Detour to Lismore
January 27th, 2008 by Tiffany Miller
After spending some time wandering around the eccentric hippy town of Nimbin, I decided that I had seen enough. More than enough for my taste, in fact. The town is perfectly set up for the busloads of daytripping tourists to come through and buy their souvenirs and, well, supplies… Honestly, the drum circles on the sidewalks and the dodgy characters hawking their “goods” to passers-by was a bit overwhelming. Although the psychadelic storefronts make for good photos and there are tons of funky little cafes to stop in, I was put off by the intensity of it all (and slightly nauseous from all the burning incense), and jumped back into my car. Distracted by all this chaos, I ended up heading the wrong way out of town and drove south through The Channon and on to Lismore.
The Channon was a sleepy little village in the midst of beautiful subtropical rainforests. It is an enchanting drive, and my frustration from the escape out of Nimbin was quickly diminishing; but there is not much to the town. Since I had taken a really long way around, I thought it best to keep moving. I then came to Lismore, which is in my opinion totally underrated. It still has a slightly hippyish alternative vibe to it, but is decidedly less brash and touristy. The art galleries and animated cafes in town make it an inviting place, and the student population give it a youthful vibrancy. Luckily for me it was Saturday and the market was on. So I meandered through and picked up some fresh bread, organic peanut butter and honey for lunch. Sitting on a bench with a spectacular view of the surrounding hills, I struck up a slow conversation with one of the old farmers who calls this place home. I felt a million miles away from the madness of Nimbin.
I have the feeling that if a YHA were to open here it would quickly become a regular stop on the backpacker circuit. It deserves it more than a few of the places Ive been through. Either way, it is definitely worth a stop if you have a car and are in the area.
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