15 ) Byron Bay -- "Boulder on the Beach"

We decided on a change from cool rainforest hikes, so we journeyed down to Byron
Bay (or, as Dave Vaughan has accurately referred to it, "Boulder on
the Beach") for the solstice weekend, sure that we'd find a groovy
vibe down there. We had a fine breakfast at the "Byronian Cafe" where
Dirk enjoyed the menu possibly more than the breakfast. Legal drugs,
anyone?

Nancy was keen to see dolphins up close and personal, so we signed up
for the "Dolphin kayak adventure" in Byron Bay. The company asked for
feedback after our trip, and it was a bit difficult to rate our
"adventure" on a scale of one to ten. Dirk was forced to paddle with
Nancy on a two-person sit-upon kayak through calm, dolphin-less,
turtle-less, murky mangrove water of the Richmond River and Shaw's
Bay. No exciting ocean dolphin dodging for us! But to be fair, the
sign-up people neglected to tell us that recent excessively large rain
events have affected the estuary ecosystem a bit. Sediment and
pesticides (from the sugarcane farms) and cows (yes, cows) washed down
from Hinterland into the bay, causing enormous fish kill and
sedimentation of the river. The sharks moved in and have had a great
time with the drowned cows and freshly dead fish, though the surfers
are trying to stay clear of the area 'til things settle down a bit
more. The dump trucks have finished hauling away the piles of dead
fishes, and it's been two weeks since the last surfer was lost to a
shark, so things are beginning to look up for the area.

The highlight of the tour was actually a visit to the Sea Bird Rescue
Center. Here we viewed two bird species we'll probably never see
again--a Black-browed Albatross and two Northern Giant-Petrels (see video at bottom). Found
on the beach as apparent victims of exhaustion (i.e. they're not from
around here), the two petrels were set to be released yesterday, as
they were recovering well. We're keeping our fingers crossed the make
it home to the southern seas! It was odd to see these two magnificent
birds paddling around in a duck pond, but we were told they needed
up-drafts to take flight, so they were virtually unable to go anywhere
'til their release. After a fishy breakfast, the two birds had an
amusingly splashy bath while we watched. The Albatross had an ok
prognosis, she was found being battered around in the waves. Still in
the process of elimination of possible problems, steroids seemed to be
helping her find her legs again. We hope she makes it. There were
also a number of turtles in various stages of recovery. We learned
that floating turtles are not a good thing. They're *supposed* to
sink. Not sinking means they have really bad gas, meaning bad
digestion, meaning they've eaten something they're not supposed to.
Like plastic bags that wreak havoc on their intestines. Ok, Nancy's
time for a soapbox. Please use cloth bags as much as you can!
Plastic is forever (100's of years at least!) and is really creating a mess of things!
(To L - Total intestinal blockage created by a small amount of ingested plastic - this one died)

On a slightly more exciting (compared to the adventure kayak) tramp
out along the beach and up to Cape Byron and the Lighthouse. (below - Dirk ready for launch!)

Here, we
did get spectacular ocean views, as well as getting to see humpback
whales spouting and breaching, and dolphins cavorting in the waves.
The whale migration is apparently just beginning, so we hope to see
more of these big guys. And when Dirk gets his captain's license, we
hope to see more dolphins! A sunset dinner on the beach of
approved-choice Fish (Hoki) and chips without sauce (Aussie ketchup),
but with locally brewed ginger-cranberry juice rounded out the day.