Welcome to the Happy Coach! Please join us on a day trip to Nimbin, The Weed Capital of Australia. There’s only one rule on the bus and that is to stay happy! Ready?

It’s okay if you don’t like Weed (I don’t), but Nimbin has a lot more to offer than just drugs. It’s a real time capsule! It used to be a really tiny and sleepy village with cows walking down the main street (at least that’s how I imagine it). Then something happened. The village hosted the 1973 Aquarius Festival! Heard about it? I hadn’t, but it must have been really good because some of the festival goers never left! Instead, they created the hippie town that Nimbin is today.

Our guide and driver were a true eccentric bohemian, with a published book and two independent movies oh his CV. He was fantastic; entertaining and filled us in on everything we wanted to know and a lot more. With a booming 70’s playlist, we headed off into the Australian countryside. It felt so good to see the countryside again! The Happy Coach stopped by a small waterfall (The Killen Falls) and the Nimbin Rocks (used to be an Aboriginal sacred place) before making it to Nimbin.

Nimbin is a 90mins drive (direct way) from Byron Bay. After driving through macadamia orchards and dairy farms, we eventually turned a corner and there it was! Nimbin! The village is so tiny that it takes less than 5 minutes to walk down the only main street. The main street might be short, but it’s crammed with small stores and cafes. There’s anything from hemp cafes, organic food, local artwork and alternative therapies. The village has a big focus on organic, alternative and ethical products. There’s even an alternative energy company, Rainbow Power Company, that focus on renewable energy.

Like I said, it’s a real time capsule! Nimbin hasn’t undergone any large changes since the Aquarius festival in the 70’s. You simply can’t get closer to the 70’s anywhere else in Australia! It’s the alternative, hippie and spiritual mecca of Australia. The town is attracting the fair amount of tourists/hippie-wannabees, but it’s easy to spot the locals! Most of them are friendly and up for a chat as well.

We had a coffee at a cafe called “pot of gold” and walked around. We had about 1 hour to explore Nimbin on our own (it’s a tiny place after all) before it was lunch. We met up with our guide at a local park for a burger that was obviously cooked on the barbie (BBQ). It can’t get more Aussie than that!  The burger was pretty basic, but it’s included in the price and was enough to fill us up for a while.

We then headed off to the Candle Factory and the Bush Theatre that are located just outside Nimbin. We got the VIP treatment and was escorted around by a big rooster! The Bus Theatre and cafe turned out to be my favorite spot. It’s a lot more relaxed, less tourists/wannabes and they do everything from movie screenings to concerts.

What: The Happy Coach/Nimbin
Where: Departs from Byron Bay
When: Any day. 10:00- 16:30
How: Best booked through their website.
Price: $40/person, which included a basic hamburger for lunch.