4hours coach from Coffs Harbour and I arrived in Byron Bay. A great hostel a stones throw from a lovely beach. Byron is a relaxed coastal town full of backpackers, a popular stop on the east coach backpackers circuit. 

  

While waiting to checkin I met Rak, an east Londoner and we hung out over the next few days. We went for a 3hours walk to the Byron lighthouse and we were hoping to see the sunset. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great in Byron, mostly overcast with a few showers, but did get a great view over Byron bay.

 

Mainly relaxed in Byron at the hostel and on the beach. Went for a great run along the beach
and used the skipping rope I picked up in Coffs Harbour. Running along the beach definitely beats the treadmill, great view.

On Saturday Rak and I took a bus 90minutes to a place called Nimbin. Nimbin is the center
of the Australian counter culture. In 1973 a group of university students held the Aquarius Festival in the abandoned dairy town. Many of the festival goers never left and set up Nimbin as a place where people could live an alternative life. The town itself is not much more than a single street, lined with small shops, cafes & psychedelic colours, but there is a really feel that people live different here. There are still many of the older generation hippies walking about and an interesting smell in the back of the cafes. The Nimbin museum was great to look round, not like a usual museum, instead just a few room and full of counter culture art.

 
  

We meet an 70 year old Aussy traveler called Graham on the bus to Nimbin. He spent some time in Nimbin over 10years ago and told us more about the Nimbin way of life and some of his own stories. We had a coffee in the raindow cafe, the oldest cafe in town.


 
We stayed in the YHA hostel, 1km from the town. The hostel was set in the beautiful countryside, surrounded by green valleys and hills. It was only a small hostel but the best one I've stayed at. Everyone was so friendly and the hostel had a swimming pool, teepees and many quiet places to chill out, for example hammocks overlooking the valley.

 


In the evening we played cards whilst getting to know a few people at the hostel and listening to reggae on the local radio station. The tropical night surrounded the hostel and the humidity levels went crazy. By the end of the evening my trainers and shorts were soaked, just from the water in the air. Nimbin is a very unique place and the hostel was like a tropical paradise. Glad I spent some time there, quiet an experience.