Eventually we made it to the beach and my feet sunk in to the fine white sand that squeaked beneath my toes. The water seemed to have three color tones: dark, mysterious blue water glistened offshore and progressively turned to an almost olive-green and finally a lighter turquoise as the cool water approached me. It was actually the first time I've been on a real beach since I've been Australia. Brisbane doesn't have beaches- just a river and a man-made beach, which hardly does the job. As I stood there with the waves saying hello to my toes, I had an overwhelming sensation that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
The beach extended to a point that held a lighthouse high atop the hill. The lighthouse, of course, was our next destination.Once at the end of the beach, we took stairs up to the lighthouse. It was no easy trek, but it almost felt like we were in a rainforest- the flora was much darker and richer than anywhere we had been yet. Every 20 steps or so we would get to a vista with a view more stunning than the last. We finally made it to a plateau next to the lighthouse and just stood looking out at the all-powerful Pacific Ocean. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted what looked to me like a whale spout. We had passed a sign that told us dolphins and humpbacks frequent the Bay this time of year. Being who I am, I obviously got very excited and stared out in the direction of the spout, not letting my eyes blink. After a few minutes, I thought maybe it had just been my imagination when, get ready.... a humpback whale lept out of the water and breached! Yes! The sight I have been dying to see for all my 21 years finally came to pass! It was something I will never ever forget. Just a few hundred meters from where we stood one God's most glorious creatures was dancing above the water, showing us his magnificent form. Only two of my friends had seen it with me so we ran to tell the other girls and were all leaning over the fence, waiting, praying for it to happen again. And it did. 5 more times! Words cannot even describe the joy I felt watching as the whales came up for air, diving for their meal, and then suddenly leaping out of the water, twisting, and landing on their backs, creating the most splendid splash. The whales eventually went on their way, as we did ours, but I will forever remember them and that moment that took my breath away.
The beach extended to a point that held a lighthouse high atop the hill. The lighthouse, of course, was our next destination.Once at the end of the beach, we took stairs up to the lighthouse. It was no easy trek, but it almost felt like we were in a rainforest- the flora was much darker and richer than anywhere we had been yet. Every 20 steps or so we would get to a vista with a view more stunning than the last. We finally made it to a plateau next to the lighthouse and just stood looking out at the all-powerful Pacific Ocean. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted what looked to me like a whale spout. We had passed a sign that told us dolphins and humpbacks frequent the Bay this time of year. Being who I am, I obviously got very excited and stared out in the direction of the spout, not letting my eyes blink. After a few minutes, I thought maybe it had just been my imagination when, get ready.... a humpback whale lept out of the water and breached! Yes! The sight I have been dying to see for all my 21 years finally came to pass! It was something I will never ever forget. Just a few hundred meters from where we stood one God's most glorious creatures was dancing above the water, showing us his magnificent form. Only two of my friends had seen it with me so we ran to tell the other girls and were all leaning over the fence, waiting, praying for it to happen again. And it did. 5 more times! Words cannot even describe the joy I felt watching as the whales came up for air, diving for their meal, and then suddenly leaping out of the water, twisting, and landing on their backs, creating the most splendid splash. The whales eventually went on their way, as we did ours, but I will forever remember them and that moment that took my breath away.
The sun set on the horizon and the night began! We played games, laughed, and went out dancing. It was so incredibly fun and there were people out everywhere. Byron Bay reminds me a lot of Santa Barbara- fun, sun, beaches, great food, and plenty of opportunity to dance. It was a very laid back town that I could definitely see myself returning to and probably moving to (sorry, Mom). Even though we wore ourselves out dancing, we were determined to see the sunrise at the lighthouse. It is situated on the easternmost point of Australia, and being from California, I rarely get to see the sun rise over the ocean. So, at 4:30 am, after sleeping for about 2 or 3 hours, we hiked back up to the lighthouse and waited. I thought that the moment the humpback whales breached was the highlight of the trip so far, but this sunrise shook me in a whole new way. The red blazing ball of gas slowly ascended into my view as I sat on top of a grassy hill, great friends to my left and right. On that morning, I saw the waves of the ocean in a way I have never seen them before. They weren't abnormal waves, but it was almost as if my perspective had shifted, so that I saw them as a rhythm. They were like little mounds of purpose, moving towards me, pursuing me. They beat with the earth, not against anything. And in all their seemingly randomness there was a sense of being constant. It's hard to explain, but it just felt right. As the sun raised higher and higher above the horizon, its reflection made a path of light directly towards me and God spoke. He showed me that this path we walk may seem long- to walk from the beach to the horizon seems arduous. But the whole time we walk this path we are walking on water. And the closer you get to the Sun, the brighter the path gets. So even though the waves may be choppy and the sea may at time seem unsettled, we must remember that we are walking on water, and that's a place I do not mind being.
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