Saturday 13th January 2007. Sydney to Byron Bay. NSW.

As you would expect Sandra has everything organised and a taxi arrives at 5.45am to take me into the city to join my tour group.

I cannot thank Sandra and Nigel enough for all they have done for me.

Today I am taking the Pacific Highway (the longest ocean highway in the world) to Byron Bay.

After meeting with my tour group we hit the road. Our first port of call is for breakfast in the town of Raymond Terrace. From 6.30am this morning we have been playing party games on the bus, and after "Speed Dating" we know a lot about each other by the time we have lunch by the water at Riverside Park in Kempsey.

The town of Kempsey is where the akubra hat comes from. Originally founded as a logging town based on the cedar wood industry, at its height the town was home to some 200 loggers. However, Kempsey's success was also its downfall and the town almost went bust because it had been so successful at logging with over supply forcing down prices. The area was cleared and the town moved to an agricultural base.

Our road trip takes us through Coffs Harbour, the only place in Australia where the Great Dividing Range meets the Pacific and on to Byron Bay.

Byron Bay was named by Captain Cook in honour of Captain John Byron who circumnavigated Australia twice in 1764 and 1766.

We are staying in the really lovely Glen Villa Resort and tonight we all head out to The Rails Kitchen for dinner before heading off to Cheeky Monkey's to dance the night away...one by one they all depart until its just Caroline, Rob and I left dancing on the tables until 3am.