Byron Bay & Nimbin

Trip Start Apr 02, 2008
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Trip End Ongoing


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Where I stayed
Springs Guest House
(Byron Bay hotels)

Flag of Australia  , New South Wales,
Saturday, November 1, 2008

Took a bus to Byron Bay which is two hours down the coast into New South Wales. We were staying in the Springs Guest House which is about a 10 min walk outside town. We settled in the first night and didn't get up to much. The B&B is the kind of place you don't want to leave. Got talking to other guests Leanne and Andrew about Nimbin and decided to do a day trip there the next day.
So here's the story with Nimbin. It was a sleepy dairy town until 1973 when the Aquarius Festival took place. A large gathering of university students, alternative lifestylers, 'hippies' and party people, gathered in the town for the gig. After the festival many participants and festival goers remained there. Since then, the region has attracted many writers, artists, musicians, actors, environmentalists, permaculture enthusiasts, small farmers - basically, people who want to live outside the confines of the 'normal' hum-drum life. The most prominent recreational substance of choice in Nimbin is Cannabis. So, tourists go there to try out the stuff..we were offered by numerous people but we declined - when you see the heads on some of them it's easy to say no! It was interesting to visit though. Everyone is really polite and very nice. The Nimbin Street Code is up on a wall (animal farm stuff); summing up with three rules Don't Fight, Don't Steal, Don't be Greedy. Despite having their own rules, there are Nimbin police who are trying to enforce the law in terms of clamping down on illegal substances but there seems to be only so much they can do. Nimbin appears to be a republic in its own right. We took the bus back to Byron. Finally, Michael can say 'yes, i've been to Nimbin', everytime he's asked by people abroad, which happens alot.
Back in Byron Bay the next day we wandered around. It's lovely little town. Caters for tourists really well and is full of backpackers and surfers. Unlike the Gold Coast, it isn't built up there at all. Our evening meal was a take away fish and chips on the beach while we watched about eight Whales out in the water splashing about and doing flips as the sun-set. Pretty amazing stuff.
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