Byron Bay to Nimbin then back to Byron

This is going to be a long one!

The overnight Greyhound bus from Sydney to Byron Bay was not too great really as I just couldn't sleep. The driver was also one of the most unenthusiastic people I'd ever met, at one point he actually just sighed into the microphone. He did get us to Byron Bay in one piece though, so shouldn't grumble. I did meet two very nice people on the bus, one was an Irish girl called Denise who was very funny and had spent the last 3 months in Melbourne. Having her to sit next to did make the journey much more bearable. I also met Nicola who went on to become my Byron Bay buddy.

I arrived in Byron at around 7am and again had no idea how to find the hostel. Luckily it is quite a small town and some helpful locals pointed me in the right direction. After a (much needed) shower and snooze, I explored the town a little and it really is a lovely place. It's basically just a chilled out surfer town and was a nice contrast to the two large cities I visited previously. There are loads of small independent shops and apparently they boot McDonalds out everytime they try to open a branch there. Once I had my bearings in the town, I headed over to the beach, which is just a few minutes from the main road. The beaches in Byron are just beautiful and it felt so good to be that close to the Ocean. I walked a fair way to a viewing platform that looked over a part of the beach frequented by surfers. I stayed and watched them for a while, they make it look ridiculously easy. From there I took a costal path that lead to a lighthouse on top of the cliffs. This took quite some time and was mostly uphill, so I feel like I lost about 2 stone. Completely worth it though as the views were amazing and I also passed through a miniture rainforest on route. I walked back via the main beach and bumped into Nicola, so we arranged to meet later for some food and a few beers. When we out in Byron in the evening, we met a guy who had set up a telescope on the pavement, which was pointing at Saturn. He was inviting people to take a look, so I did of course. Rather interesting I have to say, you could just make out the rings too.

The next day we hired bikes from our respective hostels and grabbed a cycle route map from the visitor centre. We were also joined by Lisane (I'm pretty sure I've spelt that wrong), who is staying in the same dorm as Nicola. The 3 of us followed a couple of the cycle routes and they took us fairly far outside of Byron Bay. We eventually ended up on an almost deserted beach, so we hung out there for the rest of the afternoon. I was able swim in the ocean too, which is one of my favourite things to do (I was able to put sharks and box jellyfish out of my mind for a few hours). Luckily whilst coming into the ocean, we got talking to a lovely chap who told us the safest way to swim in the ocean. It was good advice as the beach didn't have a lifeguard and it is amazing how strong the riptides are when you start to really venture out. The ocean was bloody georgous though, really warm and clear. We got back into Byron just as night was falling, which is just as well as the bikes don't come with lights!

The 3 of us met up again later in the evening as there was a reggae night in Nicola and Lisane's hostel bar. It was a really good night and the bar was ace with a huge outdoor area where the band and DJ played. I also got to sample the locally brewed Byron Bay ale, which was rather nice.

I was a bit hungover this morning, but had to get up quite early to pack and get going again. I had planned to get the Greyhound to Hervey Bay, but on advice from a few people I decided to spend one night in a town called Nimbin. The only way to get to Nimbin from Byron is via the day trip shuttle bus, so the hostel organised for me to get on a tour shuttle and have a next day return. The bus I took to Nimbin was called the Happy Bus and it was like a really big camper van painted with psychedelic colours on the outside and the inside was decorated with stickers saying stuff like "thank you for pot smoking", "rehab is for quitters", "don't get a job" and "sluts are nice". The driver was a rough-around-the-edges Aussie lady called Annie and she was awesome. She grew up just outside Nimbin so had loads of local knowledge. She also played 70's rock really loudly on the journey there too. She took the scenic route, which involved various mountain roads, so we got some fantastic views of the countryside and surrounding mountains. On the way, we took a detour to Minyon Falls, which is an enormous waterfall on the edge of a extinct volcano. The area surrounding Minyon Falls is a rainforest and is the remaining 2% of the original rainforest that used to stretch all the way up to Brisbane. We were able to get off the bus and stand on the viewing platform opposite the falls and it was just stunning. The view goes on for miles and you have this fantastic waterfall right in front of you. I really can't do this scene justice by just writing about it.

Annie kindly dropped me off right outside the Nimbin hostel, which I was so greatful for when I realised how far it was from the bus stop! The hostel here is an experience in itself and is no doubt my favourite so far. For a start there are no keys, your room is always left open and everyone is trusted. It is surrounded by mountains and views to die for and scattered around the hostel are hammocks and comfy seats for you to just relax and enjoy the surroundings. I am in a mixed dorm this time and I have met one of my roomies, who is a very stoned Belgium guy.

After chucking my luggage in, I walked down the very long road into Nimbin town, on the way a rather nice nice lady named Alana stopped by me in her truck and offered me a lift. She had a small dog with her that hung out the window like Scooby Doo from the Mystery Machine. I spent a few hours in Nimbin and was offered drugs a couple of times, must have looked like I needed them. It's a really pretty little place, with lots of cool shops and cafes. I was offered another lift whilst walking back to the hostel, which again I gratefully accepted. I figure that if you can stay in a hostel with no locks, then I'm sure accepting lifts off completely strangers is fine too!

I am having a relaxing evening tonight and tomorrow I am lucky enough to be here during one of Nimbin's monthly markets. From there I take the bus back to Byron Bay, spend another night there and then head on to Hervey Bay on Monday.

I think I have rambled on enough now, I will more than likely blog again when I arrive in Hervey Bay.