Although a week longer than the standard two-week American holiday, three weeks is not nearly enough time to really experience Australia. In fact, I could have spent those entire three weeks in Byron Bay alone and still felt like I needed more time just to get my fill.

After numerous conversations with other travelers just out of Oz, I was told there were certain things not to miss on an east coast Australia tour. Of primary note was a trip to Cape Tribulation in the far north, snorkeling or scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, chilling out on Magnetic Island, sailing in the Witsundays, roughing it in paradise on a 3-day camping safari on Fraser Island, witnessing grassroots activism in full force in Nimbin, and chilling out in Byron Bay.

It would have been tight, but my overly ambitious itinerary initially managed time for all. Yet due to persistent rain that seemed to follow me down the coast, I missed sailing in the Witsundays and skipped the Fraser Island excursion. In retrospect, it was probably better for me to miss some things anyway. Too much of a good thing too fast tends to force travelers into the role of mere observer rather than active participant.

As I raced down the coast those first 10 days, I didn’t even feel like I was in Australia. It just didn’t seem real. I was moving too fast, seeing too much and trying to experience it all.

I remember the water being a little too chilly for my taste as I snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef just offshore of Green Island. I remember wishing I had planned to stay a couple nights in Cape Tribulation so I could soak up the local, kick-back atmosphere. I remember loving life as I sported a bikini for the first time in months on Magnetic Island and lounged on the private beach in front of the hostel. I remember having a great night with a random collection of travelers at a cool little hostel in Airlie Beach.

But it wasn’t until I got to Byron Bay, after my Witsundays sailing trip and Fraser Island camping safari were canceled, that I slowed down enough to get what I came for – a little quality time with Australia.

After nearly two weeks of ambitious adventure, it was the little things that meant the most. I loved walking into town and experiencing the local scene. I loved being around long enough to make friends with some of the hostel residents who seemed to have been there for months. And I loved finally having a day-to-day routine, even though it only involved waking up, cooking breakfast, hanging out, going to the beach (weather permitting), shopping, walking around, hanging out some more, and figuring out what to do at night. Life was good… no wait, life was great.

Life was so good in Byron that I kept stretching my stay one more day, until there were no days left. While it’s unfortunate that I had to miss out on seeing the sights of Sydney, I just couldn’t face the idea of exchanging a single day of quality time for another day spent staring out of a tour bus window and snapping photos of more world-famous attractions.

When traveling, especially in Australia, it’s good to remember that sometimes less is more.

June 23, 2006