WHOOPS.
Totally forgot to write about what I've seen and what I've done.
We'll start with Byron, since Sydney and Melbourne and Cairns were pretty well documented, I think. (If not, I'll be happy to elaborate)
Byron Bay is the most easterly point on the eastern coast of Australia. Its lighthouse is the first and last thing that planes and ships see when they're traversing the globe, so that's pretty cool.
The beaches are beautiful and the terrain is really diverse; rolling hills mixed with legit rainforests.
There are also rivers and sounds (I think? I forget the terms...) that are filled with Tea Trees, so the water is reddish brown and very good for the skin.
The town itself is very alternative and sort of stuck in a different time period.
Which period exactly is unclear.
It's both very reminiscent of the 60's and also sort of futuristic with a lot of new age influences, so in effect, it's where history stops and starts.
There's a tendency to just forget about the concept of time when you're there and I really had no idea what day or time it was the whole time.
(Turns out I stayed for 7 days--I thought it was only 4)
There's also a tendency to walk around hungover, barefoot and often sunburned.
The town is about 6 streets long so it's very easy to feel very local, which is nice.
The food is good and the nightlife is great, though a bit more expensive than would be logical for most of the people who frequent the establishments.
You'd think that if everyone's an unemployed hippie, they couldn't afford a $12 sandwich, but you'd be wrong.
Hitchhiking is the prefered mode of transport and I did it a few times from the supermarket to my hostel.
Only once did I feel like maybe I should've just walked, but that was just because the car smelled like burned hair. The people were all fine.
I also got the chance to hike through Minyon Falls which was about an hour out of Byron and it was amazing. Easily one of the most memorable activities thus far, with GORGEOUS sights to behold.
All in all, it's a very good surfer town with a cool atmosphere, though I'd suggest not visiting over school holidays. Teenagers are awful and Aussie teens are the worst.
Between Byron and Noosa I stopped over in Brisbane, which was a city I was originally very disinterested in.
However, after spending just one night there, I have to say that it was a very pleasant surprise and maybe even one of my favorite stops so far.
The city itself is cool and easy to navigate, with tons of street art and pedestrian areas to stroll through.
The botanical gardens and bridge walk are great and offer a really pretty view of the harbour, for free.
I didn't really get a chance to try out the nightlife but it seemed cool as well, if sort of generic (but really, it makes no difference which city I'm in; the drinks taste the same and they do the same thing)
The people were the friendliest in Brisbane as compared with any other city, and for that reason, and because I was so in need of a kind word after Byron, Brisbane holds a little piece of my heart.
Noosa/Noosa Heads is another pretty beach town, though as I'm learning, all the towns along the northeast coast are kind of the same.
They're small, there's a beach on one side and a lot of cute shops and expensive restaurants on the other.
Noosa has a gorgeous beach and some great national park space to walk and hike in, though I was advised not to walk through on my own as a female...after I did.
Don't worry, I'm fine and didn't run into any of the characters they warned against.
But there are quite a few parts of the park that are totally isolated and I can understand why it's not the best idea to walk through at night.
The sunrise here is renowned for good reason, but I think most sunrises are pretty sweet so I'm sort of impartial to anywhere.
Noosa is also the town of roundabouts (traffic circles) as there are about 200 in a teeny tiny area.
It's confusing for drivers and nauseating for passengers, but it looks cool on maps.
Ok that's good for now.
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