Sept 21 - Byron Bay and Hippies

Arrived at Byron Bay at about 10:30 AM today, very tired and ironically with most of my body parts asleep (worst, longest bus ride ever). Had to sit around for a couple hours until the room was ready, so scouted out the new hostel, the Arts Factory. It's a lot like a hippie commune, with plenty of free-spirited individuals, eco-friendly atmosphere and teepees and dorms spread out around the area. Once we checked in, there wasn't much to do, as it was misting out, so we hiked down the road to the town of Byron Bay (the hostel is just outside town) for some Subway and groceries. We stopped by the beach and peeped the local surfers for a bit, then finished our errands. Bought pasta and corn to cook for dinner later and some peanut butter and bread to make toast in the morning. Had a couple cheap pints (only 2.50 each!) at the local brewery that's right next to the Arts Factory then cooked supper. Had a delightful legitimate meal for the first time in a while then got to chatting with some other guests for a couple hours, including helping two Germans improve their English. It has rained essentially since we arrived in Byron Bay, so it's tough to do much in a beach community like this when it's waterlogged. The next 2 days have a similar forecast as well, so it could be a quiet stay in Byron Bay before taking the Greyhound up to the glam and glitz of Surfers Paradise and then Brisbane.