Trip to Byron and Nimbin

Last weekend, a fellow Floridian and I decided to make the trek to Byron Bay. Byron contains the most eastern point of Australia. It's also known for whale-spotting and just being a laid back hippie-esque sort of place.

Our adventure started when we hopped on the bus. We were quickly informed (after just taking a bite of our respective snacks) that there was no eating on the bus. Also, we had to buckle up. This is on a charter bus... No drinking either. No smiling, we thought, and surely, no having fun. Unless you count the blaring Johnny Cash tunes as fun. The bus cost $10 and took off from Surfers bus station. Two hours later, it was about time to arrive in Byron. We stopped at an "info" sign which looked like it could have been Byron, but by the time we debated about getting off the bus, the bus was already taking off again. The driver had made no announcement that we had left Byron. Finally, we figured it out and got him to stop along the highway. There had been random stops along the way and we were expecting to arrive at a proper bus station. Leave it to the Americans to miss the bus stop!

After walking back to town, we stocked up on supplies for the night (vodka) and located our hostel shuttle. The hostel was located about 15 minutes outside of town (walking). Byron has such a laid back feel. It is touristy but not in the same way as the gold coast. From my understanding, the artists went there and then it became "cool." Now, as a result, people are flocking there and driving the starving artists who made the place cool right out of town. Funny how that happens.

Anyhow, it's been a while since I've been in a hostel, but i was impressed. It was clean, laid back, and cool. We took the free shuttle into town and had dinner at a nice restaurant called "The Balcony" which overlooked one of the main streets in town. I tried kangaroo (an aussie delicacy) which was delicious. It was served seared with goat cheese, a sort of sweet brown sauce and a thin wafer. We ended up at the the Beach Motel listening to a live reggae band that was awesome. Byron was definitely colder than the Gold Coast, but the walk home wasn't quite as bad as expected.

The hostel had free bike borrowing so we jumped on and went to the lighthouse. I've been going through some serious biking withdrawal and the beach cruisers just whetted my appetite for more. The hike around the bay was fairly serious. Ok, maybe not so serious if you're not wearing $3 Locals slippers! Anyhow, the beach was pretty, large, and totally white sand. The water was absolutely beautiful. It was too windy (therefore too cold) to actually lay out on the beach. On the way to the lighthouse, we passed another beach with a few surfers. The waves looked really long and perfect for beginners. At the lighthouse, we spotted dolphins, but no whales. We also spotted some guy proposing to his girlfriend. It reminded me of a guy I met while climbing Mt. Chirripo in Costa Rica. He proposed to his gf at the top and she had no clue. I think the key element to a great proposal is surprise. It should be when least expected and without an "engagement photo crew."

On the loop back to where we parked the bikes, we walked through the "coastal rainforest." It was really quiet and quite peaceful. Upon returning to town, we had fish tacos for lunch. At this point, I'm seriously craving some good Mexican food despite all the great Asian food. We checked out the shops and ran into the alpaca that we saw from the bus. It probably wasn't the best idea to give him $1 and get a picture taken, but I think he's ok. He looked well-fed and well taken care of. And he was so furry and soft that I couldn't resist.

Saturday night, we went out to an Italian restaurant for dinner. Apparently there are 3 or 4 places to go at night in Byron. We went to one and it was terrible. Hardly anyone was there, but it was small, hot, stuffy, and expensive. We tried Cocomongo's a few times, but it was full and we weren't in the mood to wait in line. As I get older, my tolerance for a) waiting in lines and b) paying cover charges has pretty much completely gone away. It just doesn't make sense to me. Is the club really offering such a great experience that i want to pay to be a part of it just to pay for watered down drinks? I think this defies the laws of supply and demand. Shouldn't the bars be enticing us to come in by offering freebies? (i.e. $10 cover, all you can drink). I think this is like the case of bathing suits. Someone just decided one day that we should pay $80 for 1 sq. ft of fabric and we (as dumb consumers) said ok.

Anyhow, we ended upback where we started at the Great Northern Hotel. The beer was decent. I might have stopped for a lamington on the way home, but at least it wasn't a kebab!

By Sunday, the late nights were starting to take a toll, but we persevered. More free pancakes!! And onto the Nimbin tour. The bus arrived at 10am sharp. The only way to describe Nimbin is as a small alternative style hippie town of roughly 500 inhabitants. There was some land deal decades ago in which the hippies scored big. As a result, things happen in Nimbin that aren't allowed to happen in other places. I enjoyed driving through Lismore (flood central), passing the sacred rocks, the park, and the waterfall. The market was fun too. Things were way more expensive than expected but I had some juice and satay chicken that hit the spot. Healthy juice is very big here. I usually get some sort of mixture of carrot, celery, apple, beetroot, lemon, and ginger. It's great because you see them actually put the fresh veggies and fruit into the blender.

I have mixed feelings about the Nimbin experience though. The people there make their livings from the tourists. That's fine, but the tourists are buying things that are normally illegal. I'm just not sure if it's good policy as a tourist to support this way of life. Not just from a legal perspective but from an economical incentive perspective. Why work hard to make an honest living when you can rip off tourists? On the other hand, if it works and no one is getting hurt, why stop it? I was sort of surprised to see flyers for an "independence from America day." The Nimbin-ites are serious!

Completely exhausted (after a hot dog and white bread barbie) and ready to get home, we decided to forego the "no fun" bus and went with our Nimbin tourguide's offer of a free ride back to the Gold Coast. He was leaving immediately whereas the bus was leaving in a few hours. We climbed aboard with 20 american students studying at the Uni and I quickly remembered why I dislike large groups of American travelers.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend. I could have spent a ton more time talking to folks in Nimbin and I would love to actually swim at the beach in Byron. The water was too cold this time, but maybe next time

Barbies and Simplicity

I meant to write this a few weeks ago.....


So yes, I mean barbies as in "throw another shrimp on the barbie." Ha! Aussie's love to shorten their words (sunnies, lollies, boardies, eskies, need I go on?) A few weekends ago, I went to two barbies in two days. Both took place in a grassy area of a park next to the beach. The first was a birthday party which had a mix of Aussies and international students in attendance. Everyone was eating hot dogs or sausages wrapped in a piece of regular white bread. I think there was ketchup. Not so much on the mustard though. The second barbie included steak, grilled veggies, falafel, etc.


To me, the American 'bbq' includes 1 really expensive grill, someone's backyard, an assortment of meat, proper buns (hotdog and hamburger), corn, possibly some beans, tomatos, lettuce, onions, ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish, pickles, plates, forks, knifes, a plethora of beverage choices, etc.


And that is why I love traveling- simplicity. A lot of times it is easy to lose sight of why we are doing things and forget that it is not necesary to over do everything and to have so much stuff. My australian barbies just came down to people getting together, enjoying the beautiful sunshine, taking advantage of the free/public grills, and just hanging out. In other countries, people don't seem to forget this lesson as easily. I'm glad that I am remembering.


That being said, I do feel a bit little like an American snob in one respect. I'm having the hardest time with the way the internet works here. Australia is sort of deceptive. It feels a lot more like home and looks a lot more like home than a lot of countries but it is still different and challenging in its own way. It is hard to explain, but if for example, I were traveling to Mexico or China, I would expect a lower level of similarity to my American life. But, Australia kind of reels you in (as I imagine England would) because it is sort of similar. So then it is easy to gradually expect and crave the comfortable, easy life I had at home. I think that makes it harder for me to laugh at myself when things go wrong here ( my bus woes, etc.). I just have to keep remembering that despite the similar language, this is a foreign country.


My original thought was going towards the internet situation. Here, you pay by how much you download unless you pay a lot of money every month for unlimited access. So plans include 1 or 2 or 5 or 8 or 12 GB/month. On campus, there is a system called NetCheck. So it is possible to access university websites, but outside of those, you have to enter in your username and password for Netcheck. Every student gets $20 credit each semester. I don't know exactly how it works, but watching a few youtube videos would use up pretty much all of that credit. It just seems like in a place like this, there wouldn't be these sort of restrictive systems.


Ok. I'm done complaining. Yes, I will be attending more barbies and spending less time on the internet. Yay for simplicity!

Chi, Needles, and Getting Lost

I've been intrigued by acupuncture for the past year or so. I've heard directly from one friend who has benefited from treatment and a few friends who have secondary information stories.

I met a girl at a party last weekend who is a student at the Natural Medicine school here. The party was of some theme that resulted in the birthday girl wearing a mermaid outfit, a few people dressed as wolves, one little red riding hood, and an Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Yeah, it sounds a little odd, but I had a great time playing uno, table fusbol, and eating kinder surprises. Yum!

Despite her rainbow brite outfit, I got some information from the acupuncture student and decided to check out the student clinic. I went for my first appointment today. I don't know if I have issues finding places or if places are really difficult to find when they're all squished together. Anyhow the address was 105. I passed a bunch of restaurants (all with no #'s) then I passed 101, then 103, then 111 or 113, then came the street that I had made a note of (from google maps) which meant I'd gone too far. Right, so I'm not used to cities, but this was the small town of Southport, it shouldn't have been that difficult. Finally, in an effort to arrive on time, I called and got better directions. Silly me, the building was one that came before the building marked 101 and then I had to walk up some stairs (a far distance back from the street) and around some random apartment building. Am I directionally challenged or does this happen to everyone?

The main reason I was going was for cramps and basically to see if I could benefit from better chi movement. I was a little nervous about the actual insertion of the needles. It didn't bother me that the girls were still in school and not actually practicing. I think that as students, they might have less experience, but probably pay more attention to detail and are open to trying new things. One of the girls was in her 3rd year of study and therefore only allowed to observe. But, she said they were excited just to have patients. After a lengthy q and a session, we got down to business. I dont know how many needles there were or how long they were because I couldn't look at them. Only a few of them pinched when inserted. The others I didn't really feel. There were a few in my feet, my legs, and one in my tummy. They also lit a few little cones (moxa) and put them on the needles to heat the acupoints. Very interesting.

The needles stayed in for a little while (10-15 min?). I closed my eyes and just focused on relaxing. At one point, I sort of wanted photo documentation of me volunteering to get poked by needles. However, I thought it might be a little inappropriate to ask to have a picture taken. And I think that one should avoid inappropriate requests of her acupuncturist. After the needles were removed, I felt really relaxed yet energetic at the same time. I don't know if that was an effect of the acupuncture or just how I happened to be feeling today. The student gave me some chinese herb capsules to take also.

It's too soon to see big results, so I think I'm putting acupuncture on the same plan as yoga: I'm going to do it regularly for a few months and asses the results then. Whatever the result, at least I will have satisfied my curiousity!

How to get settled

Step 1: Acquire Driver's License
My first souvenir. Useful (even if you don't have a car) as proof of address, idenification (so you don't have to bring your passport to the bar),etc.

Step 2: Cell Phone
I brought mine from home and just got a new sim card. Plans are not as generous (cheap) as in the US. Avoid international 'phone calls' all together by using Skype.

Step 3: Figure out how to navigate buses
See other blog post. As an addendum, I've since learned that sometimes the system is broken and you get free bus rides. And other times, you end up paying extra because the system breaks in the middle and you can't scan your card as you get off the bus. I guess it all balances out in the end.

Step 4: Find a yoga studio/running route/means to relax
I run along the path by the beach. There are always tons of fit people running/walking/playing. I also have started doing yoga on a somewhat regular basis (2x week). During class, I often feel clumsy, inflexible, and overweight. I'm just glad they don't have mirrors in the studio! But, I continue going because of the feeling after class. I feel relaxed, revived, and just wonderful in general. I also found a community pool so I can continue training for tri's.

Step 5: Classes/Uni
Ick! Setting up my schedule was super easy thanks to the University having a very thorough website. It's almost too much info though. Acquiring books is a hassle as they don't believe in used books and so there's usually a new edition of books for each year. This means paying full price. Finding motivation to go to class is a tough one. Especially when it involves catching a bus for 30-45 minutes. And then there's the fact that profs here post powerpoint slides summing up the lectures.

Step 6: Go to New Zealand-immediately!
This only applies to those of us who have issues with getting visas on time.

Step 7: Find a Place to Live
For normal people, this is Step 1. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay with a friend and take my time finding a place. After looking through classifieds and ads on campus, I found a place on the street next to the beach. I can check the waves from the living room windows and bask in the sun on the couch on the lanai. Perfect!

Step 8: Find a Job (Haven't done this one yet)
Not originally on my list, this is quickly becoming a necesity if I want to continue to eat and drink.

Step 9: Buy a bike (Haven't gotten to this one either)
I see cyclists all the time. I've got to get on this so I can continue training....

Step 10: I couldn't end the list at #9
So what comes next? Making friends (with cars) and traveling!! Enjoying my last 5 months as a student.

A Picture A Day- August 3

Inspired by an aussie magazine, I've started taking (at least) one picture a day. The original idea utilized a Polaroid camera for only one pic/day, but I'm modifying it slightly. I'll be using my digital camera and am allowed to pick the best picture from the day. Basically, it's to encourage me to take more pictures.

But the pictures will also tell the story of the interesting things I encounter/do here in Australia. I've found that I'm obsessed with street signs, random signs, and mailboxes. Today's pic is one of the more intriguing ones. I took it while walking to the grocery store today. This is just on the side of the road in a residential section. Not everyday you see one of these.

Culinary Delights

I’ve gotten into food lately. There are so many yummy looking asian restaurants here on the gold coast. And I have found a new hobby: grocery store perusing. At home in the US, I used to avoid the grocery store like the plague. And when I went, I just made a loop around the outside with a few stops on some of the aisles. I could probably count the number of times I’ve been down the baking aisle on one hand. My philosophy is that if it’s not healthy, I’m not learning how to make it. BUT, now that I’m in a fun (foreign) place again grocery shopping has become fun. I love looking at all the different stuff. It is so hard to resist those fabulous Cadbury chocolate bars with fillings such as tiramisu and crème brulee. It’s really unfortunate that they only come in size XXL.

During my first week here, we went to a really great thai restaurant. Most places here are BYO and then they charge a small corking fee. I think it has something to do with licensing requirements and availability. Anyhow, BYO works for me. Back to the Thai restaurant… the table was challenging to climb into. Especially for those of us wearing dresses. It was sort of a bench style set up with big cushions to lean back on. We ordered a “banquet” (set menu) so we could sample everything. It was all delicious, but I’m still partial to green curry as well as papaya salad. Yum!

Next culinary delight was a Tian Ran, a restaurant that serves a type of meat substitute (similar to tofu) imported from Asia. Everything is vegetarian or vegan and they use bean curd, mushrooms, soy protein, and seaweed in addition to the meat substitute. The thing is that the tofu or whatever it is has the same texture and almost the same consistency as meat. I had Mushroom Beancurd Rolls and Chicken and Vegetable in Satay Sauce. Yeah, they menu calls it Chicken or Beef or Seafood even though it isn’t really. I was surprised at how Chicken like it seemed. I also had a bite of the “beef” which was really good too. I’m sure I’ll going back to this place soon.

I’ve also been trying to cook new stuff at home. I made lentil soup (with veggies, tomatoes, chick peas, potatoes, etc.) the other day. I was impressed that it was actually decent. It lacked a little flavor (maybe more spices?) but at least I know it was totally healthy. And since I have a habit of piling more and more veggies on, it lasted for a few days. I feel like cooking is more worth it when there are leftovers for another meal.

I’ve been doing a lot of veggies and tofu. Pumpkin is very big here but I haven’t mastered how to cook it. Or cut it for that matter. I like that it’s sweet – somewhat along the lines of a sweet potato. I’ve just recently started cooking with tofu so I’m not exactly sure what I’m doing, but at least I’m getting some protein. I’ve been eating a good amount of meat-free meals. I guess that’s a good thing.

Sushi! Sushi is big here too. I’ve been practicing my sushi-rolling skills. I made my own sushi (from start to finish) for the first time last night and I must say it was delicious. I cooked up some tofu with a sweet chili sauce and incorporated that along with tuna, avocado, lettuce, carrots, and onion.

Lastly, my newest breakfast trend is muesli with a splatter of yogurt, and some banana. I’m really hoping the muesli is good for me. I haven’t really checked into it because I just assume that everything that tastes like cardboard must be good for you.

Setbacks and Small victories

I rarely-if ever- used public transportation in the US because a) I always had a vehicle (not a good reason, I know) and b) the places where I lived were small towns were public transport was limited and not conducive to performing everyday tasks (getting to class, etc.). As I have become more earth conscious, I’m learning to embrace alternative forms of transportation. Also, living in a place where I don’t have a vehicle is a motivating factor.

I thought Australia’s transportation system was going to be super easy to navigate. And it is if you know that you have to waive the bus down if you’re not catching it at a main stop (the mall, etc.). I didn’t know this and the bus definitely passed my by without even slowing down. I was aiming to get to campus super early so the time setback wasn’t a big deal. And I suppose it was sort of funny later on. So, lesson learned: wave frantically at bus to ensure that it stops.

Next lesson. I’m still getting used to Australian money. They have $1 and $2 coins. The $2 coin is smaller than the $1. The 20 and 50 cent coins are bigger and a different metal than the $1 and $2 coins. I realized that I was the only person getting on the bus, digging through my purse for the proper coins to pay my bus fare, and feeling like a jerk for holding up the line. After a little research, (the translink website is really great) I realized that everyone else had a “go card.” Basically, you prepay and load money on the card. Then, as you get on and off the bus you just scan the card and it automatically calculates your fare and subtracts it from your account. Super easy. I’m sure that in real cities in the US, they have the same sort of set-up. But like I said, I’m not educated when it comes to bus systems.

I managed to find a place to buy a concession (student) “go card” and I incorporated the journey to fetch the card into one of my runs because it was sort of on the way. But I couldn’t load money onto it online because I have an overseas credit card. Of course. So I just used some cash to get started. And off I went feeling super proud of myself for figuring all of this out. I was sort of annoyed that they’re changing the “go card” discount. Currently, you get ½ price rates after 6 trips in one week. Next week they’re changing it to after 10 trips in one week. The way my schedule is, I will be making 6 trips/wk.

Today I took the bus to school (this involves switching buses at the mall and a 60-75 minute time commitment) and when I went to get off, the scanner wouldn’t read my card. Or any card. The bus driver said the system was useless and he couldn’t fix it. The driver of the other bus I was on just pressed a few buttons and made it work. I suggested this to the second bus driver and he was not impressed or motivated to help me any more. I’m pretty sure there’s a fee for not scanning your card when you get off the bus which is way more than my fare would have cost.

Two steps forward and one step back I guess.

*Note: The sign says "hail driver" and has a pic of a guy doing just that, but the stop where I got missed by the bus was an unofficial stop and so it didn't have a sign.