It’s about this time of year, that I get the blues – the winter blues that is. Melbourne’s relentless cold takes it toll, and I start moping around and talking about the weather like a crocheting, cup of tea drinking, scone baking nanna.
Whilst people in other states are skipping along in the sunshine like six-year-old girls off to buy a new pair of pretty shoes, we here in Melbourne are subjected to a no show from spring. The first blooms from the cherry and magnolia blossoms whisper promises of something more, but the cruelty of the cold ensures we are merely taunted by fleeting moments of sunshine.
I resent winter taking over my wardrobe, dictating to me what I should be wearing on a daily basis. I hit the wall and fall into a weakened heap on the floor, just like my coat and scarf I have discarded in disgust, having become sick of the sight of them.
BP 80 over 40. Her vital stats are dropping. Quick, call and ambulance and rush her straight to the emergency ward. Nurse, I need 200ml of fake tan stat, and can you write her a prescription for a week walking along the beach every morning in the tropics. Doctor’s orders.
Calls to Flight Centre are quickly made, accommodation booked, and it’s not long before I am on board an airplane destination emergency resuscitation. After a short flight and a one-hour drive through the beautiful NSW hinterlands, I arrive in Byron Bay.
The beach was high on my hit list, and it beckoned to me in the distance, but upon arriving in any town I must always make a beeline for the shops – even if it’s a largely uninhabited island with just a kiosk, you’ll find me in there not five minutes after having dumped my suitcase in my room, investigating the different brands of sun cream.
Walking down the main street I was immediately engulfed by a sense of freedom – the kind you felt as a child when the bell finally rang on the last day of school, signaling the start of the summer holidays. Relaxation washed over me, and the sunshine dispensed its happiness whilst warming every part of my body.
I was not surprised to discover shops offering to clean my chakras with their crystals or clothing stores burning cheap incense and selling Balinese style summer dresses, but I was more than taken aback with the price tags – $70 for a piece of tie dyed tat I could get in Bali for $4 or $3 “morning price”. However, interspersed amongst these shops, were the likes of Mimco and Witchery, along with some stylish homewares stores.
Whilst continuing to explore, I observed the sub cultures that seem to harmonically co-exist in the town – the local hippies, to the wealthy and of course, the transient holiday makers, who reportedly swell from 10,000 to 40,000 over summer.
The water of the beach glistened in the distance, as I hurriedly rolled up my jeans and made my way to its shore. I breathed in the sea air, as one foot after the other sunk into the softness of the sand, anticipating the feeling of the water washing over my feet.
I stood with the waves crashing up against my legs, not caring that they were splashing up onto my jeans. In and out the waves rolled in, crashed and rolled back out, as I took in the beautiful coastline surrounded by mountains and rainforest, which stretched as far as my eye could see.
The beach has always instilled a sense of calm into me and returns me to the present. But more than that, it seems to return something else to me. Me. This seems to also encapsulate the energy of Byron Bay. It’s a place to not only go to relax and recharge, but to also reconnect with yourself.
Byron Bay has long been considered a spiritual mecca of sorts, and even though I didn’t get my tea leaves or tarot cards read, I did find that it has a very special energy and I enjoyed many a serendipitous moment.
I returned home like I was skipping on air. Rejuvenated. High. Happy. But more than Byron Bay just being a collection of memories, Byron Bay has stayed with me. You see, its experiences changed me and reminded me again of what it was like to feel alive – really alive, and that’s something I intend to hold onto.
Follow Part 2 of this Byron Bay feature, for a review on accommodation, restaurants and local services.
