Today our Happy Student at Lexis Byron Bay is Amin!
Tell us a little about yourself Amin: I am from Switerland and I live in Zuerich. I worked as a software engineer for the Swiss television. I decided to go to Byron Bay because I heard many good things about it and thought it would be a nice start for my trip. I stayed in Byron for six weeks.
Why did you choose Byron Bay? I chose Byron Bay because I heard good things about it. I had a friend come here maybe six years ago and told me about it. So I did my research and I decided that it had the right mood for me.
What were your weaknesses in English before you came to Australia? Tell me more about your teachers and your classes. I think my weaknessess… I think grammar… and the speaking and the fluency.
I was with Claudia as my teacher, and I think the class was the right fit for me. It was my right level. And I liked the class because there were people there from other nationalities. I also liked the activties that we did in the class like the markets, having coffee and Secret Santa… yeah, it was fun.
What was your favourite activity? I liked the Beer Testing! Haha, that was fun! But I did like the Coffee Club too. You know, it was nice to play games and get to know other people and get to know them better.
Tell me about your accommodation/homestay… I stayed at the accommodation downstairs (onsite) and I liked it. The room is good, it has nice people and a good kitchen to cook meals in. I really liked the communal tables- there were always people to be with if you wanted! Yeah, I really enjoyed it 🙂
What are your favourite things to do in Byron? Surfing! I only started surfing here and I like it! I first had lessons through the school… maybe four lessons, then I bought a board and have met some friends and go surfing with them everyday! I might have to resell the board when I leave, but if I can fit it in my car I will take it on my travels with me in Australia!
I also really like the nightlife and the mood here in Byron Bay. Like the muscians and the buskers. It’s just nice to be out at night.
What is your most magical moment in Byron? Oh, this is a tough one… so many… I suppose, I think surfing at sunset at Tallows Beach. We saw dolphins and then they were swimming past us… yes, this was the most magical moment.
What did you like the most about Lexis Byron? I like the people here. The students and the employees. The people are really helpful. Whenever I had a question I would go to reception and they would help me straight away. Also the mood for a school is good.
What is your advice for people who are thinking about enrolling at Lexis Byron Bay? My advice… stay at the accomodation onsite because it is close to the school and you get to meet more people! But then I guess it depends on the person… I also suggest to plan a trip early, but also at the same time to be spontaneous too.
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing and Yoga in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
Today our Happy Student at Lexis Byron Bay is Lucia!
Tell us a little about yourself Lucia: I’m from Spain. Before coming to Byron I worked on my family’s sheep farm. I always wanted to learn English because I like to travel and it is a universal language. I’ve been here almost 2 months and I have one more month left. Then I will travel along the coast of New South Wales before returning to Spain.
Why did you choose Byron Bay? Because I don’t like I cities. I live in the countryside. That’s why I chose Byron Bay.
What were your weaknesses in English before you came to Australia? Tell me more about your teachers and your classes. Before coming to Australia, my weaknesses were listening and speaking English.
My teachers try to help me with listening and talk in class more often.
What was your favourite activity? I think my favourite activity is the afternoon yoga classes, because you end the day relaxed.
Tell me about your accommodation/homestay… I have lived in a hostel since I arrived and I think I will continue until I leave Byron.
What are your favourite things to do in Byron? I like to walk around without tall buildings and without the noise of a city. I like to walk along the beach with few people. I also like to take walks to the lighthouse.
What is your most magical moment in Byron? My most magical moment in Byron… when I climb to see the sunrise at the lighthouse.
What did you like the most about Lexis Byron? What I liked most about this school is the small groups of students. It is good to have playful activities and games to assimilate the lessons.
What is your advice for people who are thinking about enrolling at Lexis Byron Bay? My advice is to not think about it, to do it and enjoy it. It is an experience for a lifetime.
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing and Yoga in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
Today our Happy Student at Lexis Byron Bay is Xenia!
Tell us a little about yourself Xenia: I’m from Catalunya, from a little small village called Ventallo. I used to work as an early children’s teacher in different kindergartens, but I realised that first of all I want to travel the world. So I left my job and now I’m here in Lexis improving my English to become an English teacher.
Why Byron? I’m a music teacher.
Why did you choose Byron Bay? I chose Byron because it is a small village like mine. I am also a music teacher and I heard that there is lots of music in Byron and thought “this must be my place!”
My friends back home also give me the nickname that translates into ‘Happy Fish’ in English. This is because I am always in the water back home.
What were your weaknesses in English before you came to Australia? Tell me more about your teachers and your classes. Well I did do English in highschool, and then I went to London as an Au Pair, but I decided that I want to know more people and to do that you need to know the language.
My teachers and my classes? It is perfect for learning. I have Paul as a teacher, and I find that his teaching is good and it is functional.
What was your favourite activity? My favourite activity… I did like tie-dying! I want to do that again! The colours turned out a bit whack, but I would like to try again. Also, I want to try meditation and yoga. Living in Byron Bay makes me want to live healthier, eat healthier and be healthier.
Tell me about your accommodation/homestay… I am currently living in a hostel, though am renting a house as of next week! I have liked staying at the hostel. There are many people there, and because of that when I go around Byron there is always a friendly face 😊
What are your favourite things to do in Byron? I like to go for a picnic on the grass by Main Beach with friends. I do like to do that. The coolest thing here I think is the people I meet.
What is your most magical moment in Byron? So far… my magical moment here in Byron… I walk along the beach at around 6am to see the sunrise. I never used to do that back home. I would actually like to sleep in! But there is something different here, I like the mornings.
What did you like the most about Lexis Byron? I like the small classes, and I like the ‘English Only’ policy. It’s really good beacuse we stay talking all the time, so it becomes easy. It’s been good to practice speaking and listening.
What is your advice for people who are thinking about enrolling at Lexis Byron Bay? If you are looking for a home place, Byron Bay is a good place to do it. I say don’t think about it and just do it. It’s an experience you will have for all of your life.
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing and Yoga in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
Today our Happy Student at Lexis Byron Bay is Ludovico!
Tell us a little about yourself Ludovico:
I’m Ludovico, I’m from Italy. Before I arrived here I was a university student in Rome. I then decided to leave the university and came here to improve my English. This is because I want to work in hospitality when I return to Italy.
Why did you choose Byron Bay?
I chose Byron Bay for the lifestyle, and for the waves 🌊
What were your weaknesses in English before you came to Australia? Tell me more about your teachers and your classes.
My weaknesses… what I found hard was grammar and current tenses. I want to improve so that I can speak well.
I really like my class and my teacher Michelle. She’s really nice, and she helps and explains well. I don’t want to change classes, even though I’m graduating soon and moving to an upper class I don’t want to because I like my current class.
What was your favourite activity?
I think my favourite activity was the ping pong, or table tennis competition. I liked this because I won! I also would have like to have done the Aussie beer tasting, but I was working and I missed out.
Tell me about your accomodation/homestay…
Haha, I stay in the accomodation near the school. I like it because of the good people and the good vibes. I like it because we surf together and have dinner together. We’re kind of like a family like that.
What are your favourite things to do in Byron?
SURF!
What is your most magical moment in Byron? SURF! I also like the Byron Bay facebook market place! I found a cheap beer bong table for $50, made everyone chip in $5 each, and picked it up from a fat Australian man. He was so funny! 😋
What did you like the most about Lexis Byron?
The mood at the school is good, it is a friendly place. It is not like a normal school. Here I actually like going to class.
What is your advice for people who are thinking about enrolling at Lexis Byron Bay? They should go! I tell all my friends that they should come.
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing and Yoga in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
Today our Happy Student at Lexis Byron Bay is Sina!
Tell us a little about yourself Sina:
My name is Sina, I’m from Switzerland and I’m 21 years old. Before I came to Byron Bay I was working as a carpenter. I want to learn English because I like to travel and then you have to speak English. I have been in Byron for four weeks.
Why did you choose Byron Bay?
I chose Byron Bay because I was shown photos of the school and Byron and I wanted to go. It’s also the opposite to Switzerland, this is another reason why I wanted to go. It’s easy going and chill.
What were your weaknesses in English before you came to Australia? Tell me more about your teachers and your classes.
Some things in English were hard. My weakness would be grammer, and the use of present or past tense. I had a good teacher and funny class. Michelle is funny and so nice. How she explains everything was very good.
What was your favourite activity?
Jewellery making I think was my favourite. I liked boomerang painting too, though the skill of jewellery making is one that I can do every day.
Tell me about your accomodation/homestay…
I was staying in Suffolk Park and had a very good house mother. She is a very good cook, and would read over my essays and help me with my English. I would also ride my bike to school, it was good and I can get the money back when I sell it.
What are your favourite things to do in Byron?
I love to watch the sunrise in Byron, and I like to do the lighthouse walk.What is your most magical moment in Byron?
I think the sunrise.
What did you like the most about Lexis Byron?
Well, it’s like school. A relaxing school.What is your advice for people who are thinking about enrolling at Lexis Byron Bay?
You should go! It’s a good place to make lots of friends from everywhere.
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing and Yoga in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
Posts in the Facebook groups get responded to very quickly so it’s a good idea to put your own post so people can also contact you. This can prove to be very successful as it increases your chances of finding somewhere to live quicker!
Here is an example of what to write:
‘Hello, my name is Clara and I am a 25 year old girl from Spain. I am looking for a room to rent while I complete my studies in Byron Bay. I will be staying in Byron for the next 6 months. I am clean, respectful and friendly. I enjoy socialising but am not a party person. If you could offer me a place to call home I would love to hear from you: 0431 111 111.’
It’s nice to include a photo, or two, of yourself (not a group shot) doing something you enjoy. i.e. taking a walk along the beach, riding your bike, doing a yoga pose. This will make your post stand out more!
Check in Byron Bay’s weekly newspaper the Echo
Go to the ‘classified’ section, near the end of the newspaper. Look under Share Accommodation, Short Term Accommodation, and To Lease. The Echo comes out every week on a Wednesday.
Introduce yourself: say who you are and what you are looking for
Ask some questions. For example:
How many people live there already?
Are bills included in the rent?
Is Wi-Fi/internet available?
Are there any pets?
GOOD LUCK!!
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing and Yoga in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
You may have noticed a new face in the office, over the last few weeks. This is Kayoko (Koko) our new Homestay Officer.
Koko is taking over from Naomi, who sadly will be leaving Byron Bay next weekend to continue on her travels. Koko has already settled in really well and we are enjoying her positivity and enthusiasm in the office.
We asked her a few questions to introduce herself:
Where did you grow up?
We moved a lot when I was little so, many places in Japan plus Brazil for couple of years when I was 7.
2. Which languages can you speak?
Japanese and English.
3. Which countries have you visited?
America, Brazil, Thailand, India, Laos, Malaysia, England, Greece, Mexico
4. What do you love the most about your job?
I’m still new, so my experiences are still quite limited, but my colleagues are all super nice and it’s wonderful.
Also all the students I’ve been meeting from all over the world are so gorgeous, fun, nice, and I’m loving them. There is a great fun vibe to the school, it is a great place to work:)
5. What is your top English learning tip?
Get a boyfriend or girlfriend! If not, homestay is a great way:)
6. What have you always wanted to be?
Free!
7. Where will we find you at 11pm on Saturday?
In my jammies about to go to bed.
8. What about 8am on a Saturday?
Hopefully jogging up to the lighthouse.
9. Tell us something not to miss out on in Byron Bay…
Whales! If you are visiting here during June – Nov, you can see many whales migrating up north from the lighthouse walk; often mothers with their calves. It’s a great way to enjoy the beauty of Byron and spotting whales is so exciting. The best way to experience them is to go on the whale watching boat. You get to see them so close, and they are truly magical….
10. Which is your favourite restaurant/cafe in Byron Bay?
Kinoko for very good sushi. Miss Margarita and Cyprus Tree are very good too. Cardamon Pod and Heart and Halo for good cheap hearty meals.
11. What is your dream holiday destination?
There are so many… All the beautiful places in the world
12. Tell us something we didn’t know… Less is more.
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing or Yoga in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
Sakiko is 24 years old and she is from Kochi, a small town in rural Japan. She studied law at Kobe University and came straight to Australia after she graduated. She arrived in Byron Bay in June 2016 and has been at Lexis for an incredible here for 52 weeks! I interviewed Sakiko on her last day of school to find out about the remarkable year she has had.
Why did you choose Byron Bay?
While I was at University I was living in a big city, it was very crowded and busy for me. I wanted to live somewhere quiet and peaceful. My agent recommended Byron Bay to me and it is exactly what I wanted. Also I love yoga; I practised it in Japan for many years. Yoga is a big part of life in Byron, I practice yoga 3 or 4 times every week here.
Byron is a great place to come if you don’t know anybody. If you go to a big place it is hard to meet people but Byron is community so it is a good opportunity to speak with local people – it has a very friendly atmosphere here, everyone is happy to talk to you.
What were your weaknesses in English before you came to Australia?
I found listening and speaking the most difficult – I think most Japanese have this problem. We don’t have speaking practise in class at school in Japan so I was not used to speaking. On my first day I couldn’t understand everything, even though everyone was speaking slowly, I just guessed what they were saying. I did not feel ready to speak English yet, I’m afraid to make mistakes when I spoke. After 1 month and 2 months when I made a lot of friends from different places they really influenced me. Especially my Brazilian friends because I saw that they were not scared to make mistakes. I asked them once: ‘you don’t care about making mistakes?’ but they said ‘no I don’t care, I just speak.’ That was a really good lesson to learn.
Tell me about your teachers and your classes.
I started in Intermediate class. I studied a lot of English to enter University, and my grammar was good. I have had so many great teachers. Paul is my favourite teacher because he is so interesting and he always makes us laugh. He taught me pronunciation, how English and Japanese are so different because of emphasis and intonation. It was very hard, I almost gave up, but he never gave up to teach me!
One lesson we went to Byron Bay farmers market (we have this once a week in Byron, in the mornings, we can buy local products: fresh vegetables, fruits etc. It’s a great community atmosphere.) Here we interviewed the people working in the market. I was nervous but they are so kind to us, even though we were still learning. It was great because I often go to the farmers market but I don’t often have the chance to communicate with the producers about the local produce.
What was your favourite activity?
Yoga was my favourite activity. Every Monday at school there is free yoga and I went every week for a year. I think I improved my yoga a lot. I also tried a lot of new activities, like surfing, skate boarding, slack-lining, cooking (we made koala cupcakes). They were very sweet for me but I enjoyed decorating them.
Tell me about your accommodation.
My first 6 weeks I was in homestay accommodation, staying with Gill and John. They were so kind. I was nervous about living with them, but on my first day they took me around Byron Bay, to lots of places. We went up to the lighthouse and to different beaches. We had lots of BBQs at the house and we baked cookies.
Afterwards I find a share house on Gumtree. It takes my five minutes to get to school on foot. At the moment with 2 Australian people, this has helped me to learn English. My host is very kind and speaks slowly and explains what words mean to me and this really helped my English improve.
What are your favourite things to do in Byron?
After I took a surf lesson, I decided to buy a surf board. During the Summer I surfed almost every day. It’s a good life, study and then go to surf. I think I got a bit better and I enjoyed it. I would meet up with my friends at the beach to surf.
I also enjoy going up to lighthouse to see the sunrise. It is the most Easterly point of Australia and the view is amazing. The view always changes as the seasons change. One morning I met my friends at 4:30 am and we walked up in the dark and the stars were beautiful.
I also love yoga here. It is very different to Japan, it seems more difficult and there is more variety of lessons. I can chose which I want to do depending on the condition of my body.
What is your most magical moment in Byron?
While I was doing the light house walk in the morning I saw whales and dolphins. One time I saw many dolphins very close to us on the walk. I was able to take this amazing picture:
What is your advice for people who are thinking about enrolling at Lexis Byron Bay?
You should come here, all the teachers are very kind and there are good quality lessons that are interesting and never boring. It is a very small school here so it is easy for everyone to get to know each other. March was my favourite month, because it is not too hot but the Sun is still out and it is not so crowded here. Winter is also good here, the sky is clear and bright but it is not too hot, you can see beautiful sunrises!
What are you going to do now?
I have 3 weeks holidays now before I move to Lexis Perth. Tomorrow I am going to travel in New Zealand for 1 week. After New Zealand my sister will come here to visit in Byron Bay. Then I am going to do the Gold Coast marathon with my sister. I have heard it is a good route, around the beach but very flat. It is going to be a very challenging event in my life but I like to try new challenges. I am a little but worried about that but also excited. I will study in Perth for 3 weeks and then go home back to Japan. When I go home I think I will look for a job. I would like to live one more year in Australia or New Zealand, I want more opportunity to use English and communicate with English speakers. In Japan I would love to do an international job that involves using English and possibly working with sports, for example I would love to have a job related to the Japanese Olympics in Tokyo 2020.
Good luck with your marathon and your travels Sakiko, you will be missed here at Lexis Byron Bay!
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
Shogo is 21 and comes from Tokyo Japan. He arrived in Byron Bay in February. While studying Law in Tokyo, he decided to take a break and come to Australia! And we are so glad that he did. Shogo has been a delight to have at school – his smiling face has brought joy to all of us. We are so impressed at how much his confidence has improved since he arrived, from a shy and quiet student to a loud and confident one who has even done a spot of modelling since has been here! He studied at Lexis for 3 months and is now staying local, working in Byron so that he can stay here for another 4 months. I decided to interview Shogo to find out a bit more about his experience here!
Why did you choose Byron Bay?
I chose to live in Australia for the weather; it is a hot country with beautiful beaches and beautiful people. Also the working holiday visa is much more convenient than visas for the USA or the UK. I chose Byron because I wanted to learn surfing and skateboarding. I have been to Sydney and Gold Coast before, but I thought that the experience there would be similar to Tokyo, busy cities with lots of other Japanese people. I wanted to live somewhere with not so many Japanese people so that I would speak English more.
What were your weaknesses in English before you came to Australia?
Pronunciation and sentence construction skills. In Japan we learn only grammar and reading, so we can read difficult sentences for studying law etc, but we can’t speak English. I think I have really improved in those areas since I have been studying here.
Tell me about your teachers and your classes.
In Japan we only write notes in lessons, no speaking in class at all. We don’t play games or do group work. We just sit on our own and copy down what the teacher writes on the board. Japanese teachers can’t speak English, so they can’t speak to us in English. It is much better at Lexis. I started in Elementary class and graduated in the Intermediate class. I have had 4 teachers here: Georgia, Mel, Adrienne and Michelle. In their lessons we played games, we played a darts game to learn grammar where we had to scrunch paper up and throw it at the target. Talking with a partner is really good, for example every Monday we talk to our partner about what we did at the weekend, I really enjoyed that. We usually talk about our culture, for instance we eat raw fish in Japan, Brazilians play soccer every day, the Swiss eat lots of chocolate. We got to make sushi and eat chocolate and share and learn about other cultures. There are so many students from all round the world.
What was your favourite activity?
My favourite activity was the slack lining. I had never tried this sport before, but the instructor says it’s good for your health and your mind because you walk along the rope and you need good form to walk and keep your balance.
Tell me about your accommodation.
I lived in homestay with Yvonne for 3 months while I studied at Lexis. I really enjoyed it; she has 3 children, who are 1, 10 and 17. The youngest girl is a tomboy so every day she is running around the house and riding her bicycle. She always used to ask me to lift her up and she would jump on me, it was so cute. Living with an Australian family really helped me to improve my English, Yvonne really helped me and taught me how to speak English and now I can understand her even when she speaks fast. She taught me lots of slang and native language.
Afterwards I moved into the onsite accommodation. It is very good because there are so many students in the accommodation who come from different countries and we cook every day together. I can try food from Brazil, Switzerland, and Spain. I want to work in a food company in Japan because I love food culture. Yesterday we made tempura and sushi for everyone and Bruno said he would cook Brazilian food for me too.
What are your favourite things to do in Byron?
There are so many good beaches in Byron so we can go surfing every day, long boards and short boards. Byron is a small town so we can go anywhere by foot. In a bigger city we would have to be using train or bus but in Byron Bay everything is walking distance. It has good clubs and pubs and then you can walk home. There are so many hippies and tourists; life here is slow and relaxed. Quality of life here is very high I think.
How difficult is it to get a job in Byron?
I think it is good to get a job, because every restaurant is so busy with tourists and they need lots of help. I have a job at the moment as a dish washer in a local restaurant. I did not want to work in a Japanese restaurant because maybe we would talk in Japanese. I came here to study English so I decided to only apply to local restaurants so that I would speak English all the time and continue to improve. In Lexis we have an English only policy, which is good for learning English. I wanted to continue this outside of school. I handed my resume out in Byron Bay and after 3 days I had a job offer!
What is your most magical moment in Byron?
When I go surfing I sometimes see dolphins, especially in Broken Head and sometimes at the pass. I really enjoyed the Sunday markets and the Easter markets too. I take pictures of Byron and send to my friends back in Japan, they are very jealous because when it is summer here it is winter Japan.
What is your advice for people who have enrolled/ are thinking about enrolling at Lexis Byron Bay?
You should come to Australia if you want to speak English more because in Japan you talk only Japanese. If you want to learn English in Japan it is very hard because we don’t talk English every day. When you study English every day for 2 hours, we talk English every day in Australia 12 or 13 hours with native speakers. I think Australia is a very good country, very good weather, kind people. If you want a vacation or a break you should go to Byron Bay!
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
Raphael is from Bayonne in the South-West of France, he is 18 years old and he headed straight to Australia after finishing high school in France. He arrived in Byron Bay in November 2016 and stayed until March. He’s now headed to Bundaberg to do his farm work, so that he can save up for more travelling around Australia. Raphael joined us an an intermediate speaker and on leaving he achieved an overall A in his Upper Intermediate class. Raphael is sorely missed here at Lexis. Who will DJ for our parties and BBQs now? I’m sure Cheeky Monkeys is missing its most regular customer too.
Raphael has answered some questions for us about his time at Lexis.
Why did you choose Byron Bay?
I remember the evening I spent with my mother in France, choosing the destination for my gap year. Originally, I decided the USA, but then I found a video about surfing in Australia – which made me fall in love with Byron Bay: the best place to surf in Australia! For me Byron is the perfect place for me: small, peaceful, joyful, good waves, no big buildings, but lots of bars to party all week!
Raphael on his very first day of school
What were your weaknesses in English before you came to Australia?
My major weakness in English when I arrived here were – everything! English was my weakness. But more seriously – it was my ability to understand the first time what someone told me. I had to make them repeat 3 or 4 times. Now I can see how far my English has come. Now I can understand films without subtitles easily!
Tell me about your teachers and your classes.
All of the teachers I had at Lexis were lovely. They were truly knowledgeable and made learning fun. In intermediate I had Iruka, I spent many funny times in her class. Then I moved into Upper Intermediate with the lovely Elyse, who was awesome and then I had Kathleen and her amazing games! My most memorable lesson was with Elyse when we had to dress with newspapers (yes yes newspapers!) when we were learning vocabulary about fashion and clothing design. That was ridiculous but so funny!
What is it like living in our onsite Accommodation?
BBSA is now like my home. I met people from all around the world and I learnt about lots of different cultures. The best moments spent were the Christmas dinner, when we cooked Hamburgers, the sushi parties with the Japaneses people, the dinner tortillas with the Spanish guys, the spaghetti party with the Swiss people.Yes you’ve understood, all the best moments are around food!
What were your favourite things to do in Byron?
The best times were all the parties with my bro Tito [See last week’s happy student blog!] and all the others who are like my international family, the days of hangovers when we were all regretting going out the night before. But the best activity was surfing by far. All the surf sessions spent with Hiro, Nil, Pol, Tito and all the others were the time of my life.
What is your most magical moment in Byron?
I remember a time I was surfing at the Pass during sunset, catching one of the best waves I ever caught. The sun was going down in front of me, the reflection of the sun making the water yellow and orange, I’ll remember this all my life I think. I understood how peaceful life can be; in front of me, it was like the most beautiful painting I’ve ever seen: a colorful sunset on the beach. At my right there were people taking pictures and I had a strange feeling that made me understand you have to enjoy the moment with your eyes rather through your phone. Yes I know it sounds very philosophical, but for me happiness is about little things like this.
What is your advice for people who are thinking about enrolling at Lexis Byron Bay?
My advice for people who are thinking about enrolling at Lexis Byron Bay is: Go for it!!! I am 100% sure you’ll not regret it, you will make so much progress with your English, furthermore, there are good activities everyday and lovely people to spend time with.
Raphael graduating – how far he has come!
What does the future hold for you now?
My plans after my farm work are to keep traveling around Australia, then Bali and maybe New Zealand, before coming back to France and going to university. Australia gave me the taste of travel, so I’d like to go in each country in Europe to keep discovering new cultures and people. I also want to go to Kenya and South America too! I want a life of adventure and travel, my nightmare is to be trapped in a routine with my job, Byron Bay has given me a taste of paradise and now I want to keep exploring.
Raphael of to explore the world!
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
Tito is from Switzerland – the small village of Malvaglia. He arrived in Byron Bay 6 months ago and enrolled at Lexis, starting in the Upper Intermediate class. After several months studying General English, he went travelling round Australia in his van, with friends he had met at Lexis. He traveled down the East Coast, into the outback and finally to Sydney, before returning to Byron. He is now knuckling down to study for his Cambridge Advanced Qualification. Tito has become part of the furniture here at Lexis Byron Bay; you will often find him waxing his surfboard, skulking around reception looking for Tim Tams or involved in a heated table tennis match. Tito is a fantastic student and a pleasure to have at school, he is loved by fellow students and teachers alike.
I decided to interview Tito to find out a bit more about his experience here.
Why did you choose Byron Bay?
I chose Byron because I didn’t want to live in a big town with all the hustle and bustle – I wanted to live in a small town – here with the waves I can find peace, enjoying the sunny weather and the fresh sea air. I think I would to define Byron Bay as an open minded and multi-cultural place.
What were your weaknesses in English before you came to Australia?
I was a little bit rusty in everything concerning grammar – for this reason it was essential to go on a formal English course. Being here for 6 months, using the language has become natural – I think it is a process which takes time, but you can really see your improvements by being fully immersed in a situation where the use of this language is required.
Tell me about your teachers and your classes.
I have been enrolled in upper intermediate and then advanced, where I had the opportunity to meet the amazing teachers Claudia and Josie – Claudia is an extremely knowledgeable teacher and I liked her way of explaining a lot of grammar rules which before were difficult for me to understand. Whereas Josie is the most motivating teacher that I have ever had and it’s a great pleasure to learn such a challenging syllabus with a teacher who makes it seem so easy and enjoyable.
What is it like living in our onsite Accommodation?
It’s an extremely comfortable and familiar place to live – there is a very sociable environment, it is very easy to make friends and as soon as you arrive you become part of the onsite family. It is always possible to go out of your room and hang around in the common area, seeing all of your friends. Since my arrival I’ve met a lot of gregarious people with whom I have organised many dinners, for example the Easter Sunday dinner where almost all the residents (50 people) cooked delicious dishes to share in a friendly and pleasant environment. Many students from around the world made different dishes from their home countries. I made a pizza from scratch, inspired by my Swiss Italian heritage – so tasty.
What is your favourite activity that we run here?
The most attractive activity is undoubtedly the table tennis tournament, where only the student with the best skills can win the title and of course the beer. It is always full of cheering crowds, the competition gets very heated. Romain is better than me, so he usually wins, but I win second place, which is also an impressive accolade. Don’t worry if you think you are not going to win, we will still share the beer with you!
What are your favourite things to do in Byron?
Most days I enjoy spending my time at the beach, surfing, sunbathing and playing beach games such as Frisbee and Volleyball. It is wonderful to live and study right on the beach. I will never forget the time when a dolphin passed right under my surfboard, what a breathtaking moment! I often see dolphins when surfing, during the Summer it is as common as seeing bushturkeys. You also can’t leave Byron without experiencing the nightlife of this delightful town; Sticky Wicket, Lala land, The Rails and of course Cheeky Monkey’s are all lovely pubs/clubs where you can meet local people and share drinks and great discussions with your friends. A warning though: Do not abuse alcohol; otherwise you will pay the consequences the next day at school!
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
Paulo is from Germany and graduated from Lexis Byron Bay last week after seven weeks of studying English. During that time he lived in a homestay, which was a wonderfully positive experience for both him and the family he stayed with! After leaving, he sent this great photo collage to his homestay family to thank them for the experience and to share with future students staying with them. 🙂
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Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
Are you looking for somewhere to live in Byron Bay? It can be very tough finding the right place at the right price because so many other people want to live in the paradise of Byron Bay, especially coming into Summer.
The best places to look for accommodation are:
In the Echo newspaper which comes out every Wednesday (and is available online on Tuesday evening here)
On Gumtree under Real Estate – Property for Rent, which you can find here
When you see a room advertised, contact the person as soon as possible! You can be sure many other people will contact them, so the sooner you contact them, the better chance you have of getting the place.
Whether you contact people by phone or by email, always be friendly and polite, and make sure to:
– introduce yourself (your name, where you are from, what you are doing in Byron Bay)
– say what you are looking for, for example: short term/long term rental, single/double/shared room, quiet/social/party house?
– ask questions about the room and house, for example: How many other people live there? Are bills included in the rent? Is wifi/internet available? Are there any pets?
– check when the room is available from and to.
When you go to see a room, make sure you are on-time, friendly, polite and ask them any further questions you have about the room. After you leave, make sure to tell them as soon as possible if you are interested in renting the room! Also tell them if you are not interested, so they can offer it to someone else who is searching for a place to rent in Byron Bay.
Above all, stay positive and be persistent! The more people and the quicker you contact people about rooms advertised for rent, the more likely you are to find somewhere to live! Good luck!
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Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
On Monday we asked our students how we can better enforce the English Only Policy downstairs in the student kitchen and lounge (where there are usually no members of staff to keep watch).
Here are the suggestions:
We can install a microphone to listen to students and if someone speaks in another language the microphone makes a noisy alarm.
Thomas, Vera, Miho and Claudia
If you speak another language, you have to clean up the classrooms.
If you speak another language you are not allowed to spend time with anyone else who speaks the same language during the day.
If you speak another language you won’t be able to join any activities for two days.
Donovan, Noriko and Pablo
For each country, nominate a person who will help all others to speak English only. Encourage not order!
Kim, Ryoma, Yuka and Melanie
If students speak their own language they pay $20 into an English Only box.
One of the teachers stays downstairs during breaks to watch the students
If someone speaks their own language in a mix country group, the other students will give them a punishment or penalty.
Erika, Mayumi, Emiko and Doi.
If one student hears another student taking in another language they can tell a teacher and receive a point. At the end of the week, the student with the most points receive a prize.
Inola, Priscilla, Shinji and Ravi
If a student speaks different languages they must pay money. This money can be used for improvements to the school.
Shinsuke and Maito
All the students’ names are on a board downstairs and if anyone hears someone speaking another language they make a mark next to the students’ name. All students who don’t have a mark at the end of the week go into a draw to win a prize.
Florian
If a student speaks another country’s language give him or her a big report to write e.g. 1000 words.
Bernarda and Yuki
If a student speaks their own language they must go and see a teacher and if they do this more than two times they must also write 10 pages about the school and clean the toilets for a week.
Mantana and Palm
If you speak another language you have to do a pledge on graduation day (like a song, dance or little game.)
If you speak another language you have to write apologies in all the other languages that people speak in the school (English, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Japanese etc).
Teachers can take a break with students to practice English in break-time.
Estelle, Nami, Nuria and Elisabeth.
What are you favourite suggestions? On Friday, at graduation we will hand out prizes for the best ideas. I have two vouchers for a dolphin kayak trip with GoSeaKayak (normally valued at $69) to give away plus a six pack of beer. Let me know you think should win.
Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students can study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE and English plus Surfing in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.
Our lovely Yvonne, who looks after everything to do with homestays, was invited to dinner with a homestay family last night. The occasion? Celebrating the arrival of little Poh, a Toy Poodle puppy!
Yvonne, Brooke with Poh, Estelle, Miho and Erika
Brooke is currently homestay mum to Estelle and Erika, with Miho visiting for dinner last night as well. What better excuse for a dinner and celebration than welcoming a fluffy new member to the family. It looks like everyone had a great night!
Michael is from Switzerland and has been a student at Lexis Byron Bay for 10 weeks. He is graduating today and will be missed at school and at his Homestay. I chatted with Michael today to find out more about his time in Australia…
Michael has been in Australia for ten weeks and has spent the whole time in Byron Bay. He chose to come to Australia because he loves to surf, and his favourite thing about Byron Bay is having the ocean so close and always being barefoot!
Now that he has graduated, he is going to travel in Australia to meet up with friends and drive from Brisbane to Sydney. Then he sadly has to go back to Switzerland – in his first week in Australia, he injured his shoulder while surfing, and has to return to Switzerland to get it fixed. He plans return to his work as a carpenter in Switzerland so he can save up to do a surfing trip around Australia when his shoulder is better.
Michael lived in a Homestay during his time in Australia. He said,
“I really love the homestay, I feel like part of the family – we always have fun and make jokes. It has become my home.”
In his Homestay family is Dayan, who is 14 years old. Michael went to Dayan’s school and taught his class about European Handball. Michael played in a Handball association in Switzerland for four years when he was 14-18 years old, so was able to teach the class of 18 students the rules of Handball. They got really excited when he taught them some tricks, like playing a shot behind the back and had a lot of fun using the new rules in their Handball games at school.
Thanks for chatting with me Michael! It was lovely to meet you and we look forward to seeing you back in Byron Bay one day!
The students who graduated from Lexis English in January 2016 were very happy with their experience. Their feedback forms indicate that 100% of them would recommend Lexis to a friend.
The majority of students also said that the course improved their speaking, listening, writing and grammar skills “a great deal”. For “Overall Performance”55% rated Lexis Byron Bay as “Excellent” while the remaining 45% selected good. Our teachers received some excellent praise:
“My teacher is very good because she is attentive and helps us.”
“The exercises are good for progress. The teachers were really able to give us new information and help us in trouble.”
“I liked when we played games before studying the book.We learned a lot with different games, which was an exciting way to learn English. I like morning class.”
Our staff were also rated highly while the English Only Policy received a lot of positive comments. Here’s just a couple:
“Very good to guarantee a respectful environment and to practise English.”
It’s good because it’s obligatory to learn English so we progress. I really agree!!
Finally, there was some strong praise,too, for our homestay families.
“Really good homestay family and the location is close the the school so it’s good.”
“My family homestay is fabulous. I had a very good family in Byron. I love the family!”
This week, Sammy’s English and Cooking Options Class made some delicious Japanese pancakes called Okonomi Yaki. The pancakes are filled with seafood and vegetables and covered with a delicious sauce.
Linda and Bill have been providing homestay accommodation for Lexis students for the past two years. In that time they’ve hosted students ranging in age from 16-55 and from countries as diverse as Czech Republic, Japan and Reunion Island.
They always get excellent feedback from our students and I think this is because they really enjoy the process of welcoming students to their family.
I asked Linda to share some of their memorable homestay moments and photos and also to explain what they get out of being a host family.
Toshi at the Lighthouse on his first day in Byron
We’ve had so many memorable times with our students. I remember we took Toshi (pictured above) for his first ever snorkel, and I wasn’t sure once we got started… Bill had to put on his fins, and I had to get his mask on, and when we got over the wreck at main beach and he put his face in the water there was this enormous ray right underneath us and I thought he’d swallow half the sea he was so shocked and excited.
Priscilla, Dayan and Kay
This next picture shows Priscilla from Brazil with Swiss student Kay and our 14 year old son Dayan at an Xmas dinner. These two fell in love after they left our house… I’m pretty sure she is travelling to Switzerland in June/July to visit him.
Kainoa and his mum
Last year we played host to two lovely boys from Reunion lsland: surf enthusiasts Jean and Kainoa. At the end of their three week stay Kainoa’s family came out and joined them and we still keep in touch with them like we do with many of our students.
Freddie from Switzerland
Hynek from Czech Republic
We’ve also really enjoyed hosting Freddie, Linard and Kevin from Switzerland, Hynek from Czech Republic and Tomoyuki from Japan. Our Maltese dog Harry was so sad to see Hynek go that he kept going into his room and dragging the bathmat out of the bathroom.
Harry the dog!
As for us, I’m trying to think about what it is that we enjoy most about having the students and I think it is that because we are Canadian and don’t have any family here in Australia so the students who stay longer term actually become like part of our family. Dayan loves that he has these brothers and sisters from all over the world and he particularly loves it when they are keen to hang out and watch bad movies together.
Dayan loves to cook and guests love his speciality – Pork Ribs
Dinner times are great fun because that is when we all share stories about our lives, culture, food, travel experiences and so on. We love to witness the fun that student’s have at school, with the friends they meet, and the active social lives they have in this safe community. It is a joy to see so many students who enjoy surfing, the beaches and relaxed lifestyle of Byron Bay while they learn to improve their English language skills.
Ultimately it is a privilege to be a positive part of people’s lives when they are visiting Australia often for the first time and we enjoy showing them some of the more special places around the area.
Thanks for sharing Linda, and for providing Lexis students with such a wonderful homestay experience.
Today, the students in the English and Cooking option are making risotto from a recipe supplied by Swiss Italian student Simone.
Simone, Marco and Satoru stir the rice
The students have been working hard this week to share their favourite recipes – learning all the recipe specific language along the way. And today, the fun part happens when they cook up the recipe of their choice. The finished results look amazing.
The recipe – in excellent English with some Italian translations
Ex-student Mario Koch dropped in today to tell us about his Farmstay experience, which Lexis organised for him at Hosanna Farm.
He told us that he loved it! During the week, he worked in the mornings, weeding, driving the trailer, feeding the animals and cleaning and then in the afternoons he got to swim, kayak and float in a rubber rind in the water.
He said that everyone was really friendly and would sit around and eat and chat together in the evenings. There were other volunteers there from England, Denmark and the Netherlands and Mario said his English really improved while he was there too.
Ever wondered what happens all day at a language school? All these pictures were taken at Lexis Byron Bay in the last 24 hours to show what a typical day looks like. It was an unusually chilly night last night, which explains the surprising number of hats and hoodies being worn in our usually extremely pleasant climate.
8am – 9am
Many of our students surf before class. Meanwhile at school, Miguel the student cleaner, the teachers and the office staff begin to arrive.
9am – 10am
Students are in class for the first 90 minute lesson. Today one class is enjoying having part of their lesson in the sun, while the rest are studying, more traditionally, in their classrooms.
10am – 11am
Break time is between 10.30am and 10.45am. Ping pong is always popular during the breaks. Meanwhile other students cook a late breakfast or relax and chat (in English, of course).
11am – 12pm
Everyone is back in class for the second 90 minute lesson. Claudia’s Pre-Intermediates are doing pairwork while Anji’s Upper Intermediate class are discussing new vocabulary.
12pm – 1pm
Lunch is from 12.15pm until 1pm. While some students are using the large, industrial kitchen to cook their lunch, others are chatting, doing ball tricks or just hanging out in the sunshine.
1pm – 2pm
It’s Options Class time for full-time General English students, while the Cambridge classes continue with their exam preparation. Julia’s CAE class head outside for a mingle activity, while Marie’s Movies and Songs class are in the student lounge preparing for, and watching, a film.
2pm – 3pm
Today’s free activity is slack-lining. So a group of students gather in the garden to have a go. Meanwhile, teacher Sammy is providing homework assistance, writing feedback, conversation practice and advice for students in GIL (Guided Independent Learning) and CAE student Jose is doing some extra listening test practice. As it’s a beautiful day, other students are grabbing their surf boards and heading to the beach.
3pm – 4pm
All scheduled activities are over for the day, but a group of boys set up their own football game in the gardens while star students Zoe and Madoka do some extra study in the sun.
4pm – 5pm
Most students have left for the day but the office is still open for anyone needing assistance and a few teachers are still here preparing their classes for the morning.
At 5pm the school offices and classrooms close for the night and the students who live on-site have the kitchen, lounge and gardens to themselves to cook dinner, watch TV, play games chat and relax. All until 8am the following morning when everything starts again!
So, you’ve decided you want to study English Australia but you are not sure about where to stay, during your studies, or how much it will cost? Here at Lexis Byron Bay we offer students three different options to suit their objectives, needs and budgets.
Homestay
Photos from the home of homestay providers – Claudia and Byron Bernardazzi
Many students elect for the traditional option of a homestay as it not only provides a safe, comfortable living environment, but also plenty of opportunities to meet local people, make lasting friendships and get in lots of English practice. Homestay options include half-board (breakfast and dinner), B&B (breakfast only), executive homestay (own bathroom) and twin room. Prices (2015) range from $160 (twin room B&B) to $270 (half-board executive).
CAE students Samy Ben Miled and José Da Silva Barbosaare currently in a twin-share homestay. José explains below why he chose this option and why he is enjoying it so far.
“I chose homestay so I could have contact with locals and experience another culture. It’s also a great way to improve my English. My experience with my family has been really good because the father has the same interests as me; football (soccer). Only yesterday, we went to watch a game together. I’m really lucky. “
Jose (far left) and Samy (front centre) enjoying the beach with other Lexis students
Student House
Front of student house
Twin room in student house
On the other hand, many students prefer the independence of living in a student house and if you like to cook, don’t mind doing your own cleaning and washing and can get on with a house full of sharemates from around the world, this might be the option for you! Rooms start at $160 for a twin share, while the most expensive option is a single room at $200.
Reto Neuhaus, a current Swiss German student, booked to stay in the student house for the entire 20 weeks of his studies. Below, he explains why.
“I thought it would be a great way to meet other students and make friends quickly and also enable me to live more independently than a homestay. When I arrived, I discovered that it was right next to the school, which is perfect!”
Student house kitchen
On-site Accommodation
Twin bedroom in on-site accommodation
Kitchen facilities for use by on-site accommodation residents
At Lexis Byron Bay we also have one other very special and unique option; students can live on-site in a purpose built accommodation block attached to the school. Students living on-site, share the lounge, kitchen and toilet facilities with the school while sleeping in brand new, light, bright, airy bedrooms. Laundry facilities and free Wi-Fi are included and standard prices range from $150 for four-bed dorm to $225 for a single. In addition, there are “Specials” at certain times which make the prices even more appealing.
I asked Sora Kim, from South Korea, how she enjoyed living on-site.
“It’s so good because you meet many people from lots of different countries and we all sit together in the evening and talk. Whenever I’m feeling lonely or homesick I can just go down to the kitchen and there’s always something going on. Also, because it’s attached to the school, I don’t have to worry about the weather or getting up early!”
The onsite student accommodation at Lexis school has been opened since late 2014 and has proved extremely popular with Lexis students, who can choose from single, twin or four bed dormitory style rooms.
For those of you that haven’t seen inside the accommodation, below are some photos of these gorgeous, clean, bright rooms.
It’s nearly six months since the opening of Byron Bay Student Accommodation (BBSA). I asked current Lexis English student and onsite residence Pedro Cesco Litwin, who has been here since February, about the benefits of living on campus.
Pedro (centre) in the student lounge
1. Location
“First of all, you don’t waste any time travelling to and from school. But also, it’s really close to the supermarket and other shops and facilities like the library. Most importantly, it’s in the middle of all the best beaches and surf spots; the Pass, Tallows Beach and Wategoes.”
Surfboard rack for accommodation residents
2. Flexibility
“My girlfriend is studying at university in Melbourne. She came up to visit me earlier this month and, even though she didn’t study at Lexis, she was able to stay in the accommodation with me. This is a benefit you don’t usually get from a homestay or a student house. Also, while, I started in a twin room, I’ve recently moved into a four-bed student dormitory in order to save some money. This was really easy for me to do.”
3. Friends from all over the world
“When I was studying in Melbourne I stayed in a homestay and then a share house. Both of these were great at the time and enabled me to meet many native speakers. However, I really like the fact that, in the Lexis accommodation, I’m living with people from all over the world. It’s a real insight into other people’s cultures and ways of life. In the evenings we often share food or get together to play cards, ping pong or soccer or even to watch a movie.”
Thanks for sharing, Pedro. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in Byron Bay and your travels before you head back to Brazil.
This is Takuto – recently our youngest student at 16 years old – who came to study at Lexis English | Byron Bay from Kindai High School in Osaka, Japan!
He studied here at Lexis Byron for 11 weeks, and was an instant hit with the other students – including his Brazilian classmates who were convinced that he was famous as he receives so much attention!
Starting in the Elementary class with very little English – Takuto sailed ahead, picking up language skills really quickly and being promoted to the Pre-Intermediate class.
We spoke to him about his time here at Lexis English | Byron Bay!!
“I wanted to go to Australia and had to choose either Noosa or Byron Bay – I think that Byron Bay is a bit more like the countryside, which I really like. It is more like where I live in Japan.
It’s a very good place – the people are more kind and the beach is beautiful – I can swim and surf here.
My favourite things about studying here have been surfing, staying at my friend Pau’s house and going to BBQ’s with other students.
Marie and Kathleen are very good teachers – I couldn’t speak at all and they taught me a lot of things. When I couldn’t understand they helped me.
I have made a lot of friends here. They taught me how to surf, and invited me to the beach. Last week I was free and wanted to do something, and Pau invited me to the beach. I surfed and swam – it was great!
My homestay family were so kind. At first they spoke so fast and I couldn’t understand! But they slowed down.”
Rosane tells us about her time at Byron Bay and how she found her job at Slice Pizza!
Course: FCE & General English – I have been at Lexis | Byron Bay since April 2013
Why Byron?: the lifestyle is really similar to Brazil – there are so many beaches to choose from, you can surf and dive; and also it has a small village feel. Am I happy? Of course I’m happy!!
I have had lots of different teachers because I have been here for a long time – its good as they all teach in different ways and it gives me variety.
Accommodation: I found it really easy to find accommodation in Byron – there are a lot of options. I lived in the student house, and then a share house – after that I found a studio with my boyfriend, but now we live in a house together with some friends
Working: I work at Slice Pizzeria in Byron Bay – near the beach. I have plenty of hours – enough for my student visa! I wrote my CV and Katherine, my teacher at Lexis, helped me to correct it. The Lexis reception staff printed copies for me and I took them to all of the restaurants and cafes in the area.
I don’t have any friends in Byron Bay that don’t have a job – you just have to be persistent. I think that in Byron Bay it is a good thing to be dedicated – they like people that try hard!
After Course: when I finish FCE I will stay and work in Byron for another two months, and then I will travel around Asia. After this I am going to volunteer in South Africa!
Experiences I will take away: living alone has meant that I know myself better – I think I have become a stronger person. Also I have met people from all over the world, we are at the school together so it is more intensive. I have learnt so much about different cultures. Also my job lets me practice my English and communicate with Australian people!
Here are some photos of our lovely student house. It’s a beautiful house with four bedrooms, balconies and a nice garden two minutes walk from one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!
GV Byron Bay now has a student house available exclusively for GV students.
The house is located in a quiet street only a short 5 minute walk from the campus. There are 3 bedrooms available (1 singe, 1 double & 1 share room) with a large communal kitchen and living area. Perfect for any GV Byron Bay student.
For more information, please see Damian or click the link below for the flyer: