Byron by the Sea

No I wasn't taken out by a cyclone, just falling behind in the posts lately. Well time for some updates! Since Newcastle we have begun to inch our way up to coast closer to our final destination in Cairns. Byron Bay was our first stop, and after hopping off the Greyhound we knew we would be staying for a while.

The tiny town of Byron can be described as a backpackers haven, with a laid back atmosphere and the friendliest people. We stayed in a hostel called Holiday Village Backpackers, which had motel style rooms, a pool, and an open air eating area. There wasn't much to complain about other than a few cockroaches, which I'm almost starting to live with, and a bunk bed that was about to topple over! About fifty percent of the population at the Holiday Village, or all of Byron for that matter, was Canadian, the other half British. Needless to say we fit right in!

Our days were spent lounging by the pool or heading down to the beach to check out the waves...and the surfers. Funky shops and eaterys line the main road and its not hard to find something new everytime you walk down a back alley. There's a few bars in town that cater to the die hard partiers, one of which is Cheeky Monkey's, conveniently located across the street from our hostel. It's an interesting place where the only place to dance is on top of tables. There is also a bunch of places to check out live music most nights of the week. The days and nights in Byron definitely revovle around fun, which we had a lot of.

Cape Byron is home to a beautiful lighthouse and the most easterly point in Australia. The cape is only a quick twenty minute bike ride from the center of town so we decided to take a ride up there one day. It may be close to town, but that doesn't mean it's an easy ride. The way there was entirely uphill and the sun was relentless, making us some very sweaty bikers. Once we got to the point it was worth the effort. The veiws of the ocean and surrounding beaches were amazing. The ride back was a lot more pleasant. I think I only had to pedal once before getting in to town.

Our other big excursion while we were in Byron was a day trip out to Nimbin. We hopped on 'Jims Alternative Bus' for the short drive out to the tiny town. Jim was a funky guy with stories galore about the many eccentric bus riders he's had over the years. Many of whom were under the influence of drugs seeing as Nimbin is the Marijuana capitol of Australia. Not that it's legal there it just seems to be more openly accepted. We understood what he meant when we jumped off the bus. As soon as we started walking down the street everyone, young and old, started asking if we needed anything. Other than getting hustled Nimbin has a lot of funky cafes and galleries to offer. Our next stop on the tour was Paul Retcher's house and jungle for some macadamia nuts and story telling. Paul is originally from New York and has lived in Oz for who knows how long, apparently long enough to plant himself a jungle. While we walked through his forest, Paul entertained us with his philosophical outlook on the world. If you're ever in Byron, Nimbin is deffinitely worth the trip, there's some interesting people out there!

After two amazing weeks in Byron it's time to move on. Surfers Paradise here we come!