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Melbourne, Australia. Photo by: Stacy Geldin

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Victoria, Australia. Photo by: Shelly Wilson

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Great Ocean Road, Australia. Photo by: Robert Key

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Brisbane, Australia. Photo by: Rachel Stanwick

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Pumpkin Island, Australia. Photo by: Jade Corbet

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Sydney, Australia. Photo by: Nick Hayes

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Kununurra, Australia. Photo by: Bryan Hoff

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Great Ocean Road, Australia. Photo by: Phillip Hughes

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Sydney, Australia. Photo by: Kristen King

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Byron Bay, Australia. Photo by: Lorraine Axon

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Emerald Beach, Australia. Photo by: Isobel Kasper

Destination of the Week...

Nimbin is a small town in New South Wales that is known as the “Alternative Capital of Australia”. To many backpackers though, it is known simply as the Amsterdam of the Southern hemisphere. Nimbin is a liberal community in the sub-tropical foothills of an extinct volcano, in the Rainbow Region of Australia. It is a society largely made up of artists, musicians, and… recreational drug users. While the drugs are not legal here, it doesn’t seem to lessen the use. Street dealers are anywhere and everywhere, and range from young adults to senior citizens. But, it is not necessarily the open use of drugs that makes Nimbin unique. What stands out is the relaxed, friendly, tranquil lifestyle of the helpful and inquisitive people. Residents of Nimbin take the expression “laid back” to a whole new level. So much that people seldom seem to know what day it is in this town! Nimbin is a perfect example of a society in which all are welcome. It shows that when communities work together, they can find creative, sustainable solutions to many environmental and socio-economical issues, that we face in all corners of the world.

Nimbin is located about one hour by car from Byron Bay, and is surrounded by communities where people live off the land amongst rainforests and waterfalls that are practically untouched by the modernity of urban life.

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Northern Queensland, Australia. Photo by: Paul Holjak

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Byron Bay, Australia. Photo by: Suzanne Bergkuist

Written for the Road...

DOWN UNDER is famed travel writer Bill Bryson’s original and often humorous take on Australia, a land that is truly like no other. Straying from the usual boring facts, Bryson takes his armchair travelers on a wild, colorful ride through Australia’s vast, rare, and diverse landscapes. DOWN UNDER bounces the readers from the Outback to the Great Barrier Reef, from Australia’s capital of Canberra to Melbourne, and all the way up the Gold Coast. The book is written like a campfire story, dancing between tales of deadly snakes and box jellyfish, to candid views of the Aboriginal people, to interesting historical anecdotes about the land. By the time you finish DOWN UNDER, you may have a better understanding of Australia than the locals. Regardless, you will most certainly feel as if you had spent time on Australia’s infamous beaches, driven its countless miles of scenic coastlines, dove under its crystal blue waters, viewed its most colorful reef, walked around its spiritual rock, and wandered around in the quiet beauty of the Outback.

I had read DOWN UNDER just before I visited Australia, and believe me when I tell you that I am glad I did. Through Bill Bryson’s unique style of storytelling, I gained an appreciation of Australia, even before I touched its soil.

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Ayers Rock, Australia. Photo by: Eric Fieland

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Hostel of the Week...

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Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo, Sunshine Coast, Australia. Photo by: Eric Fieland

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Byron Bay, Australia. Photo by: Eric Fieland

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Daintree Rainforest, Australia. Photo by: Eric Fieland

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