Byron Bay, the most easterly point of mainland Australia, and one of my favorite stopping points. Byron, to me, has everything that Nimbin used to be, and more. It was like a blend of NYC East Village, Portland and San Francisco mixed with the Aussie surf and beach culture. Healthy, alternative, green/Eco and still a good blend of upscale and affordable restaurants, shops and tourist activities. A surprise was being in Byron for their market. The mother of all o...

Nimbin, home of the 1973 Aquarius Festival, a little town with a lot of happy people. Although interesting, what may have started out as a free love kind of town with pot smoking, tie dye and incense, seems to have progressed to a bit more hard core drug use by some people, and adds a bit of unease and some sad and scary looking individuals. Not really our scene. The Hemp Embassy was worth a look, and most of the shop keepers were pleasant. Our favorite was a He...

Yes we saw it, the 'Big Banana'! Just one of a multitude of big things in Australia. The Big Prawn, Big Mango, Big Cow... The list seems endless. Our journey north is somewhat limited and the distance to cover is vast. Many of our stops are just enough to get a feel for the area then we're off again. Mostly our timing is working out where to stay and trying to avoid driving at night-two things that actually haven't come too easy. Driving into the Iluka Nature R...

We departed Sydney in our Wicked van and drove a short jaunt to the city of Terrigal. A lovely little coastal town bordered by National Parks. We had the pleasure of meeting up with Kathy and Vic. For those who know Mark Angevine...Kathy is his sister. What a treat for us to be welcomed into their home. Beer, guacamole, homemade chili, great company and conversation. An added bonus is their lovable dog Jesse, a mini-fox/blue cattle mix. We learned about the 'pok...

We left the Blues this morning after porridge and coffee, and saying our goodbyes to the Kingswood family.Mike again is in the driver seat, me the anxious passenger. Our car is no bigger than a tin can, and we can feel every single bump in the road. The road winds it way through forest and farmland. It has a very familiar feel about it, like being back home in Republic or Shoshone. Except the trees are eucalyptus, we're driving on the left, and there are kangaroo...