5pm on Monday bank holiday weekend. The ferry is packed full of Manly Jazz Festival goers and I pulled my heaving bag and even heavier food bag onto the boat. The engine roared to life and pulled away towards Sydney. As I sat listening to my music I saw dolphins diving through the waves next to the boat. They swam with us for a minute and then disappeared into the ocean.

I arrived at the bus station and found my stop. The bus started to fill up with with other excitable backpackers like me. Across the isle from me a girl with Harry Potter tattoos sat next to me. "Hi I'm Chelsea!" Little did I know then that we would be instant friends and share a lot of our journey together.

It wasn't long before we were bonding over our love for Harry Potter and I knew we would be friends for life when she told me her patronus would be an elephant!

Unfortunately she was getting off at Port Macquarie and I was going all the way to Byron! Before separating we exchanged Facebook profiles and planned to meet again in Byron.

The journey went quickly and luckily I was able to sleep most of the way, however that was where the luck ended. 7am, the bus pulled up to Byron Bay bus stop. Rain was pouring and the shelter was filled with homeless people, I had no money on my card and only $20 in cash.

"I'm getting a taxi," I told myself. Across the road was a bakery so I sprinted over to buy a comforting hot chocolate and croissant. Whilst there, across the road at the bus stop a shuttle bus had arrived to take people from my hostel there.

After finding this out and then nearly crying, I decided I would go draw cash, grab a taxi and all would be well. I trenched over to the three cash points at my bank. Out of order. Out of order. Out of order.
Okay, so this isn't going well! As I couldn't get money out I realised I'd have to walk in the rain. Outside the bank, a taxi driver pulled up. I explained my sad story and asked him for directions.

My hero, disguised in a tracksuit! The taxi driver told me to hop in and he would drop me at the hostel - for free! He pulled up at the hostel and after rejecting my marriage proposal helped me with my bags.

The hostel was amazing! I was staying at Arts Factory (as featured in the inbetweeners movie) it's where the hippies go!
My room overlooked the pool on one side and a less attractive view of the car park on the other side. Wildlife bloomed around the entire grounds as lizards crawled by your feet and birds sang in their trees.

Outside the café was a very small lake and lizards could always be found sunning themselves on the rocks next to it. The day had started to look up as check-in had gone smoothly and the wifi allowed me to transfer some money so that I was no longer poor. Let the adventures begin!