Driving through the locality we arrive at Nimbin, the site of the Aquarius Festival back in 1972. Some of the current residents were people who had attended the festival and then never left. The town is a bit of a throwback in time. They were probably not able to find their way out due to a cannabis induced haze, which it looked like some were still in, just 40 years later (and still wearing the same clothes!).
The Hemp Embassy at Nimbin.
We are yet to discover why the town, or more accurately, collection of 40 or so buildings is called The Channon rather than just Channon. We'll investigate that next time we visit. It is situated about 60km inland from Byron Bay and on no particular route anywhere. There is a lady hitching a lift on the side of the road and we wonder where she might be going. All the roads to it are single carriageway and very much winding country lanes. We arrive at the car park and there are about a 1000 vehicles there, there are even organised coaches bringing people in from Byron Bay itself. Set up around a sports field there are the typical Sunday market offerings with everything from well-made jewellery and wooden trinkets to what could only be described as rubbish from the back of someone's shed. We see the woman who had been hitching, so now we know. A band is setting up as we arrive and by the time we have toured the perimeter of the sports ground they are just breaking in to their first number. We listen a while and they do a pretty good job of presenting some Eric Clapton numbers.
There are also some Jacaranda with Elkhorn Ferns growing around the trunk and branches.
The day is so hot that we make the decision not to eat at the market but to go and find somewhere cooler. Making for a restaurant that had been visited a few years ago and where the food had been good, we arrive to find that, although there is still a sign up saying it's a restaurant, it's closed down. Further travelling brings us to Mullumbimby. The restaurant has patio seating but we opt for inside (mostly because it's full outside!). There are posters and signed pictures on the wall of B.B. King; Bob Dylan; Jimi Hendrix and many others from that era. They are playing 60's Motown over the speakers, and the food is very good.
Further along the road an over-size motorbike makes an impression.
Then it's back to the house for more swimming and a wander around the estate. Some of today's wildlife and landscape spottings:
A Rainbow Lorikeet.
A Scaly-breasted Lorikeet.
View towards Clarrie Hall Dam.
