After a good night sleep we were ready to hit the road again. We have had blue skies and awesome sunsets the last few days we have been driving but the day we are to arrive in Byron Bay it rained all day.
We got to Byron mid afternoon and checked into the First Sun Holiday Park, which is right in the centre of Byron Bay with beach frontage. I guess it’s due to its closeness to town and the high number of back packers but they are very strict, with needing ID which they take a copy of, a list of rules you have to sign including some zero tolerance ones. The rules aren’t a problem for us but I think some would find them a bit excessive. It’s not cheap either $38 for a powered site off peak in the centre of the park if you want a beach frontage one the price jumps to $50 a night, $20 extra per person over 16 years. Because it was our last few days of our trip we decided to stay here due to its closeness to everything which we can walk to.
Byron has changed since the last time I was here over 25 yrs ago. I can’t believe how busy it is, cars, people and shops everywhere, it use to be such a sleepy laid back chill out town. Don’t get me wrong there is still plenty of chilling out going on here, it still has its strong hippy, opps “Alternative lifestyle” and the people that brings with it. Shops have names like Earth and Sea, First Sun, Buddha Bar, Osho’s House healing Centre. There are day spas and wellness centres, back packers, big health food shops, Crystal shops and lots of shops selling tie tied clothes, jewellery and shoes that only the more alternative would wear. You can even buy Organic Donuts as if that somehow makes them healthier. It seems most shops have the smell of incense pouring out of them; maybe it’s to cover up the smell of unwashed bodies. Their industrial estate is not called this but a more name fitting for this area, “The Arts and Industry Estate”. There are whiz bang vans everywhere, often lined up along the beach. Byron Bay, Lismore and Nimbin are now called the “Rainbow Region”.
I used to come here before tourism really hit this place. It wasn’t the trendy place it seems to be now, there were no crowds only a few shops and lots of hippies all looking to find that dream and beautiful beaches, as I said much is the same but wow it sure got busy.
So we are going to just chill out here for a few days before heading home, walk along the beach, visit another lighthouse, checkout the interesting shops and try not to inhale anything. So we will end the trip here.
