Byron Bay Part I

 

There are so many times when traveling that the “world-reknown”, “must-see” location is just a tourist trap. Plain and simple. In fact, in our experience, MOST of the time the places we find most special are off the beaten path. But there are those rare moments when a place is touristy for a reason. Let me just go ahead and say it:
Byron Bay is L-E-G-I-T.
*
We took off early from Yamba but not before an early morning ocean walk:

And a quick mishap with the bike. We stayed at a great little place a block or so off the beach that was run by a nice couple who had caravanned  around Australia for 5 years. As we were chatting, I was looking over the bike and found this:

We also found that the bike wouldn’t turn over. It looks like our little oil leak may have been running into the alternator which could be affecting the battery. Either way, we push started the bike and were on our way. 

After a quick run up the coast, we were in Byron Bay. But before we even went into town, we stopped at a place called The Farm that Kristen has been following on Instagram. It’s a pretty interesting concept: a restaurant / grocery / flower shop / event space that is stocked by produce and meats from a farm on site as well as other farms in the immediate area. So we stopped in for a quick lunch, not really knowing what to expect.

We sat down after walking around and taking some pictures and pretty immediately ordered some food. We actually just asked the waitress to surprise us. So she did. Kristen curled up with a blanket and we waited for our dishes with a couple of well-made coffees.
Now here’s why I’m going into all this detail. The food that came out and very quickly was shoveled into our mouths was OUT OF THIS WORLD. So much so that we came back the next day and had breakfast. I’m actually having trouble putting this post together because of how good the food was and how sad I am that we cannot eat like this every day.

So here is my plea for all you that are so lucky to go to Byron Bay and thus The Farm.
The prices are high. There’s no way around it. You’ll think, “I’m supposed to pay THAT for some bread and olive oil?”. The answer is yes. You will pay that much for bread and you will like it. This place is worth it. I’m telling you. You will be missing out on some truly fantastic food with a lovely atmosphere if you pass it up. Below are some more pics just because we love this place:

Final thought:
It’s incredible. Go to The Farm. 
Also, they have this huge tree:

So after getting the tastebuds blown off our faces, we wandered into Byron Bay and eventually to the beach.

As if our fully satisfied bellies, the cool breeze and the soft sand weren’t enough, there were dogs. Lots and lots of dogs. All playing and running and loving life before our eyes. 
What is this magical place?!

More to come...

The 2015 Ural Ranger

 

For a reason that I honestly don’t remember, I decided to get my motorcycle license in 2006 at age 24. 
*
It was the strangest thing; one day I woke up and just had a complete fascination with them. It became all I could see when I drove down the road, all that I looked at on the internet. When I went out, took a training course, got my license and actually bought a motorbike, it shocked everyone. Up until that point in my life, it was such an atypical decision. 
I was cautious. Calculated. Safe. 
*
Maybe that’s what pushed me to do something outside of my norm. Maybe I realized that I had been living inside of a safety bubble of my own design for too long. Maybe it was my wife, who is honestly a maniac with no fear.
*
Whatever the reason was, it was an extremely important turning point. 
Motorcycles don’t run my life, but they do symbolize a driving force. I don’t want to regret missed opportunities. I don’t want to look back at the end of my life and wish that I had been more bold. 
I want to live like I REALLY believe and trust in the faith that Kristen and I both proclaim. 
So whether it’s motorcycles, or scuba diving, or photography, or music, or travel, or writing, or metal-smithing, or whatever it is that Kristen and I are pursuing, I want to do it with fervor. I want to do it with passion. I want to do it with urgency. And most importantly, I want to do it for the glory of something that is much bigger than the two of us. 

<above>
A new instrument panel with several new indicators including a low fuel light! I still mostly look at my mileage but the extra reminder is nice. 

*

In so many ways, the new 2015 Ural Ranger is identical to our 2007 Gear Up. It has a familiar soft whir and tick of the engine. Shifting the gears must be deliberate and planned and results in a “thunk”. The sidecar itself feels the same and the entire rig is well-balanced and sturdy. But there have been major changes in 8 years of development.

And as we have now put 1500 kms (about 930 miles), I am greatly appreciating the updates.
 

<above>

The new hydraulic steering dampener is greatly improved over the old friction type.

<above>

Newly styled exhausts.

<above>

New and improved wheels, rims and spokes.

<above>

The new hand operated parking brake is easier to use and will actually stop the bike from rolling down a hill.

<above and below>

The most noticeable and important thing to me are the new Brembo disc brakes on both the rear and sidecar wheel. I can't express how poor the braking is on our 2007. There are times when it seems miraculous that the bike has been stopped at all. Now, the bike stops quickly and seeing as our rig is properly set up, in a straight line.

<below>

The new screw-in oil filter is just incredible. Pulling the old filter from our 2007 is a pain just because of the location and lack of space. This makes me want to give the bike an oil change just because I can. 

<below>

The fuel canister seems more robust and has a nice improvement to the mount.

My bum is considerably more comfortable on the new bench seat, although as a tall guy, I don't like the step.

<below>
The most controversial and potentially exciting change is the removal of the carburetors and inclusion of fuel injection. I can honestly say that I’m quite torn. It is really nice not to need to mess with anything when climbing elevation but the fuel injection will most certainly make repairs in the field more complicated or even not possible. If you are near professionals that can service and repair Urals, this is a major plus. For areas in the middle of nowhere, it is potentially trip ending. 

As of right now, the 2015 is running amazingly strong and has been able to take a beating on muddy, dirt tracks to highway speeds. Although our bike at home is running really great, this new bike is really impressing me. So much so that I will be really sad to leave it in Australia.  

I should note that this bike is still a Ural. In comparison to our ultra-modern BMW GSA, it is basic and quite simple. It isn’t fast. It isn’t high-tech. It isn’t uber-reliable. It slips gears every once in awhile and drools oil from time to time. 
But, and this is a big but, it excites me. I catch myself just admiring its looks. It reminds me of 9 years ago when I first got my license. And it makes me want to travel to the furthest ends of the Earth. 
I’d say that’s a pretty good endorsement.

Off-Grid Aussies

 

Considering I'm married to a woman who lives more deliberately than anyone on the planet, I think a lot about "choice". 

The fundamentals of making a decision between different options is pretty simple. Choosing one available action = one possible outcome. But where things get hinkey for me is weighing the positive consequences against the probable sacrifices. 

It's easy to get caught up in the actual decision making process only to eventually realize that you've ultimately chosen to keep everything the same; which despite being the most obvious life decision is no less risky.

*

This post is about our friend Michelle who has made a huge life shift since we last saw her and truly understands the battle between positive and negative consequences and sacrifices.

 We woke early in South West Rocks, knowing that we were going to be riding a good distance. Kristen practiced her shadow-puppets while I dodged potholes.

The road conditions have been great so far, especially when getting off the main highway and on to the Aussie-equivalent of FM roads of the USA. We swooped into the small town of Bellingen for a quick breakfast and then headed north to find an American lost to the charms of Australia.

So there is this girl named Michelle that Kristen grew up with in the midwest. She grew up in suburban Westerville, Ohio and now, after several adventures across the globe, she lives completely off the grid in Australia. This is actual text from the driving directions she gave us to get to her home:

"...turn right onto dirt road. It curves sharply to the left and passes over a bridge. Stay straight on the dirt for 8.5 kms after which there will be a gate closing off the road. Go through the gate and stay on that dirt track along the creek to your right..." 

You get the idea. 

After wondering if we had come anywhere close to the right way, Michelle pulled around the bend in her car to guide us the rest of the way. 

Michelle, native-Aussie Conrad, and the lovely Same the dog live in a little slice of heaven in the Australian bush.

Quite a way from any neighbors and even farther away from any towns, they have deliberately set up a way of living that is beautifully back to basics, with a few modern conveniences (crazy to run satellite internet off solar).

I can admit I eat horribly by default. If Kris had her way, we would definitely lead much cleaner lives with a healthier diet. But after the vegan meal that we had on the farm, I think I may be sold. 

Why yes, I will saunter through the woods on a full belly...

These two have relatively normal day jobs, but they don't need to work as many hours due to their low cost of living. Thus, they can spend more time doing stuff like digging swimming holes with their excavator:

The scribbly gum trees are just fantastic. Plus, the name. Winner.

There is a part of me that totally gets this existence. The simplicity is enticing. But going back to the initial thought of this post, there are opposing variables. Living this simply comes with a cost. That being said, Bacon (the dog) would be in heaven. Plus, not to be too crass, but I could pee pretty much wherever and whenever I wanted to on a property that size.

Our lovely hosts:

We were admittedly wrapped up in our moment in the woods. We were jolted out of that peace by the setting sun. The race against the darkness began (after Michelle caught us trying to stuff Sam (the dog) into the trunk... he wanted to go for a ride!).

We made it back into civilization just after dark in the cozy ocean town of Yamba. 

What a day...

The Koala Hospital

 

Kristen and I like animals. And we've mentioned this before, but we are very moved by seeing people devoting their lives protecting animals. 

The Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie is an example of a group that is dedicated to providing excellent aid and housing to injured animals. How could we not stop an visit... I mean, koalas.

*

The 50 mile ride up to Port Macquarie was sunny and crisp. Winter in Australia is a huge win...

So far, Oz has been a super pleasant place to ride a Ural. These bikes aren't made to go very fast and are especially happy running between 55 mph (90 km/h) and 65 mph (105 km/h). The fastest speed limit we've had on the major highway running up the East coast is 110 km/h. Seeing as there are tons of campers and trailers on the road going much slower, the Ural has been fitting in perfectly.

The hospital itself is set up on a large tract of land at the edge of town. It is ridiculously idyllic with huge eucalyptus trees towering overhead. There are several enclosures, each with a man-made shelter and for those that are able, each with at least one large tree so that the koalas are free to climb and eat as they please.

Each of the bears (is that right? can i just call them bears for short?) has a different type of injury, whether it be dog attack, traffic accident or surprisingly chlamydia. Apparently, koala populations are rampant with the STD because of their territories becoming cramped and overpopulated. Crazy.

The koalas we photographed weren't in the hospital ward of the facility. They were nearing the end of their recovery and were nearing the time when they can be released. 

After beginning to feel like animal paparazzi, we headed on up the coast. We ended the day in South West Rocks - yet another postcard beach town that litters the Australian east coast. 

Life does not suck.

The Lakes Way

 

One of the most enjoyable parts of travel is the simple act of observing people. People are strange and beautiful and imperfect and absolutely fascinating. It doesn't matter if it's a village in Uganda, a bustling city in Chile or a sleepy town in Australia, being a fly on the wall is just fun. Even if it takes traveling halfway across the globe to break our cycles of apathy and self-centeredness while we're at home... It has become a such a common occurrence for one of us to turn to the other and say, "Isn't it crazy how many people there are in the world and how we'll never get to know them?"

What a gift to see even a tiny cross section of someone's life - I don't want to lost that sense of awe and if I do, I hope Kristen can break me out of it. 

We woke very early (still getting used to the time change) and hustled down to the beach for a quick shot of a new sun. What had been completely isolated was now shuffling with people and boats. 

Turns out we accidentally stumbled on the beginning of a 48 hour (no sleeping!), 250 km race that involves kayaks and mountain bikes. 

Again, I love people.

This is not a casual race. These ladies and gents were serious, which made it a bit heartbreaking to see several of the teams wreck their boats in the first big surf break while their families watched from the shore.

Feeling like total scrubs, we went back to Hawk's Nest and proceeded to drown ourselves in a giant breakfast, packed up and headed North along the coast.

Weaving our way along the coast and through The Lakes Way was remote and honestly such a great introduction to what Australia has to offer. We had a few lonely ferry rides:

And we had some time to take a few glamour shots of the new bike, which is running so smoothly. 

The sun was out, the roads were empty, the light was magic and the bubble-shield selfies were in top gear.

We wound our way to the secluded Seal Rocks to be confronted with every camp site, every BnB, and every hotel full of people. Thank you Unknown Aussie Holiday!

Still worth the ride, obvi.

With nowhere to rest our heads we had to move on up the cost. Harrington ended up showing us favor in the end and we found a place for the bike to sleep with a view of the ocean.