Byron Bay

Byron Bay is a small little beach town with a lot of heart, and a lot of spirit. Everyone is so laid back, and chilled out. It is the perfect stereotype for the “surfer lifestyle”. Everyone around town walks around in bathing suits, with surfboards, and bare feet. Even in the supermarkets people were in bare feet. I actually started to feel a little out of place, as I noticed I was one of the few who actually had “thongs” (flip-flops) on.

Byron Bay’s beach was beautiful and the water was so perfect. I stayed at a place called “The Arts Factory Lodge”, where their motto is to “Relax, Rejuvenate, and Recycle”. This hostel was very different from any of the hostels that I have stayed at as most of it is set outside on 5 aches of land, and it is extremely laid back, peaceful and full of hippies! At the Arts Factory, there is always something going on. They have bongo lessons, didgeridoo making, special spiritual massages, and themes for every night. The first night I was there they had a talent show where people were able to sing, and perform. Some people were extremely talented; some were just there for a joke. The second night, they had a trivia contest where they had half knowledge about Australia, and half universal knowledge.





I was lucky enough to room with some amazing people from the UK, Italy and Melbourne. We all quickly became a tight knit group, and had a blast playing all-nighter card games, and heading out on the town.

Everyday the Arts Factory also has a “bush tucker walk” where a guy named Cockatoo Paul takes everyone around the property and tells you about certain plants, and what you can do with each one in a survival situation. There are some trees that have fruit you can eat, water you can drink, bark you can use as toilet paper, bark you can use for rope, and some you can even use for smoking paraphernalia.
Paul was one crazy but hilarious guide, as he has this bird he carried on his shoulder, and he uses the most absurd examples, and swears a lot. He was a riot!











The Arts Factory also has a pool, a spa, a tennis court, hammocks throughout their property, a recording studio, a movie theatre, a bar, and a spa. It was a backpacker’s paradise!


One of the days in Byron Bay, I went to the Hippie Capital of Australia, a tiny town called Nimbin. In the 60s, many hippies resided in Nimbin, and never left.

This town is full of hippies, and good energy.
The Nimbin Museum showcases the hippie lifestyle, and is a really cool place to see many news articles, and videos. The museum is filled with many poems, songs, articles of clothing, paintings, and other bits of their history and lifestyle.



Everyone seemed very peaceful, and relaxed. It was a pretty far out experience.

Byron Bay had a bar called Cheeky Monkey’s where instead of having a dance floor, they have benches and tables where everyone dances. It is the funniest thing I have ever seen, but really fun. It wasn’t the safest thing for people to do, as many people would keep falling through the cracks of the tables and benches. But it was so different from any place that I have been, that it was quite entertaining to be apart of.

Friday morning, I then headed to Surfer’s Paradise where I am planning on staying for a few months to work and live.