Photographing mammals in the wild is a patience-demanding task. I spotted my lens prey in Byron while trying to find a new battery for my watch. There they were, in all their glory: matching tshirts, waistlines, and even their name on the back of the shirt. It was the Griswolds. Like wildlife, it is nearly impossible to get a clear shot of all the family element faces at the same time. As I waited crouched upon a rock outside of a gift shop that sold surf-board shaped toilet paper holders for $59, and waited, I spied the littler one near the door, but no she turned and headed back in... finally, they emerged, and just as my shutter went, the alpha male raised his elbow to block the face of the female! I followed them a little further and managed a backside composition, but the lighting isn't all that great.






These are sites of lovely Byron Bay that you will never see in a tourist brochure. Now you understand why I'm glad I didn't stay here?

Tourist information: if you can make it past the boundary fence.

Environmental center???


These clowns saw me taking a picture towards them and posed.



Got to know where your toilets are...



Toilet and a telephone, what more does a nappy backpacker need?


Literary institute. Hm, it has pictures of people enjoying the beach. All learning institutes should take such an approach.


I had a converstation with a local who is going to give me a wildlife tour this afternoon and lives at the hotel I stayed at. We talked about the riots at the beach and what the issues are. Sure is different hearing it from an Ozzie than listening to the news. The Lebanese have moved here and have not assimilated and are the most likely to land in jail. A gang rape conviction got some 60 years in jail, and now they taunt the scantily dressed beachgoer girls with "I'd take you and rape you but you're not worth the 50 years." The only excuse they had in court was that they didn't know it was wrong. No wonder the australians lost it. They'd just had enough.

The tour guide also said he's sick of backpackers. They'll go to Limbin to spend money on drugs and booze but won't spend the same money on seeing wildlife. The ones I've encountered just seem to like to sit on their rears all day and smoke cigarettes and drink beer.

Radio here is spotty. There is one station. Have you ever watched Cricket on tv? Boring, right? Imagine the excited announcers going on and on and on and on about it on the radio! And it's the only station!