Follow Me to Sharpe Beach, Australia!

               Yet another paradise! Here are some pictures from 3 weeks back, when we took a morning strut from Lennox Head, to Boulder Beach, to here. If you're looking for some of the worlds best surf with a quieter beach setting, this is it! Sharpe Beach is just around the corner from Byron Bay Beach, and its an amazing coastal walk from Lennox Head Look-off point to here.The weathers been great here lately, with summer just around the corner.The breeze is cool, the sun is hot! Bronze skin and cinnamon tans...

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Boulder Beach, Australia!

Walking the trail from Lennox Head, only a short distance from Byron Bay takes you to Boulder Beach. There you will find igneous, basalt rocks. These aremade from the molten lava that erupted from Mount Warning thousands of yearsago. If you smash rocks there, you mayfind some fossils. We had fun hanging outlike kids, and pretending the rocks were dinosaur eggs and that the holes in the ground belonged to  the infamous, poisonous Funnel Web Spider. One small warning though- be careful of snakes on Boulder Beach, sometimes mice hide amongst the rocks and the snakes come hunting here-but no need to be too freaked out, we didn't see any. If you walk past this beach, the trail will take you to Sharpe Beach next, where the white sandy beaches return!

 

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Tea Tree Lake! Lennox Head, Australia

M. alternifolia(2)

One day at Clovely Grove, our wwoof host, Scott decided to take me and the boys down to Lennox Head Beach, just a short drive from Byron Bay Since the surf was poor and the Pacifics coastal waters were still frigid, we crossed the street and headed for the huge fresh-water, Tea Tree Lake instead! 

Surrounded by tea trees, (Melaleuca alternifolia) the lake is steeped like actual tea from the fallen leaves of this native eastern-Australian tree. This yellow oil has been known and used by the Australian aborigones for years, but the benefits are just becoming known to the rest of us. 

The lake looked a little intimidating, appearing black in color, but once you get in you realize the water is actually very clear, and stained a yellow/red/brown color. You think you will enter the lake to step on squishy, slimy leaves but to your surprise will find only soft sand! Those who chance it are getting a real spa treatment, for free.

The Benefits 

Scott, Scott, and Nick jump in first!

Tea tree oil yields a world of natural benefits to us. Since the oil acts as a curative to infectious organisms (bacteria, fungi, virus) it can be useful for several ailments and for cosmetic applications. For example; 

Conditioners: It can be useful as a conditioner for your skin and hair, including treatment of: sunburns, oily skin, acne, warts, insect bites, dandruff and even cases of head lice! 

Deodorant: I use a tea-tree oil deodorant, which is a healthier alternative to the aluminum found in all standard deodorants (which by the way have been proven to be linked to breast cancer in women.) How Does It Work? The tea tree oil helps prevent bacteria from forming, the same bacteria which produces body odor. Essentially this oil works at the root level to prevent the odor, (rather than using chemicals and perfumes which stop the body from sweating, a process necessary to rid bodies of harmful toxins) or just cover up the smell! 

Medical Conditions:

Tea tree oil has been reported to help with infections ranging from a cough and common cold, to asthma, cold sores and chicken pox. Its really quite amazing! Its also suggested that it can be a good alternative to more common antibiotics which decrease the strength of your immune system!(1)

 In North America tea-tree oil products can be hard to find, or quite expensive, but here in eastern-Australia they are abundant and cheap as chips! If only we had a lake like this at home!  
 --Who needs chemical shampoo, conditioner, or deodorant when you could just jump in the nearest tea tree lake?-- Not this girl!
 
More Info on Tea Tree Oil, Uses, and Recipes to Home-Made Remedies Click Here! 






 Related Articles: Clovely Grove: Sacred Ground

The Most Eastern Cape of Australia
Byron Bay, Australia Hostel Review: The Arts Factory

Sources:

(1) http://www.homeremediesweb.com/tea_tree_oil_health_benefits.php
(2) The beauty republic.blogspot.com

Clovely Grove: Sacred Ground

Macadamia Trees!

In order to learn more about Australians, their culture and way of life, Scott and I decided to do some "Wwoofing". W.W.O.O.F, stands for Willing Workers On Organic Farms. (To learn more or become a member, click here.) 

How Wwoofing Works:
The basic principle of WWOOF is that you volunteer to work on an organic farm in exchange for room and board. It is up to you to seek a farm particular to your interests and speak with the farmers directly. I have done a lot of wwoofing in Canada, but it was all new to Scott. We decided to give it a go, and called "Clovely Grove" just outside of Byron Bay, New South Wales. A few days later My Roaming Backpack was unpacking for a few days at a Macadamia Plantation!

Clovely Grove:
Clovely Grove is a beautiful oasis on a Macadamia farm. Originally the land was over-run by invasive species, but Scott (the owner/our wwoof host) and his friend Mark removed them and replaced them by introducing native species. Only eight years later, the property has been transformed- the native species have flourished in their habitat. Yet, there is still work to be done. Mark picked us up from The Arts Factory and explained to us that we would be helping with the introduction of more new species and take part in the regeneration process of Clovely Grove.

I learned how to identify a fruitless grapefruit tree! ( See the leaves in my hand in above picture.) and I saw the tallest Bird of Paradise Ive seen yet- must have been atleast 20 ft. tall! But to top it all off, I watched a cow jump over a fence, LITERALLY. (Sorry, no pic!)

  In the meantime, our host, Scott was great. He welcomed us into his home immediately and went out of his way to make sure he showed us all the attractions in the area. Just to name a few we checked out Tea Tree Lake in Lennox Head, Boulder Beach, Sharpe Beach Belongil Beach, and the famous Lighthouse. 

Our wwoof host releasing a python after rehabilitating it/ Me cleaning the deck/ Scott dipping the chooks feet in Linseed oil to prevent parasites- this was pretty amusing to watch considering they had to catch the chooks first!

Brekkie & Fresh "Apple-Apple Juice" (Green-Apple & Pineapple)

Breakfast at Clovely Grove was always a highlight: fresh free-range eggs from the chooks, fried tomatoes and mushrooms soaked in butter, and freshly-squeezed juice, hells ya! Dinners were always fun too, and Scott's friend, Mark was an amazing cook! After dinner we would watch footie, or have some good laughs watching ridiculous Aussie reality shows like "The X-Factor" or something-rather, "The Farmer Picks A Wife"? One night we spent hours on end watching Australian music videos on youtube, and the following night Canadian music. It was great to show each other some of our favs, except I think we may have scared Scott a little with "Oh Canada" by Classified and "Rock you" by Helix. Oops! :P 

                               Australian Band, Goanna, Singing "Solid Rock" 
                                     a song about the aboriginal conflict

Goodbye New South Wales
Only a few days into our stay I was surprised with a call from an employment agency I had contacted a few weeks prior. I was being offered a position with a good salary in Queensland, about 3 hours away. Accepting the job would mean cutting my wwoofing experience short, and not being able to help restore the land at Clovely Grove. 

However, it also meant being able to potentially extend the overall reach of my travels. My flight to South Africa in 2013 has already been purchased, but I would also like to visit New Zealand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao, possibly India, and lately Ive been dreaming of Mongolia and Russia. Keeping my final goals in mind, I decided it was best to accept the job and carry on to Queensland. Scott (my travel-mate) and Scott (my wwoof host) were both very understanding. We enjoyed the relaxing weekend together before they both dropped me off at the bus station in Lismore. We went our separate ways, them back to Byron, me, Queensland bound. 

Thank you Scott (and Mark) for making me feel welcome and sharing your life :) 

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