Alison Takes Australia!: Week 6

This week was a whirlwind! I finally got out of the Gold Coast and down to Byron Bay for a weekend trip! We started off the trip by hopping on a little bus and made our way down the coast to Byron Bay it was a quick trip, because its only about 1.5 hours south of Surfers Paradise.

At first we were planning on going with a big group of people but as the trip got more expensive more and more people started to drop it, but Alek and I had been dying to check it out so we decided to go just the two of us. We bought our bus passes the night before and set off down the coast, we had no clue where we would stay when we got there. Anyone who knows me knows that I like to plan everything down to the little details so this was big for me, Im trying to put myself out of my comfort zone and this adventure was about as spontaneous as it gets! On the way down one of my Aussie friends told me to check out a hostel called The Arts Factory, since Alek and I had never stayed in a hostel before we decided to go for it.

Little did we know, the Arts Factory was a Hippie commune. Yep Ive never seen anything like it in my life. There was tepees and tents all lining this swamp area. I felt completely out of place. Seriously every single person was wearing patched up pants, and smelt like they hadn't had a shower in years. I felt like I was in the movie Wanderlust, it was strangely awesome.

Everyone was always playing the guitar and singing in the common areas. It was really cool. There were hammocks everywhere, It was a completely different world. I know I could never have that type of lifestyle but it was really interesting to try it out for the day.

There were all these cute little rooms along the water! Set right in the forrest! Such a nice change of pace from living in the city!

Oh, and these huge lizards were everywhere! Saturday we were sitting at a pic nick table eating (the best banana pancakes I've ever had) this guy launched himself up onto the table and grabbed some guys pancake right off his plate! Keep in mind these things weren't pets, this crazy Canadian was running around picking them up and they weren't even attacking him!

Saturday Alek and I got on a bus and went out to a little town called Nimbin, Its a small little village set back in the 70s. Complete hippie town, a few of our friends had visited it a few weekends back so we knew what we were getting into but we both wanted to check it out for ourselves. Marijuana is not legal in Queensland Australia but for some reason this town is an exception, the police just turn a blind eye on the town.

The town had all these little cafes, the kind you can only really compare to what you hear about in Amsterdam. Every street corner had little old ladies selling space cookies, the strangest thing I've ever seen, but it was really cool to check out for the day. I can't say Ill ever go back to this little town again though..

Starbuds.. get it?

hahahahahaaha

those clever stoners.

Just some of the awesome hippie vans I saw along the trip.

Sunday night I stayed in Byron with some Aussie friends I've made down here. We stayed in Nomads, another hostel but this time it was by the beach. The rooms were incredibly nice, I couldn't believe it was a hostel. for only 30$ a night!

Nomads by the beach

Vs.

The Arts Factory

They were both the same price to stay in…

Ya...

The beach at Byron Bay was gorgeous, but lets be real, every single beach here is unbelievable. As I laid in the sunshine I watched dolphins jumping and playing in the waves just off shore. I even saw a dog ride a wave on a surfboard… top ten coolest things I've ever seen.

It was one of my closest friend Jakes birthday on Tuesday so I thought Id be domestic and bake something nice for him. We have been looking for cinnamon rolls in every grocery store since we arrived and for some reason they don't have them.. Whats the deal Australia? You are missing out BIG TIME. So I decided to make them from scratch, didn't know it was going to be such a big project. Had to make the dough and let it rise for an hour, longest hour ever.. then I found out I didn't have a rolling pin.. so got real inventive and rolled these bad boys out with a wine bottle.

Meanwhile I'm baking away in the kitchen, its taking wayy longer than I thought it would. I miss the birthday dinner and he just thinks I'm blowing him off on his birthday. I wanted them to be a surprise. When they were finally done I was very happy with the finished product!
Home made cinnamon buns with baked apples in the middle and home made cream cheese frosting.
not to brag but they were bomb.. probably one of the best things I've baked to this date..

I went surfing yesterday with Josie's friend who was a professional sponsored surfer for most of his life. I was so happy to get some pointers and after getting demolished on just about every wave. I FINALLY GOT UP! Fist pumping through the entire wave. I got off the board and was jumping around doing my victory dance! I was the best feeling in the world to get up and it makes me that much more excited to get out there and get better

But I didn't escape the
day without some damage… Just so happens that the very first wave I took on his nice expensive board, I wiped out and broke his fin off his board with my leg. Ive got a huge narly bruise from that baby. Not to mention I felt like the biggest jerk ever, here he is teaching me how to surf for free and letting me use his awesome surfboard and I go breaking it on the first go. Way to go Ali.

---Pretty Gross looking right?

I know this post is going on forever and most of you have probably stopped reading by now, but I couldn't leave out the most important part!

Coffee

Jake and I decided to get off at a random stop on the tram yesterday to look for a new coffee shop! We found the cutest little place right near Main Beach called Le Garden. It was amazing as always but I was more in love with the atmosphere than anything else and the employees were so sweet, I was taking pictures for my blog and he asked to take our picture as well.