this experience but in some ways I think some of my travels should be just for me. However by now Kathleen is watching it all from the cliffs and I catch a stack of great rides breaking off the point in the early morning sun. The waves are clean, about shoulder high and the sun is shining.

I am in the water for about an hour and a half  before getting out with a big grin on my face. When we get back to the van I make us a brew and cook up some bacon and eggs for our own breakfast.

Afterwards we go for a stroll in the national park where Kathleen gets this picture of me hanging out with the locals. As far as Australian surf sessions go this one had everything. Perfection.