Brisbane to Byron Bay

We arrive in Brisbane and check into the same hotel as Malcolm and Mike, in fact the next room with a view over the Brisbane CBD where building is going on at a rampant pace...the same as the rest of Australia. Brisbanes population is anticiapted to rise from 1.4 million to 4 million by 2020...phew!
Quick dinner with Malcolm and Mike in the Southbank which bears a striking resemblance to Londons Southbank although the view across the harbour and relentless water taxis whisking people to all ports on the harbourside is where the comparison falls lame. Londons underused waterway, one of the greatest in the world is a travesty, even the Romans had water taxis to the northshore for 15 dinari!
In the morning we catch the Byron expressbus. It takes you straight to Byron through the attractive rolling hills along the highway going south. Byron is an island of serenity amongst towns bearing a striking resemblence to its US brethren with all things 'fastfood', allbeit with a charming addition of the Aussie slant. Every town has a blockbuster out of town shopping mall to augment the small line of original shops trying to 'bust' a living on scant takings. The growth of all the coastal towns is stratospheric...what is the legacy?
Byron is still as 'Byronesque' as we arrive in Shirley Street. People of all ages and degrees of hippydom parading with a definite feeling that you have come to animal farm for backpackers. The average age has plummeted from 52 to 27 by crossing the railway line (disused) at the entrance to Byron and the lines of shops implore you to strip off and get on the boardies.
The beach which stretches off into the distance northward has a few surfers near the wreck and a scatter of people soaking up the rays. We settle in to our apartment and nip off to woolworths for a fridge fill.
Byron has notoriousley fickle weather at this time of the year, beautiful sunny days interspersed with rain and storms.
Byron is awash with alternative medicine, treatments, crystal shops etc all pertaining to the health of the body, mind or spirit. Already relaxation has set in and its a town where you can sit in a cafe all day and let the passers-by wash over your visual senses. If you like vegan, vegetarian, fishatarian, low carbo, no gluten or a great side of kangaroo, there is an outlet on the corner.
I check in for acupuncture, a nutritionist, a homeopathist and a chance meeting with a numerist in a jewellers supplies a complement of the treatments on offer. The numerist particularly states some remarkable personality traits for Fo and I from just a birthdate and declares us imcomplete without the third member of the 17/11 gang..i refer of course to domenicus bertellius. We have to replace him with a blue stone which we must grip in our hand from its pocket refuge. Dom if you are there, its not as gripping or satisfying as having an evening of merriment in your company, although clearly a lot cheaper (not relevent).
My acupuncturist is a co-founder of the settlement of Nimbin which rose from the resistance movement which tied themselves to trees in the forest to the northwest of Byron some 30 years ago. From this grew the town which is a testament to freedom, free-love and top quality grass with a slight identity crisis in the rampant free-market economy Australia has become. It still holds on desperately to its roots and there is still a sense of great creativity of thought, music and art. This is evident at the local Sunday market in Byron Bay where food, music and art are all mixed in equal amounts in a scene which would sit comfortably in the San Fran of the 60's, including the odd Geri Garcia lookalike.
When the weather is unsettled in Byron we comfort ourselves with the great devil television but it is the US Open and the World Athletic Championships. How wonderful is television when you can just drink tea in Byron Bay, Aus and watch the Williams sisters in the baking humidity of New York...i must remember not to knock it in future.
Malcolm and Mike drive down from Brisbane to join us for a few days and walks to the Lighthouse with amazing views in all directions and possible dolphin sightings, meals in Why-Dot (Why-not with a cold and a bad font), Fresh and a couple of tight bands at the Beach Hotel round up a trip to the wonderful Byron. The bubble may be bursting though as building is becoming more onerous and expensive and shops with tricky expensive labels seem to creeping in under the cross-wire, ah well, plus ca change! Time to return to the beginning of the round Australia trek, 23,000km later.