To welcome our new Cambridge students we celebrated with pizza. A perfect summer day for a pizza party 😄.
Everyone’s looking famished (hurry up and take the photo already)!
First bite!
Delicious!!!
So happy.
We hope you enjoyed the pizza?!
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.
Our Cambridge classes have just wrapped up and finished their exams ready to enjoy summer in Australia.
Josie’s CAE class were a very studious bunch, with 7/11 students maintaining 100% attendance for the entire 12 week course.
They didn’t just study though. They also made the most of being in beautiful Byron Bay and, before they left, Josie asked them all to write a paragraph detailing what they loved best about their temporary home in Australia.
The unedited paragraphs are below and, judging by these, all the students will hopefully have done very well in their final exams.
Yves– My time here in Byron Bay has been absolutely awesome! Lexis English school is a super professional place to learn English. The town has a lot to offer, especially the restaurants and the nightlife, which never disappoints. What’s better than having a chicken burger at Main Street Burger Bar!
Most of the time we started the night at the Beach Hotel before dancing to great techno sounds at Locura. Byron Bay is definitely a place I would recommend to everyone. Such a fantastic place just to relax and soak up positive vibes.
Sara – What I can’t get enough of is Tallow Beach. I’ll always remember the first time I saw it: white, as an unspoiled sight that makes you unwind. Blue, as the serenity that bursts in you when you walk along it.
When you need some time to come back to your centre after the madness of Byron by night, this awe-inspiring place is what you can’t miss out on.
Tamara – On our first weekend here in Byron Bay we went to Brunswick for a barbecue. It was really relaxing and I was able to have a chat with everyone and get to know them better. Great start to a new chapter of life. Byron Bay has been fantastic.
Not only did I meet great people with whom I had an incredible time and hope to stay in contact with after we leave, but also it became a second home. I stayed in a charming house with a breathtaking view over Byron Bay, a picture I will always remember.
Ther are lots of things I’m going to miss after I leave. Byron Bay is a lovely town with plenty of charismatic little cafes.
Francesco – Byron Bay is one of the most vibrant towns along the east coast. What I loved the most was Tallow Beach. Going for a wander or just lazing, soaking up the sun, gives you a sense of incredible peace.
It’s easy to bump into people, most of the time travellers, and getting to know different aspects of different traditions.
Juhee – Byron Bay has been a breath of fresh air in my life. There are lots of stunning beaches where I have been, soaking up the sun. I don’t know how many times I saw dolphins in the ocean! It was such an unforgettable experience.
Everything, such as the weather and people, makes me feel over the moon. Honestly, I don’t want to leave this paradise. I’m completely sure that I will miss this most charming place in the world.
Celine – My best way to start a typical day in Byron is to have a refreshing swim while I’m soaking up the early morning sun. Then, the place I like the most to have a delicious acai bowl is the eco-friendly Top Shop cafe, which is the meeting point for every Australian.
If I’m searching for a quiet and relaxing spot to chill out, I definitely go to the beach while having a mouth-watering ice cream. Because it’s extremely challenging to make up my mind to choose a flavour, I usually go with the one that catches my eye.
My favourite activity in the evening is unwinding with the talented musician who plays on the grass.
Florian – The lighthouse is definitely the place I prefer to go in Byron Bay. Even though it is quite challenging to get there, the view is worth the effort. Either for sunrise or sunset, the outlook is certainly breathtaking. Since my first time at the beginning of my trip, I’ve been on cloud nine every single time I reach it!
Sarah – Not only did I have the time of my life here in Byron, but I’m going to miss a lot of things for sure. Apart from the golden beaches, where I spent most of my time, I’ll miss the lighthouse, which is the most beautiful place to watch the sunset.
What also is fantastic is the town itself. I fell for the countless gorgeous and delicious cafes and the bustling and vibrant vibe in the evenings when you find live music around every corner.
Byron and the people here made me feel right at home and I’ll definitely come back!
Chloe – No sooner did I set foot in Byron that it’s relaxing vibes enveloped me and I immediately felt at home. Not only was I delighted by the heavenly food of the local farmers market as well as the charming restaurants in town, but I was also over the moon to discover the awesome music in the streets.
I would strongly recommend this lively little town, where you can wander and go with the flow to enjoy everything this place has to offer.
Eva – This experience has been a breath of fresh air in my life. I didn’t have a clue that it could bring me so many memorable moments.
Byron Bay is a spectacular village surrounded by incredible beaches, where you can play it by ear and discover yourself!
From running to the lighthouse at dawn to drinking beer with your friends enjoying the music in any charming place. Byron is full of amazing spots that will leave you speechless.
Today we had a Sausage Sizzle for the Graduating Cambridge students 🙂
It was slightly windy, though otherwise perfect day for a great Aussie BBQ.
On the menu was:
Marta and Alba helping themselves to the sausages.
Xenia waiting patiently in line.
We quickly ran out of bread, though there were more than enough sausages to go around!
Hope you all enjoyed the lunch!
Make sure to come early next month so that you don’t miss out!
Our Cambridge classes are in their twelfth and final week and will be sitting their exams next week. They’ve learned a lot of new vocabulary during the course and done a lot of writing practise. Plus, they’ve also, we hope, had a magical time in beautiful Byron Bay.
To put all of this together, the FCE class teacher, Kathleen, had her students write a review of Byron Bay, using some of the phrasal verbs, fixed expressions, collocations and adjectives they had learned in class.
Stefan – When I arrived in Byron Bay nearly 3 months ago, I had some expectations. Most of them came true as I was fascinated by all the laid back people here and it was very welcoming. The beach was very clean and the sand was so fine like I had never felt before. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing too fiercely but that was the only negative thing.
I was really keen on the gorgeous sunsets and sunrise, and the best places to see them are the lighthouse and the water tower.
Aline – Byron Bay is one of my favourite places in the world because the atmosphere here is really relaxing. Furthermore, the locals here are laid-back, for instance, if you need help they come up with a solution.
For me, the most breathtaking activity was sky diving which was spectacular and I’m looking forward to doing it again.
A thing that you need to take up here is surfing because Byron has fantastic waves at the beach.
Ivan – Imagine endless beaches with white sand and crystal clear water: welcome to Byron Bay! If you like an easy-going lifestyle (and cheerful people) you should visit this little town.
The lighthouse is about a 30-minute walk away from the centre but when you finally reach the top with the stunning view you will never want to go back.
Romy – Since I have arrived here in Byron Bay, I have been able to do a lot of thrilling and breathtaking things. I have taken up some new activities. I tried out skydiving, which was wicked, diving, which was fascinating, and finally, I have been going about 3 times a week to yoga which is peaceful for me.
But what do I love most about Byron Bay? It’s surely the picturesque sunrises and sunsets. Doing a late afternoon walk to the lighthouse and watching from there the most scenic view for the sunset, it’s just fantastic. As a result, it has become my favourite activity.
Above all, my experiences and time here in Byron Bay are unforgettable!
Quentin – After spending 3 months in Byron Bay, which is an absolutely fantastic place, I just want to say thank you! What a thrilling journey. So many good moments shared with gorgeous people and so many beautiful meetings.
This place is definitely so welcoming and relaxing if you need to chill out and take time for yourself. This personal and social experience will be absolutely unforgettable.
Naoki – What makes me satisfied in Byron? It’s Byron Bay’s gorgeous beach. Honestly, I hadn’t been to such nature before coming here. When I looked at the view from Main Beach to the lighthouse for the first time, it was impressive for me.
I really wonder if I could stay here for longer and have more time to chill out!
Anouck – An incredible experience! I think my experience in Byron Bay was the best in my life. I met a lot of amazing people here. In the afternoon after school, I would spend a lot of time with friends. We sometimes went to the beach or go to a cafe to drink something. On the weekends, I did a lot of different things. I went camping to Yamba with the school, I went to the Gold Coast with friends, or simply did some thrilling things in Byron.
I will take back to Switzerland amazing memories of my 3 months here because I had the chance to do my open water diving license and to see captivating animals like turtles, sharks, and rays.
My expectation was to improve my English and I did it, so I’m satisfied!
Elena – I can just say, as soon as I arrived in Byron, I fell in love with this place! My first impression of Byron was very relaxing, welcoming, and peaceful.
There are a lot of exciting things you can do here, for example surfing at the gorgeous beaches or enjoying a coffee or ice cream in a cosy cafe in town.
Also, a very impressive moment was to watch these breathtaking sunrises or sunsets, for example at the picturesque Tallow Beach.
It’s sad to leave but I will come back that’s for sure!
Ramona – I fell in love the first moment I arrived in Byron Bay. When we drove into the town I could hear the fascinating street musicians and my first view was of the Balcony. Before I had just a picture in my head and now I am here. Afterwards, I met my lovely family and I felt welcomed.
There are a lot of exciting things that you can do in Byron Bay. However, my favourite activity was when I went running twice a week to the beach in the morning and watched the breathtaking sunrise.
I am grateful for every moment here and Byron Bay will be my second home.
Stephan – my first impression of Byron was really marvellous, especially browsing the fascinating alleys. The school was welcoming and I felt completely at home. I made a lot of new friends and there are many exciting or relaxing activities in Byron. For me, I got totally into surfing and went almost every day.
Byron pulls i many people for parties as well so it wasn’t unusual to go out three times a week.
Overall it was an absolutely unforgettable experience I had in Byron.
Monday – Early morning Yoga with Jimmy. This is a lovely start to the day and the week. This starts at 7:45am in room 8. All you need is a towel and some water.
Tuesday – Coffee Club. This is an activity where you can meet new students or come along to enjoy tea, coffee, and a chat. We usually play Jenga or Uno while enjoying a TimTam or two. Remember this is a great way to practice your English!
Wednesday – Early morning Meditation with Kristy. This is a guided half-hour meditation which starts at 8am in room 8. Anyone can join, just bring yourself.
Wednesday – Tie Dying at 11:30am and 2pm downstairs in the student lounge. Bring your old t-shirts or anything you want to re-vamp. We supply the dyes and we also have t-shirts you can buy for $3.
Thursday – It’s time for you to have a go at one of Australia’s all-time favourite sports… Cricket! It’s a friendly game with two teams. One side bats and the other team fields. Hope to see everyone there!!!
Friday –End of Cambridge Sausage Sizzle. We celebrate the graduating Cambridge students with a sausage sizzle. Everyone is welcome to come and try another Aussie favourite… The BBQed snag!
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.
A warm welcome to our new students starting our Cambridge Advanced Course (CAE) this week – Tamara, Sarah, Chloe, Celine, Francesco, Florian, Yves, Sara, and Ivan and our lovely existing students Camila, Gina, Juhee and Naoki.
Good luck over the next 12 weeks of studying. We look forward to getting to know you all during your time at Lexis! 😀
Welcome to our new students starting our Cambridge First Course (FCE) this week and Agustina who is an existing student.
To get to know the class better, teacher Kathleen, asked the students to interview each other. Read below to find out more about our current FCE class..
Ramona (written by Adamo)
I’d like to introduce Ramona who is from Switzerland. She loves the culture of her country and the food also. Ramona works in a travel agency where she organises trips in Switzerland and Europe. She is doing the FCE to help her to find a good job and she decided to study in Byron Bay because it’s a small, quiet and beautiful place. Ramona loves riding horses, walking on the beach and having a drink with friends. She’d like to excel at riding horses. She told me that, if she was an animal, she would be a bird or a sea animal – like a dolphin – because then she could fly or swim.
Adamo (written by Ramona)
I’d like to introduce Adamo from Brazil. His mother chose this name because she has a good friend with a son named Adamo, and she likes the name so much. Adamo likes living in Brazil because of the culture, the friendly people, the weather and the good food. In his home country, he works as an engineer and has created his own business school. He is doing the FCE to improve his skills. He lived in Perth for 11 months and moved to Byron Bay because it’s small and quiet, and life is simple here. In his free time, he likes walking on the beach, drinking beer and travelling. He’s great at skydiving and, if he was an animal, would like to be an eagle.
Agustina (written by Elena)
I’d like to introduce Agustina to you. She’s 22 years old and comes from Argentina. Her parents named her Agustina because it’s one of her mum’s favourite names. In Argentina, she lives in a little village near Buenos Aires. She likes living there because it’s very close to her family and friends. Also, she loves the many different places like mountains, waterfalls, the desert and a lot more. She has finished a university degree in business management and is doing the FCE because English is an important language for her and the certificate will be good for her career. She chose Byron Bay because she fell in love with the beautiful beaches and friendly people. She’d love to be an excellent surfer. If she were an animal, she’d prefer to be a hummingbird because she loves the feeling of flight.
Anouk (written by Stefan)
Today I met Anouk who is from Vuarrens in Switzerland. What she likes about her country is that it’s small and everything is close. She likes the mountains too. In her home country, Anouk is a secretary. She’s doing the FCE because she wants to get a job that requires it; she’d love to excel in the FCE. In her free time, Anouk likes going out, and go running. If she were an animal, she’d be a cat because it’s an easy life.
Stefan (written by Anouk)
Today I met Stefan, from Switzerland, who lives in the region of Bern in the Swiss-German part of the country. He loves living there because of its mountains and lakes. He works as a mechanical engineer and is doing the FCE because it’s a good qualification for doing international projects in his job. He’d like to excel in his job and in the FCE exam. He choose to come to Byron Bay because it’s a small town. In his free time, he loves modifying cars. If he was an animal, he would be a bird so that he could fly.
Chinami (written by Romy )
Today, I met Chinami whose name means ‘waves’, and waves are like life. She comes from Japan but will move to Australia because she thinks Japan is too busy. In Japan, Chinami worked in a trading company. Before she came to Byron Bay, she was in Perth for 10 months, doing the General English course. Now, she’s doing the FCE in Byron Bay because she likes it here. Because she likes to be on the beach, Chinami would love to be a great surfer. If she were an animal, Chinami would be a big bird.
Aline (written by Chinami)
I’d like to introduce Aline who is from Switzerland. Aline works in a hospital as a nurse and is doing the FCE because she needs to use English in her job. Some friends recommended that she come to Byron Bay to do the FCE. In Switzerland, she usually spends her free time doing boxing or skiing, or with friends. If she were an animal, Aline would be a lion.
Romy (written by Aline)
Today, I met Romy who is from the German part of Switzerland. She likes living in her home town because there are nice mountains. Romy works as a medical assistant and she is doing the FCE because she needs it for further study. Romy chose to do the FCE in Byron Bay because of the many different opportunities here to spend her free time. Her hobbies are: being in nature, skiing, and reading; and she would like to learn surfing. If she were an animal, Romy would be a cat.
Quentin (written by Stephan)
Today, I met Quentin, who was given his name because his parents like French names. He comes from Switzerland and likes living there because it’s close to the natural world. At home, Quentin is a motorcycle mechanic and, in his free time, he likes to ride his motorbike and go skiing. He likes English and thinks the FCE will be a good challenge. He chose Byron Bay to do the FCE because of the people, place and parties … and he’d like to learn surfing.
Stephan (written by Quentin)
So, today I met Stephan, who comes from Switzerland and lives in a small village near Aarow. He works as an electrician and wants to do the FCE for his job, as it can open a lot of opportunities for him. Stephan chose to do the FCE in Byron Bay for the surf and the parties, and he’d like to become a great surfer. If he had to become an animal, it would probably be an eagle or a dolphin.
Elena (written by Agustina)
I’d like to introduce Elena who is from Berne, Switzerland. She speaks German and a little French. She loves the environment of her country: the mountains and small towns. In her home country, Elena studied nursing and now she is doing the FCE so she can reach a higher level in her career. She decided to study in Byron Bay because it’s a small town and a beautiful place. Elena likes to spend her free time being outside or dancing. While she’s in Australia, she’d like to excel at surfing and English. If Elena could be an animal, she’d be a cat because they can be outside exploring or just sleeping all day.
Last Friday we celebrated our Cambridge students completing 3 months of study with a good old fashioned Australian Sausage Sizzle!
I hope you all enjoyed my grill master skills 😉
Good luck to all our Cambridge students on your remaining exams! <3
Congratulations and well done to our Advanced Cambridge students for completing 12 weeks of study!
We have loved having you all here at Lexis Byron Bay! Thank you all for being such hard working students.
Enjoy the long weekend ahead, and good luck for your remaining exams! <3
Paul’s CAE class: Mario, Islania, Nadine, Chantal, Audeline, Alejandro and Joelle.
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Well done to our Cambridge students for completing their 11 weeks of study!!
We have loved having you all here at Lexis Byron the past 3 months!
Good luck with your remaining exams ❤
Paul’s CAE class: Laura, Rachel, Giorgia, Nora, Victor, Teacher Paul, Dorothea, Jeremy, Sonja, Jessy, Nuria and Alessandro
Well done to our Cambridge students for completing their 11 weeks of study!!
We have loved having you all here at Lexis Byron the past 3 months!
Good luck with your remaining exams ❤
Elizabeth’s CAE class: Daniel, Louise, Marina, Lucien, Duncan, Teacher Elizabeth, Eric, Andrea, Maite, Elsa and Elisa (Sven missing from photo)
Well done to our Cambridge students for completing their 11 weeks of study!!
We have loved having you all here at Lexis Byron the past 3 months!
Good luck with your remaining exams ❤
Kathleen’s FCE class: Christian, Teacher Kathleen, Pirmin, Estelle, Tamara, Lara, Tania, Sabrina, Vanessa, Andres, Raphael and Jessy (Ana and Carme missing from photo)
This week we welcome some new and existing students to our Cambridge Courses here at Lexis Byron Bay!
Joining Josie’s CAE class we have: (left to right) Elsa, Teacher Josie, Eric, Sven, Louise, Daniel, Paulo, Maite, Andrea and Elisa.
To practice their speaking, listening and writing, as well as get to know each other better, they were put in pairs and had to write about their partner. From this we can now learn a little bit about each of them…
Maite is from Ibiza, Spain and she is in Byron Bay to learn English and travel. She has been studying English at Lexis for about 2 months. She is working to save money for traveling. She thinks that learning English allows her to talk and to know people better. She loves to experience new things and for her material things don’t bring happiness.
Sven arrived a few days ago. He’s a guy from Switzerland. He lives in Bern, the capital city, in a small village called Schmitten. He has been studying English for 7 years. Sven lives a a healthy life. Once a week he does crossfit, goes to the gym or plays tennis. He is the kind of person who is shy in meeting new people, but then he’s going to be open minded. His perfect day in Australia: going to school in the morning, after that he would go to the beach with friends. In the evening he would go out to eat a burger with some beers. After that he would go to the beach and enjoy the time.
Elisa lives in Geneva in Switzerland. Her mother language is French. Before arriving here 3 months ago she was in high school. She really likes meeting people and learning about them, listening to their stories, learning their way of thinking. She hates repetitive things and that’s why she thinks it is really important to have a job she likes with new things all the time. Elisa used to do contemporary modern lessons in Switzerland. She also loves skiing (as every real Swiss person!) and hanging with friends.
Eric is from Spain and he can speak Catalan, English and French. He is the kind of person who you can trust and who helps others. This reliable person has also a very optimistic mind. This way of thinking can reassure who don’t see hope where there is. For example, when there is a problem, he will do his best ti find a good solution. Greece is his favorite country because of the historical monuments and the sympathetic people. The last thing I would say is that he doesn’t want to be famous in a superficial way but for what he is, his actions and his virtue.
Daniel wants to be a high school teacher back in his home country Switzerland. For that he needs the Cambridge Advanced Certificate. But that’s not the only one reason; he likes to travel and wants to have the opportunity to fluidly talk with all kinds of people and cultures around the world. On his bucket list Thailand and other Asian countries stay at the top. So Daniel is an open minded person and likes to get to know new people. Here in Australia he will use the chance and will live his perfect days with them. Part of these are to enjoy the beaches, make sports and go out in the evening.
Andrea is from the Czech Republic and has already arrived a couple of months ago. She loves the nature, listening to music, traveling and napping. She is open to meet new people but she is not a big fan of small talk. Lately she has been travelling a lot and has not been home for a long time. Her ideal destination for a future holiday would be the Tonga Islands, where she would love to scuba dive.
Louise come from Switzerland, from Bern, where she is very happy to live in. Although she loves Australia after only 3 days and considers it as a memorable place! She loves taking naps and she would spend her ideal day with friends chilling, sharing drinks and have a good laugh on the beach. She wants to learn to surf and visit America.
Paulo is from Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, and he is 31 years old. He came to Australia almost three weeks ago with his fiancee. They came to the Kangaroo Island to travel around the country and to improve their English. To keep fit Paulo does crossfit and sometimes he challenge himself doing skydiving, scuba diving or even bungy jumping. A perfect day for him would start doing some sport, having a good lunch and glass of wine in a restaurant on the beach and finishing the day at a sunset party, which seems to fit perfectly at Byron Bay. He pictures himself in five years working at the same job as a Government consultant and raising a couple of kids.
Elsa is a beautiful Switzerland girl and so sweet. She was working and studying at the same time as being an interior decorator. She came to Australia to visit and learn English for her studies, but now she change her mind and she wants to be a skiing teacher. As an adventurous girl she wants to go to India and South America. At the moment she speaks almost three languages: French, English, a bit of Catalan and also a bit of German.., but she wants to learn Spanish and improve her Catalan and German. She loves music and it helps her to be more confident and share herself with people and also find herself.
Well done to our Cambridge students for completing their 12 weeks of study!!
We have loved having you all here at Lexis Byron the past 3 months!
Good luck with your remaining exams ❤
Kathleen’s FCE class: Maria, Anna Lea, Celia, Sandra, Fabienne, Teacher Kathleen (with flowers from her class!), Chloe and Estelle (Roberta and Dana missing from photo)!
Well done to our Cambridge students for completing their 12 weeks of study!!
We have loved having you all here at Lexis Byron the past 3 months!
Good luck with your remaining exams ❤
Paul’s CAE class: David, Salome, Nicolas, Gessica, Teacher Paul, Judit, Rosario, Shannon, Severin, Daniel and Joya!
Massive Congratulations to our AWESOME LEXIS SKYDIVERS who did their first 15,000ft jump here in Byron Bay this weekend!!!
This week we welcomed twelve new Cambridge students, as well as thirteen new General English students!
To celebrate the start of our high season and Cambridge courses we put on a sausage sizzle for all of our students to enjoy and get to know each other!
Teacher Paul did an excellent job on BBQ duty and the students were able to relax, chat and eat in the beautiful sunshine!
Welcome to our new students starting our Cambridge Courses at Lexis Byron Bay this week!
Kathleen’s Cambridge First (FCE) class: Chloe, Karin, Anna, Fabienne, Gessica and Maria (not pictured).
They are joined by our existing Lexis students Roberta, Dana, Lorane and Jeferson.
Paul’s Cambridge Advance (CAE) class: Estelle, Celia, Sandra, Severin, Rosario and Joya (not pictured).
They are joined by our existing Lexis students Judith, Salome, Nicolas, Shannon, Bartosz and Tania.
Last Thursday our two Cambridge classes (Cambridge Advanced and Cambridge First) finished their 12 weeks of studies!
To help them celebrate we put on a Sausage Sizzle for all of our Lexis students.
It was a beautiful winters day so everyone was able to enjoy their free lunch out in the sunshine!
Thank you to our lovely students Gabriela and Miyu for helping out <3
Well done to our Cambridge students for completing their 12 weeks of study!!
We have loved having you all here at Lexis Byron the past 3 months!
Good luck with your remaining exams ❤
Paul’s Cambridge First class: Manuel, Celine, Anthony, teacher Paul, Patrick, Miyu, Gabriela, Sandra, Yves, Rieko, Xenia and Merce
Well done to our Cambridge students for completing their 12 weeks of study!!
We have loved having you all here at Lexis Byron the past 3 months!
Good luck with your remaining exams <3
Josie’s Cambridge Advanced class: Alex, teacher Josie, Benoit, Judit, Noe, Cristiano, Martin, Tanja, Luciana, Marie and Virginie
Izabela started studying at Lexis English in December last year and she brought with her a very special energy. She was such a pleasure to have in the school that, before she left, I asked her if we could do an interview to find out more about her and her time at Lexis Byron Bay. It turned out that her trip was the culmination of a dream that she’d nurtured for many years. Read what she told me below:
I started dreaming about coming to Australia when I was 15. My vision of Australia was a place full of beaches, sunshine, friendly people and a relaxed way of life. I also knew that having a good level of English would be important for my life – for getting a good job and for travelling and meeting people.
So, from the age of 17, I worked to save up to make this dream come true. I worked in restaurants, hotels and offices, sometimes four jobs at a time until, eventually, I earned enough money to pay for my entire trip myself.
I went to an agency to book my trip and they advised that I went to Sydney or the Gold Coast as it was easy to find work there. I nearly booked my trip but first decided to look at Google Earth. When I saw all the skyscrapers and the cars I was disappointed. This wasn’t the vision I’d had of Australia all these years.
So I sent messages to five different contacts I had that had been to Australia and asked them to advise where I should go. One friend told me about Byron Bay and said that 100% it was the place for me, as soon as I Googled it I knew she was right.
Before I came to Australia, I wanted to make sure that I had a reasonable level of English so that I could really jump straight into the lifestyle here and also have more chance of finding a job straight away. My mum was so proud of me saving up for my trip all by myself and so, as a reward, she paid for me to have English conversations classes.
This was really useful but I was still thinking in Portuguese and then translating into English when I first arrived. However, once in Byron Bay, the necessity of talking English all the time makes you improve crazy fast. Plus the teachers at Lexis Byron Bay are great. They gave us phrases and conversation practices that were so relevant and which we could use in our real lives, immediately. Plus they corrected me, which people in the street don’t do, so I soon improved my accuracy too and got better and better.
I did General English and Cambridge FCE and found them both really useful. The method of teaching is really good and Paul, my Cambridge teacher, was so funny.
I’m probably not the best person to ask because I can’t be objective. I’m simply in LOVE with Byron Bay. I’ve found myself here!
I really believe that Byron chooses people. I feel like I can allow myself to be me here and be and do everything I that wanted to be. I find people here are different. Everyone wants to live in a simple way and enjoy life in tune with nature, love and the things that are really important. For example, getting up early to share a sunrise.
Work-wise, I’ve had the same job since early January. I work at Trattoria Basiloco, an Italian and pizza restaurant in town. It’s a great job. Everyone is really nice and helpful. I didn’t find it difficult to get a job at all but I do think you need to be proactive. Choose the places you want to work and then make yourself known there. It helped for me that I was studying Cambridge too. It gives employers confidence that you have a pretty good level of English and will be able to communicate easily with the customers.
As for friends, I’ve met some wonderful people. Lexis Byron Bay is a really friendly environment so it’s easy to meet people straight away. Then, over time, some people I met grew to be really good friends. Now there is a group that I have such great connection with; with no problems or dramas. And I met them all through Lexis Byron Bay.
It’s not a single experience or even something I did; it’s that I’ve discovered myself. Through this experience (even the difficult times such as when I was fined $319 for not wearing a bike helmet) I’ve learned what makes me happy, who I am and who I can be. And I’ve gained the confidence that I can do whatever I want.
Now I’ve finished my English studies, I’m going to stay one more year doing a massage course. This takes me up to September next year. I’m not sure what I’ll do then, but, at the moment, every day I say to someone how lucky we are to be here. When I’m watching the sunrise or swimming or playing guitar on the beach I feel such gratitude: to myself for giving me this opportunity; to the people I’ve met in Byron; and to Lexis Byron Bay for being such a huge part of this experience.
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.
Welcome to our new students starting our Cambridge Courses at Lexis Byron Bay this week!
Left to Right: Manuel, Patrick, Tanja, Yves, Xenia, Rieko, Celine, Sandra, Alexander, Cristiano and Noe.
The group will be split into two classes: Cambridge Advanced (CAE) with Josie and Cambridge First (FCE) with Paul!
We look forward to getting to know you all over the next 3 months and hope you enjoy your studies at Lexis Byron Bay 🙂
Congratulations to our Cambridge classes for completing their 11 weeks of study!!
We have loved having you all here and wish you the very best with your remaining exams!
Josie’s Cambridge Advanced class: Amanda, Tifany, Michaela, Pablo, Julia, Mirjam, Alisha, Nathalie, Sandro, Oriol, Marcel, Nina, Marina and Natalia (missing from picture)
Congratulations to our Cambridge classes for completing their 11 weeks of study!!
We have loved having you all here and wish you the very best with your remaining exams!
Kathleen’s Cambridge First class: Benjamin, Danny, Simon, Danny, Ivan, Rosa, Virginie, Alice, Celine and Luciana (missing from picture)
Congratulations to our Cambridge classes for completing their 11 weeks of study!!
We have loved having you all here and wish you the very best with your remaining exams!
Paul’s Cambridge First class: Yuta, Charlotte, Jean, Gemma, Lydie, Marta, Johana, Izabela and Myeong <3
Today was the last day of studies for our Cambridge First classes and tomorrow we’ll also be saying goodbye to our Cambridge Advanced class!
After 11 weeks of hard work they’d earned themselves a free BBQ!
All of our students were invited to join them to celebrate the end of their course and enjoy a free lunch!
One of our lovely students, Jean, did an excellent job of assisting me with the BBQ and making sure everyone got fed!
We’ll be very sad saying goodbye to all our wonderful Cambridge students tomorrow, but have one last farewell / celebration with beer tasting at 5.30pm!! See you there!
Yesterday we had a BBQ to welcome our new Cambridge and General English students, and also to welcome back our existing students after the Christmas and New Year break!
It’s great to have you all here and we look forward to getting to know you all better over the coming months! We hope you enjoy your time at Lexis Byron Bay!
Welcome to our new (and existing!) students starting our Cambridge Courses at Lexis Byron Bay this week!
Left to right: Benjamin, Nathalie, Nina, Julia-Theresa, Michaela, Mirjam, Alisha, Natalia, Alice, Laurine (General English), Celine, Sandro, Marcel and Rosa!
The group will be split into three classes: Cambridge Advanced with Josie and two Cambridge First classes with Paul and Kathleen!
We look forward to getting to know you all over the next 3 months and hope you enjoy your studies at Lexis Byron Bay 🙂
Well done to our two Cambridge classes for completing your 12 weeks of study!!
You should be very proud of all your hard work and progress!
We have loved having you all here and wish you the very best with your remaining exams!
Josie’s Cambridge Advanced Class: Lukas, Heidi, Gina, Leonie, Nadja, Stefan, Josie (teacher), Juliana, Tobias, Olivia, Natasha and Christopher!
Paul’s Cambridge First Class: Renata, Irina, Stefanie, Celine, Gustavo, Paul (teacher), Robin, Shinsuke, Namjeong, Bianca, Bianca, Desiree, Corinne and Thayna (missing from picture!)!
Welcome to our new (and some existing!) students starting our Cambridge Courses at Lexis Byron Bay this week!
Josie’s CAE class: Gina, Cleo-Charlott, Lukas, Tobias, Christopher, Heidi, Leonie Sarah, Natasha, Nicole, Olivia and Juliana!
Paul’s FCE class: Bianca B, Bianca V, Gustavo, Corinne, Shinsuke, Namjeong, Robin, Teacher Paul, Celine, Stefanie, Renata, Desiree, Thayna and Irina!
Yesterday we welcomed 36 new starters to Lexis Byron Bay! Sixteen were joining our two Cambridge Courses; CAE and FCE, and the other twenty were joining our General English courses!
We welcomed them all, and treated our existing students, to free pizzas and drinks!!
Every mingled in the sun and got to know their new Lexis friends! We hope you all enjoy your time here, we’re sure you will!! 🙂
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.
On Friday we had our End of Cambridge BBQ to celebrate our two Cambridge classes finishing their 12 weeks of study!
Paul was on BBQ duty and made cooking for 50+ students look easy!
The students enjoyed their free sausages and chatting with friends in the beautiful sunshine 🙂
Good luck with the rest of your exams and well done for all your hard work!!
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!
Happy Student – Tito! | Lexis | Byron Bay Blog
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As we said farewell to one group of Cambridge students we welcomed another!
We have 9 new starters joining the new Cambridge course and 5 returning students!
On Monday we had our Cambridge Welcome BBQ for all the students. Paul done an excellent job with the BBQ with myself, Naomi and Tito helping out!
On Friday we had our End of Cambridge party to say farewell and well done to our Cambridge students for all their hard work!
We put on a nice spread of sushi, crisps and sweets but all the food was gone before I had a chance to get a picture! Can only be a good thing 🙂
The boys enjoyed a game of soccer in the beautiful sunshine while everyone else enjoyed beers and their last bit of time with their Lexis Byron Bay friends!
