Byron Bay

I was so sad to leave Sydney for Byron Bay, especially as it was a 13 hour bus journey! I spent longer than expected there too. Its a stereotypical hippy town and what's great is that it isn't too touristy. Everyone's so chilled out and theres such a nice feel to the place. I don't usually write about the hostels, but I stayed somewhere called The Arts Factory, about a 10 minute walk from the centre. It was such a cool hostel and did the BEST breakfasts. There were lizards relaxing by the pool and hammocks hanging up next to a swamp. If you had a sleeping bag you had the option of staying in a teepee too! Byron itself is tiny but there's plenty to do as there's shops everywhere, fantastic beaches and some lovely walks. There was a gorgeous walk up to the lighthouse at Cape Byron but I never got round to that. There are loads of cheap eateries and some pretty cool places for nights out.
I had a go at surfing which is definitely a must do! We only had a few hours but I managed to stand up on the board a few times. Hopefully I'll be able to get some practice up the east coast!
The day after I went on a day trip to Nimbin which was pretty cool. Nimbin is tiny; literally a street and is famous for marijuana. It grows naturally in the area and there's a museum pretty much dedicated to the weed culture. It was a really interesting museum and is full of random artefacts and paintings. The second I stepped off the bus there was a man trying to sell "cookies" and the residents are constantly trying to get weed legalised.
The music is so good in Byron too, we went to a place called The Junction a few times which had live music and reggae playing. The bar next to the hostel was awesome, it was called The Buddha Bar and had some amazing decoration including a smiling, golden, flying Buddha above the dance floor. There was a talent show there one night and everyone was literally blown away by this amazing beat boxer.
I made some really cool friends at the hostel too so hopefully we'll meet up along the East Coast. I already know that I want to come back in the future, possibly with a working visa.
Xxx