Day 17 - Brisbane

Hello everyone!

I hope your all good, sorry for the delay in the update. Well, for a start, we are now in Brisbane - Australia's thrid largest city at 1.5 million people, and currently in the middle of a major drought (around 600 days without rain in the catchment area, dams at 17% capacity, so I read). All in all, its a really rather nice place, much to both our surprise really. Its got a very nice laid back feel to it, and its a great place to chill out in. We'll be here another few days, and then its off up north and onto Noosa.

So where have we been? We set off from Coffs Harbour and drove north along the coast line to the infamous Byron Bay - a heavan on earth, if you believe some backpackers. Personally, it was all too much for both of us I think - fucking travellers everywhere, an the whole town is both expensive and a bit corny to be honest. I can imagine it could be great in the summer time, but I found it all a bit too much. The first hostel we stayed in, the Arts Factory, was really more of a Club 18-30 holiday complex then anything else - own bar and resturant, cinema, band stage, club room and pool. All too much to be honest (maybe I'm just getting too old though!:) So we ended up moving to another quiet place for a few days - Byron is ok, but in the end, I wasn't sad to leave it really.

From there we headed inland to the infamous Nimbin - hippy central basically. Tiny little one street town in the Nimbin Valley, with a whole load of pothead hippies and a couldron of social problems just bubbling under the surface. Really strange small town mentality plus too many drugs methinks.

Anyway, this place is closing now so i'll be super quick! Basically, Nimbin to Brisbane via a broken reverse and almost dead gearbox which cost 300 bucks ot fix in Lismore - but could have been worse, if the box had died it would have been nearer a thousand I reckon, so its all good. :) Anyways, best run, speak soon!