Waiting

Well, when we last left off... Actually, a bit before that, we went canoing in Tin Can Bay:

And a day or so later (near the end of April) we cruised back down to Murwillumbah and found Endless Summer finally painted:

And that was the end of the first OZ trip.

The plan was that Endless Summer was to be done mid June and we'd pick it up in July. I've since learned that any delay not measured in years is "not a big deal" in the boat building world. So, it has been one damn thing after another with the date slipping and slipping.

Here are some pictures from the first week:

We did our best to make lemons from lemonade (hmm... perhaps that's why I've been so grouchy)

Byron Bay

Having heard that the surf was good in Byron Bay, we decided to drive south and see it. It was a funkier version of Noosa. I think that old hippie hang-outs are replacing blighted industrial areas as the gentrification target of choice.

And surf that would have done credit to a medium sized lake.

Noosa

Australia Zoo Again

Note the unpleasant things that may happen to the foolhardy:

And even common garden hoses are not safe:

Fortunately, they keep a supply of antivenin on hand.

Natural Arch

Lamington National Park

We went for a hike in Lamington National Park. Basically, this is the rim of the crater that surrounds Mt. Warning. Incredible. In the course of 12 Km we walked through five or six completely different sorts of environment: seething rainforest, gum tree forest, heath. Some places look so primitive or alien that you wouldn't be surprised to see a dinosaur or a Star Treck away team.

Oh yes, and this crazy fool jumped off the mountain in his paraglider.