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| Byron Bay |
We arrived in Byron Bay last Thursday morning, after a 14 hour Greyhound coach trip that can only be described as ‘less than comfortable.’ To be fair, the wifi and chargers were a great shout, but that didn’t do much towards my numb bum, cramped legs and sore side from having Jack constantly slumping over onto my side of the seat… We pulled in at 7:30am, and were instantly greeted with torrential rain and a group of very wet hostel workers barking at us to follow them if we needed transport. After about five minutes of blearily trying to find our luggage in the rain, feet soaked and freezing cold, we eventually made our way to Nomads, where we were able to shower, change and feel human again. Unable to check in until the afternoon, we took this as the perfect opportunity to bikini up (the sun was shining once again) and head to the beach.
Byron Bay was completely different to Sydney, and for the first time in two weeks I actually began to feel like I was really in Australia. Instead of homeless people on every corner, there were street performers, and quirky boutiques with people walking around with surfboards under their arms - the atmosphere was so relaxed and laid back that I could see why most backpackers said that this was their favourite stop along the East Coast.
Whilst in Byron, we made the obligatory visit to Nimbin, a village located roughly 40 miles away and previously described as ‘the drug capital of Australia.’ Before we got off the bus, our driver reminded us that the selling and possession of marijuana was still illegal, but ‘where there’s a will there’s a way.’ Within minutes of walking down the rainbow coloured streets, we had old women appearing out of the woodwork with bags of green cookies, with other residents trying to sell us their unwanted guinea pigs and kittens. I won’t go into details, just incase my Nan happens to be reading this, but it’s safe to say I won’t be in a hurry to head back there anytime soon!
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| Nimbin |
We stayed in two hostels during our stay - Nomads and the Arts Factory. Nomads was easily my favourite, with the my ensuite bathroom coming close to being the highlight of my entire backpacking trip so far. But then, we went to the Arts Factory… Don't get me wrong, we were prepared to rough it, and were looking forward to the hippy styled layout with hammocks etc - but when we were shown to our tepee and found out there was no electricity, no lights, no nearby toilet and shower facilities, thats when things got real! The communal bathrooms were dirty, the cutlery had to be rented out and the kitchen was no where near big enough to cater for everyone come dinner time. But at the end of the day it was an experience, and I’m happy to say that we did it - but even happier to say that we won’t be going back there in a hurry. However, I do have to admit, it was pretty cool seeing wild turkeys, lizards and parrots just mooching around from day to day - something that reminds you that you’re definitely no longer in England.
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| Arts Factory |
On Tuesday we arrived at The Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise. Again, we were greeted by grey skies and rain, but unlike Byron it has yet to clear up… So here I am, sitting in the lobby and feeling like I’m in the episode of Friends when they visit Barbados and don’t leave the hotel all week. Happy days!
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