My flight from Christchurch to Sydney was scheduled for 6:15 am, which meant I needed to be at the airport for 4:15, which meant the airport shuttle was picking me up at 3:15, which meant I got up at 2:45 am. Needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep, but I did sleep for most of the 3 hour flight.

The airport shuttle dropped me off at the Jolly Swagman hostel in the Kings Cross neighborhood of Sydney. I went to check in and when the receptionist asked for my voucher, I reached for my day pack and it wasn’t there. Oh shit!!! I went out to the street and it wasn’t there either. All of my trip vouchers (valued at $1,700), plus my camera, journal and travel guides were in there. I called the shuttle company and after a few minutes they called me back and told me the driver had it. Phew!! That’s what happens when you have to be up at 2:45 in the morning for a flight.

I only had one night in Sydney and I spent it getting everything ready and then I walked down to Circular Quay. It was ANZAC Day, but I had missed the parade. All I got to see was a shitload of fully dressed military personnel drinking in bars all around the city.

The next day, I hung around the hostel waiting until it was time to leave for my overnight bus to Byron Bay. It was a 13 hour bus ride and I got into Byron Bay at about 8:30 am, but had to wait until 1 to check in to the hostel. I watched the Celtics game while I waited. Byron is a surf town and other than the beach and the bars there isn’t much going on.

What I hadn’t considered in Christchurch was the piss poor timing of my tattoo. I was supposed to wait 2 weeks before exposing it to the sun or soaking in water, so the beach was out. This would be a problem over the course of the next few towns. Eventually, I got a case of beer and sat around chatting all night with some of the other backpackers.

The next day, I took a day trip to Nimbin, the weed capital of Australia. Our bus driver encouraged us to drink alcohol and smoke weed all day. In fact, we stopped at the liquor store at like 10:30 before we ever got to Nimbin. I was rockin a pretty serious hangover, so it seemed like a hair of the dog kind of day. I grabbed a 6 pack and drank 2 on the way to Nimbin.

When we got to Nimbin, I went to a hotel and ordered food and a beer. Nimbin was a trip, not literally, but it could have been. We were there for an hour and a half and I got asked 5 times on the street if I wanted to buy weed. Eventually, I did go into an art gallery and buy a few pot cookies. I took half of one right before we got back on the bus. I had a beer on the way to our dinner spot and then ate the other half cookie when we got there. I drank my other beers and pretty much landed in the best high of my life.

We got back to Byron Bay at 6 and I accidentally took a 2 hour nap. When I woke up, I went and got some food and then ended up going back to bed at 9:45, hahaha.

The next day I took the bus to Noosa and checked into the Nomad’s hostel. Most Nomad’s have a reputation as being a party hostel and this one was no different. I needed a couple nights off after Byron though, so I relaxed both nights there. During the one full day that I spent there, I walked an hour down to Noosa National Park and did a 3 hour coastal walk. The beaches were beautiful, but I still wasn’t able to fully enjoy them.

After the walk, I took a stroll down the main street of Noosa andd then headed back to the hostel. That night I ate my 2nd cookie, but without the added alcohol, it didn’t do much for me. The next day I would be taking the bus to Rainbow Beach and it turned out this would be my last relaxing night for a week.