Coonabarabran: It's more than a mouthful.
Left Byron on Tuesday morning, after my last post. Made it halfway to Nimbin before I remembered that my camera's flash card and my usb stick were still in the computer back in Byron. Drove back to Byron. Finally made it to Lismore and the road up to Nimbin where I picked up hitchhiker Sonny, a 40 something dude looking for a lift to heaven in the hills. Cool guy, we chatted all the way up, zipping past some very pretty hills.
Nimbin is a trip, and suprisingly charming. I was expecting a lot more schlock, but the town has a heady relaxed feeling, sorta like when you walk into a massage therapist's office and the smell of essential oils hits your nose and the sound of a little fountain hits your ears.
Sonny gave me the lowdown on Nimbin's, er, economy. The hippies never left after the 60's and the authorities actually turn a blind eye to the open circulation of "bush weed" and associated products. There's the Hemp Embassy, a museum and shop dedicated to legal issues, and an adjoining coffee bar where you can actually, a la Amsterdam, light up in public without fear of harrassment.
I spent the afternoon poking around town and then drove back down the hill, pointed west. As the sun set, I pulled over the Great Dividing Range and into the oak lined streets of Tenterfield, one of the first in a series of towns I visited in the New England region of New South Wales. The oaks were all turning colours everywhere and it made me happy and comfy. Felt like home.
They're closing the internet cafe! I'll post the rest of the story later.... stay tuned.
Nimbin is a trip, and suprisingly charming. I was expecting a lot more schlock, but the town has a heady relaxed feeling, sorta like when you walk into a massage therapist's office and the smell of essential oils hits your nose and the sound of a little fountain hits your ears.
Sonny gave me the lowdown on Nimbin's, er, economy. The hippies never left after the 60's and the authorities actually turn a blind eye to the open circulation of "bush weed" and associated products. There's the Hemp Embassy, a museum and shop dedicated to legal issues, and an adjoining coffee bar where you can actually, a la Amsterdam, light up in public without fear of harrassment.
I spent the afternoon poking around town and then drove back down the hill, pointed west. As the sun set, I pulled over the Great Dividing Range and into the oak lined streets of Tenterfield, one of the first in a series of towns I visited in the New England region of New South Wales. The oaks were all turning colours everywhere and it made me happy and comfy. Felt like home.
They're closing the internet cafe! I'll post the rest of the story later.... stay tuned.
posted by Scottley at 11:50 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home