October 26, 27

After yoga and checking out of the Asian place, I went and picked up my rental car!!! I am renting a car for a 5-day drive from Brisbane to Sydney (I'm doing it in 5 days, but if I did it all at once it would be an 11-hour drive). Okay, if having not driven in over four months wasn't bad enough, I am now driving on the other side of the road!!! Now, I know that it isn't rocket science, but it isn't easy! I'd say I am a very confident driver, I like driving and I'm very comfortable with driving under most conditions, but this was a stretch for me! It helps a lot that you sit on the "passenger side" to remind you to stay on the left, but reflexes are hard to break- for example- when I am trying to be a very good/careful driver I always use my turn signal (contrary to popular belief), and on this car the signal thing is done with your right hand and the windshield wipers are with your left. So I had my windshield wipers going crazy everytime I would try to turn. And when I put the car into drive or reverse or whatever, my right hand "twitches" before I realize I need to use my left hand (which is most people's less coordinated hand, so American's are smart to make cars the way they do). Also, speed threw me off a little because it is in kilometers here, so I would see I was going 60 and think that was fast, meanwhile I'm being passed by everyone on the highway until I realize I can go 110kph! Also, add into the complication of needing directions to know where to go! I ended up scrapping the map and just using street signs to direct me, which worked really well. My first stop was Surfer's Paradise. And on my way I found the "Brisvegas" I'd read about! The whole hour drive from Brissie to Surfer's the highway was lined with one amusement park or water park or putt putt place after another. Surfer's sort of reminded me of Panama City Beach with the "class" of Destin. I loved it! I totally wish I had just moved there and been a beach bum for two months (well, kind of). My skin is still a little burned and I needed to stay out of the sun, but I couldn't resist a late afternoon stroll down the beach (after applying my new brand name spf 45 sun screen liberally over exposed skin). I stayed at a great "hostel/resort" (what a contridiction in terms!) but guess who my three roommates were? Three non-english speaking KOREAN girls! The irony! So I didn't do anything fun like go out or learn to surf or bungee jump (the three things to do in Surfer's), but maybe next time?!:)
Today I got up, went for a little walk/jog on the beach, showered and headed down to Byron Bay, another beach town an hour south. On my drive down all civilization ceased and on either side of the road were the rolling hills of Tweed Valley. It was very green (despite a water shortage) and beautiful. I am travelling down the Pacific Coast Highway. Funny, about a year and a half ago I drove up the other Pacific Coast Highway (in California), so neat! Byron is supposed to be a hippy-ish town, so I wasn't expecting to like it, but it's not so bad. The town has a lot of "therapeutic" spas and massage places and yoga classes. "Luckily" it was overcast and rainy today so I didn't mind not being able to "make use of the beach." Oh, and I feel so cool asking where should I park my car when I go into the hostel!!! Haha.