Good morning and a warm welcome to Byron Bay! [Sunrise at the most eastern point of Australia]
2.5 days and a few 1700 photos later, an aeroplane seat in between a film producer and a pro surfer launched my little escape into what felt like a movie plot, get ready for Byron Bay through bLANk’s eyes…
“To watch the dawn emerge from the night undoubtedly gives a heavenly feeling! The fresh sun rays entwine with the dark horizon and peep out of the creek with tranquil grin.” – Supriya Kaur Dhaliwal
If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration, in other words, think of Byron Bay.
Take a few seconds to see where your own energy wants to go, not where you think it should go. Do something because it feels right, not because it makes sense. Follow the spiritual impulse. My energy was pulling, basically dragging me to Byron Bay, and pleading me to give myself a rest, asking me to re-charge my batteries, to nurture my core connection.
Everyone smiles, everyone says hello, and everyone is kind and open hearted, they are energetically positive. Byron Bay greets you with a warmhearted hug and a soft kiss on the cheek that relaxes your soul and gently whispers, ‘you are beautiful’.
Immersed in a world that seems so foreign to the hustle and rush of the surface life of Melbourne, this culture, this way of living is based around the love of life. A destination that simply reminds us that we are here to enjoy ourselves, not just every now and then but every day and quite possibly, if we allow it, all day!
“Travel like Ghandi, with simple clothes, open eyes and an uncluttered mind.” – Rick Steves
So cheap flights only mean one thing, ‘spontaneous trip’, a little holiday for me, and an excursion for bLANk – Welcome to ‘bLANk’s Health Guide to Byron Bay’, starting with an early 7.5km run to catch and capture the 6.13am Sunrise at Byron Bay’s Lighthouse via The Pass!
Built at the turn of the 19th century to protect ships passing along the coast, Cape Byron Lighthouse stands resolute on the most easterly point of the Australian mainland. Operated by resident keepers until 1989, its now automated light is clearly visible from Byron Bay township.
It is built in the James Barnet style, by his successor, Charles Harding. James Barnet, the New South Wales colonial architect, was renown for his towers having large ornate crowns and are easily distinguished.
The first-order optical lens, which weighs 8 tons, was made by the French company, Societe des Establishment, Henry Lepante, Paris. It contains 760 pieces of highly polished prismatic glass.
It is located about 3 km northeast of the town of Byron Bay and projects into the Pacific Ocean. British explorer Captain James Cook named the cape, when he passed the area in May 1770, to honour British explorer John Byron who circumnavigated the blog in the HMS Dolphin from 1764 to 1766.
You’ll enjoy some of the best views of the ocean and hinterland on the entire coast, possibly sightings of turtles, dolphins and humpback whales!
Probably a bit too eager, jumping out of bed at 4.30am on my ‘holiday’, in the darkness I found my way to the shores of Byron’s waves. I stopped to hear the silence, yep, hear it – we often only hear noise but we can struggle to locate silence. It felt like I was the only one on earth here, appreciating the day before it came, away from any distractions and completely and almost effortless I became in tune with the energetic powers of the natural environment.
I had let all of Byron’s magic take hold of me!
Borrow all the good vibes and energies in abundance from Byron, only on the contract that you will send out all the positive energy and love , your sunshine and colour glitter right back, wherever you go – focus on being grateful for what you have been given and then release it into the universe, the universe will manifest it!
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” - James Michener
Basically through excitement, the first morning as I ran to the lighthouse, it wasn’t until I stopped to snap the overwhelmingly beautiful coast that I had realised I had forgotten the battery in my camera. A quick dash of annoyance darted through my mind until I caught it and took it as sign of Byron saying ‘slow down, this only needs to be seen by your own eyes right now, let this sit solely in your heart’. A sign telling me to come back early again the next morning and experience it in a different way, to see this mystic place through new sets of eyes everyday.
Something you’ll find is that Byron offers so much more than just a ‘cheap flight and a bit of sun’, something more you can imagine, but, it’s in that, that you have to surrender yourself to Byron’s tides and let the natural flow of it sweep you off your feet.
Whether it be Steve shuttering me to and from the airport in his Hawaiian shirt, or Renado a complete stranger disclosing his spiritual journey on the bus, to James friendly welcome and guidance and introduction to Danny at Naked Treaties who’s generous soul made Naked Treaties feel like a haven. My taxi driver to and from Gaia Retreat and Spa, Karen, her positivity and generosity, and uplifting spirit left me reminded me to just love life. Whether it’s the soft hands of Bridgette, my facial therapist at Gaia Day Spa, Joe, the local musician’s many hello’s and smiles, and the all the guys energy at the market, to Paula and Cameron at Fundies for such beautiful smiles and welcoming hearts, Peter at The Atlantic for her assistance, Marco from Freiburg on the plane home, you all made it an unforgettable two days! – All of whom I had never met before, all of who were put on my path for some reason to reveal something, even though, a short amount of time, it served a huge purpose and only elevated my Byron experience.
The message here is, to talk, to talk, talk, to say hello, to Sonder Core Style, it is time to be a traveler, not a tourist.
But one person stood out from the crowd.
Something that Byron reminded me of was that “one of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people are out there”, a town just overflowing with compassionate locals. One particular person though, a unique and mysterious man, reminded me that there are others out there on the same wave length, others who are genuinely 100% good people and I am lucky enough to be reminded daily just how pure some people are thanks to you Sam. You, my newfound friend, have brought a new light to my life and for that I am eternally grateful – thank you for literally having Island Luxe’s door opening and letting me walk into your world.
Your Tibetan Sanskrit, “Love in the past is only a memory, love in the future is only a fantasy, true love lives in the here and now” has left an indelible print on me.
I yearn to see every corner and crevice of every place I visit, I need to, my soul needs it, my curiosity engulfs me, I voyage, I am on a quest. I have to understand and capture, experience and feel the destination, I am not a tourist, I am a traveler.
“The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes ‘sight seeing’.” – Daniel J. Boorstin.
“When your Energy vibrates at a frequency that is in direct alignment with what the universe has been attempting to deliver your entire life, you begin to live in the flow and true miracles start to happen.”
- Panache Desai
The Maptia Manifesto: I, Casey Trebilcock, want to see the world. Follow a map to its edges, and keep going. Forgo the plans and trust my instincts. Let curiosity be my guide. I want to change hemispheres, sleep with unfamiliar stars and let the journey unfold before me. I want to wander, I am a wanderlust soul. I am in love with cities I have never been and people I’ve never met. I am a global citizen.
[Wanderlust - It's a big world out there, go explore]
*Disclaimer: All photographs in a bLANk’s ‘Wanderlust’ are taken by bLANk and rightly owned by bLANk
