Byron Bay is a good place...I mean a really good place. This is the kind of place people visit and get sucked into the vortex that it is...don't worry I shan't do it yet, but it is tempting. We decided to stay an extra day here, because things are so nice, and the place we are staying (Belongil Beach House) is the best stop yet...and did I mention the gratouitous numbers of beautiful women here...I think that might be swaying my opinion a bit. Well, nothing really new since the last post, a lot of relaxation, some surfing (which coincidentally I am not too good at...but that shall change). Slouching around a little Internet cafe/Graphic design shop talking with the folks that run it...as most of you already know, there are cool freaks everywhere.
Thanks to all for the killer feedback I have been getting about the posts, although of course I repay you with this one (quite possible el numero uno lame-o), but never fear I will get something better up in the next few days when I am hit with some curious epiphany about the connection between wave breaks and the backstreet boys conspiracy (there is one of course)...so until then, adios
I know I ain't in Mexico, but it sure feels like it...

Okay...so it has been a few days...a guy is entitled to a bender every now and again.
The last few days have been a whirlwind of sex, violence, ritual scarification, devil worshiping, animal sacrifice, bondage, catholic schoolgirls, and a large bag of PCP...
wait that's not right....it was something similar, but more along the lines of hardcore, round-the-clock open water diving to get our cert. After a long, long, tiring, extremely fun evening with Justine (Ms. Zoller's friend) in Sydney we bolted early Saturday morn for the hamlet of Coff's Harbour. It was there that for just over 1 c-note apiece we were given four nights of bunk and four days of scuba...not a bad deal. As Jeff Spicoli, I mean Mitch, taught us the finer points of diving and Neal snoozed through the PADI videos, that were so poorly made it was simply Simpsonesque, there wasn't a lot of time for much more than diving, eating, and sleeping...good fun though. The diving was great, and we aren't even on the Great Barrier Reef yet...that comes soon.

We are now officially running 8 days behind schedule, and if I have my way we will easily run triple that before all is said and done...by the way, are there any jobs left in the bay area to come back to? After our sadistically high energy stay in Coff’s Harbour we have now worked our way up to Byron Bay, for anyone that has ever been here you know it is a good place to relax. We have checked in at a sweet little place called the Belongil Beach House for a few days and nights of beer (I have been refraining as driving on the left hand side of the road and boozing mix even less than normal boozing and cruising) and drunkenly passing out on the beach in the middle of the day…boy do I miss work!

On the musical front I have come to a few conclusions:

Most overplayed musician in New Zealand: Dido (they must be huge eminem fans there)
Most overplayed musician in Australia: Red Hot Chili Peppers (I do believe I will know all of the lyrics for Californication before I leave the continent.)
Ratio of bass heavy dance music Australia to US: 23,000: 1 (and this is not to say the US has too little…. really)
Number of times I have heard the Dance mix of, get this all from my Thunderhouse days, The Hamster Dance: 4 (and no I wish I was fucking kidding you.)

Oh well, could be worse…I could be elsewhere. Other than the prolific number of spiders, most of which seem like they are looking at me with total malice, things could nay be better here. Australia is definitely all that it is cracked up to be, and I could see coming back here for a lengthier stay soon. The idea of sailing, surfing, diving, and of course the spiders are enough to draw a serious consideration. Actually, now that I think of it I will have to come up with some sort of rating system and turn this into the official Pete Bodenheimer, where will you live next? Tour 2001! Special thanks to my amigo Matto for the idea of what to do for the next trip…

Fond thoughts of you all, or at least a few of you, as I spend this evening sipping boat drinks on the beach…