If you time warped Santa Cruz, CA back to its original form during the 60s and 70s, you would be in a replica of Byron Bay. A tiny little beach town almost 500 miles north of Sydney, Byron Bay is like no place I have ever been.
Really, it's the people that make this place what it is. A head full of dreadlocks, feet the color of the ground they walk on, and pants that look like they came from Aladdin's wardrobe, Byron Bay attracts hippies from all over the world. When I first got to Byron, I felt very out of place. Blow drying my hair in the communal bathroom, it felt as if every girl was staring at me like I was an alien from the 21st century. And what can I say, while I have no judgements towards people who choose the hippie lifestyle, it's just not my cup of tea.
I stayed at The Arts Factory Hostel - a magnet for hard-core hippies promoting hostel camping. For non-hippies types such as myself there were standard dorm rooms to sleep in, but for those who want to become one with nature during their stay in Byron they can sleep in the Big Teepee (which is exactly what it sounds like) or pitch a tent and camp out on the hostel grounds. Aside from the varied sleeping arrangements the hostel is home to fearless roosters wandering the grounds who will steal your food the minute you are not looking as well as large dinosaur-looking Iguanas who like to stare you down while you eat your brekkie.
While the hippie lifestyle isn't really for me, being immersed in it was quite an experience that I am glad I had. In line with the culture of Byron Bay, the hostel hosted a "camper-wide" talent show one night during my stay. From accoustic singing with the guitar to a puppet show with dolls to the sound of the didgeridoo, any and all talent was welcome. While enjoying the show I met a group of people also staying at the hostel and we all bonded over listening to the music and drinking goon.
After the show was over my new friends and I decided to carry on. And as we sat around a table, drinking our goon, getting to know each other and jamming to the guitar, more people began to join us. From a German boy on the ground playing his drum in tune to the guitar, to the French man joining in on the ukulele to the ever growing group of hippies dancing around us, we all came together to enjoy the music and the company. And as I sat around watching this scene unfold around me, I thought "I'm here. I've finally made it back to Australia and I am sooo happy to be here."
One of the things I missed most about traveling was the people you meet. Not only do you have the chance to meet people from all over the world, but people who are traveling are so open and friendly to everyone they may cross paths with. Cliques don't exist, backstabbing and drama is a foreign concept and pre-conceived judgements are thrown out the window. Because no matter who I may meet along this trip, we all have one thing in common: the love for travel.
As all good things must come to an end, I decided 3 nights was plenty of time for me in Byron Bay. I have currently made it to Surfers Paradise, which is the beginning of the Gold Coast in Queensland. Time to put the shoes back on, leave nature outside and see what Surfer's Paradise has to offer!
Güzel bir yer olmalı aslında denemek lazım :)
ReplyDelete