|
Australia
Reviewer: | See all reviews by
Section: Hippie Havens | Category: Place | Area: Australia | Topic: Hippiedom
 Print this review  Email this review
 Many communes in the bush, ferals & some small hippie communities. Nimbin & Byron Bay are two cool places to check out. Also the Rainforest around Kuranda (good hostel there) & Cape Tribulation. Australians now spend more money on marijuana than on wine, and almost as much as BEER! How things have changed down under!
Please visit our Hip Guide to Australia for lots of information for the independent traveler!
Chat with others about Australia in our Australia forum!
See beautiful pix from Australia in our Australia Gallery.
|
| [ Back to Reviews Index | Post Comment ]
Visitor Comments about Australia
Posted by virginia on 2007-12-15 21:15:06
My Score:
Comment: hi, im an 18 year old american. i really need to get away from the closed mindedness and materialism of my school and family. its just killing me. im ready to leave and live with people i can learn from. people who are interested in the real truths of the world. im a little hesitant to just pick up and leave only because im a young girl so i want to go to a place that is welcoming and has people around my age. maybe a place i could get a small job and live on a beach. if anyone has any suggestions or knows of a place like this it would be much appreciated.
peace and love
|
Posted by arielle on 2007-11-07 00:56:54
My Score:
Comment: im a 21 year old female from hawaii. i lived in nimbin for 4 months and byron bay for 2. i fell in love with the area and decided to go to SCU in lismore this february. im looking to live off campus and trying to find alternative-style flatmates in that area. any references would be great. thanks
|
Posted by Lozzie on 2007-06-13 11:34:44
My Score: 
Comment: Hey im Lauren call me loz lozzie whatever you wish!
I am 21 years old and my mum recently sent me to Cape Tribulation to see where she used to live in a commune! I had to stay in some hut in the rainforest even though i would of rathered a tent n a campfire. During the day i didnt do the touristy thing, i went off alone to search for anyone who was up there in the 70s!
I went into a few ''priv prop'' houses that were old as anything but look rad! and i came accross a man in his 60s who actually knew my mum because he lived in the house on the land that was the commune. i was blown away ..at 21 yrs of age my mum was standing where i was standing too.. it was amazing...
After the blockade in the 70s all the hippy communities were pushed off the beach and forced out...then man took me to a broken down shack where mum n her friends at the commune made their own youghurt , bread and milk.. they had their own veggi garden and chooks, goats and cows.. i was standing there... it was a bit over grown but even when i took back the photos to my mum she recognised the place and the man living on the land where the commune WAS actually built a tin roof n stuff around the shack so it doesnt become even more destroyed.
There was a cement bench mum used to cut the food on... and i stood in front of it and couldnt belive my eyes...
i met 3 ppl that knew my mum and i was dircected to Port Douglas where one of the men that was head of the commune lived. i went to his house. met him. he showed me photos. told me amazing stories.
I thought it would all be gone and just a bunch of touros but hey they are still around im taking my mum back in September up to Cape Trib and we are allowed by the man that owns the property to camp there instead of the cabins...i cannot wait..i wish it would all start up again i would be there now...everyday life is not for me..i am different...soul searching.....
If anyone feels the same or would like to talk about ne thing leave a comment back..
I only found this site by searching for a poster!!! lol...thought i would tell all my story!!!!!
is there any communes out there in Cairns??? i dont like the city. AND my mum would be amazed.
Lozzie x x x
peace.love.happieness
|
Posted by dee on 2007-04-13 05:44:30
My Score:
Comment: i live in newcastle australia and seriouslly would like to find some hippie people to hang with. someone please help or tell me where the hell to go in newcastle
|
Posted by alyce on 2007-03-29 14:57:29
My Score:
Comment: Hi im a vegan, animale loveing, nature loving, society (as a hole) no so loving-(cos of how we as a hole treat our darling mother earth) kind of a girl. I belive animals and plants lives should be equal to our own. Also if your going to be Vego due to the love of animals i want you to think about the fact that animals get treated just as badley producing milk or other products derived from them as cows born for slaughter. This is due to the moden age of FACTORY FARMING (something you may consider googling). Also dont ignore ANIMALE TESTING which could be used to produce the skin produts you where. On that note be aware of the produts you put down the drain try using chemical free detergants and soo on!!! With that said consider what your really saying in the statement of being an animal lover. Unless your prepeared to give as much as this statement REALLY claims
|
Posted by Testerdzf on 2007-03-15 11:38:50
My Score:  
Comment: Helloioz - this is just a testing, don''t worry about it
|
Posted by Aga on 2006-11-20 12:58:47
My Score:
Comment: Hi all happy people
Does anyone know any alternative places in Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast?????
|
Posted by Anna on 2006-10-01 17:59:52
My Score:
Comment: I used to live just outside Nimbin in a multiple occupany. It was beautiful, we co-owned 800 acres, and privately owned 2 acres. If you are looking for an alternative life style, then head to the Northern Rivers Rainbow Region. It is basically a triangle between Byron Bay, Nimbin and Kyogle. Byron Bay is less of a hippy haven than it used to be, it is now more of a surfy and tourist town. Hippy areas are more Nimbin, Lismore, The Channon, Bangalow, Numulgai, Dunoon, Cawongla, Clunes and Mullumbimby. But Nimbin, The Channon and Lismore is the main area. Lismore is fantastic in many ways, it offers a decent size town with an excellent university, and has such a variety of ecclectic souls, there is no way one couldn''t fit in.
This whole region is fabulous if you are looking to start a self sufficent lifestyle, and many properties are already set up and ready to buy. Solar power is very very common, as is mudbrick, composting toilets, orchards and permaculture. If you are seeking a permaculture lifestyle, check out the permaculture village in Nimbin called Jalenbar (spelling may be wrong).
For the best markets in all the world visit The Channon markets or The Bangalow markets, they are superb, you will see harp players, organic produce, hippy sandals, a huge variety of clothing especially indian imports, people drumming and selling African drums, handmade items and so much more. I recommend buying Nachos from the South American guy... it is to die for!
And for all of you who like a little maryjane... at Mardi Grass, only buy your cookies from the lady with the fairy wings. That''s a hot tip :)
|
Posted by on 2006-04-21 19:18:12
My Score:
Comment: Gosh there are so many things i want to say about all the comments... but yearrh i grew up in northern nsw and have been an activist/anarchist/vegan/(insert any alternative label here) for a while now. To all those 16 years olds posting - get out there and do it - i left home at 15 and went and lived on a commune it was the best thing i ever could have done specially going through teenage bullshit - i spent alot of time alone in the bush letting the earth be my guide. There are plenty of like minded beautiful people in this country - I think it is apart of our culture to be a bit rebellious :) (mmm although its not seeming to effect the howard contingent ;)
Its nice to read all the experiences people have mentioned - and yes nimbin, byron and even bello now ain''t what they use to be but there surely are plenty of people there who are still keeping it radikal and these communities and those like them are our roots. For me I loved the time i lived in the Channon with an older woman and through her met many older hippies who were truly inspiring!
Also for me alot of what I have learnt and the many great people i have met were through going to forest blockades, aboriginal tent embassys, reclaiming the streets, working in food co-ops, doing food not bombs, studying at uni, hitching round country, going to things like SOS, confest, anarchist conferences, festivals like global carnival, woodford, sheliafest, belladonna, volunteering in community organisations, etc etc - living out my beliefs, continually being reinspired and making something out of nothing - DIY.
Life is beautiful! and there are so many funky ways in which you can go about living it... live simply so others may simply live! x
|
Posted by Natalie on 2006-04-11 10:01:34
My Score:
Comment: Hey
I live in Sydney Australia
I dont know if i am "hippie" but i love the hippie outlook on life
and all my day dreaming revolves around the hippie stereotypes lol
i dont know if thats a good thing but i love it
send me an email :) :) :)
earthbyocean@yahoo.com.au
|
Posted by Rachael on 2006-03-08 11:08:13
My Score:
Comment: Hey everyone! If your looking for a nice place in Australia, a quiet place. Go visit Belligen Or Coffs Harbour, I live in Coffs Harbour, and often go out to Belligen, which is about 20 Minutes from here. We have nice beaches and people here! i hope everything works out for everyone of you.. you seem like beautiful people. have a good one. Much love
Rachael
|
Posted by mr bojangles on 2006-02-24 09:45:58
My Score:
Comment: I wanna have a hippy hang out space a place where old and young hippies can go. i was driving to gosford 1 hour north of sydney and the universe was lookin'' out for me and the hippie girl on the road hitchin a ride. I saw her and she was a beautiful thang and so young and cute and petite. I said what r u doin hitchin this stretch this late , who do u think would pick u up besides truckies. she said someone like you would come along. WOW thats lookin out 4 ya. any way we travelled and spent a couple days goin to byron and stoppped at the beaches went skinny dippin and smoked a lot . she was 17 and had just finished school we hung out for a month and she had her 18th birthday we went to the pub. I am blown away I am twice her age but its working and we are hanging in there,so its all cool and we are soul mates. I am having to re-evaluate myself all the time she makes me think and I am the one who has to be reminded of your only as old as the one you feel.
|
Posted by marty on 2006-01-26 05:04:14
My Score:
Comment: p.s. i forgot 2 mention the girl i would like 2 find would be in the age group of 20-50 , and have no strings, .long hair, good natured, easygoing, love nature, like traveling, and be a little wild, and cheeky,,,... hope thats not 2 much 2 ask of cupid,,lol.
marty:]
|
Posted by marty on 2006-01-18 07:42:37
My Score:
Comment: hi all, im Marty, 40, longhaired, slim, healthy, barefooted most of the time, and i love =nature, peaceful animals, goodhearted people, fresh food n vegies,doing good deeds, living life as simple as possible, i have a Bedford LWB van fitted out to live in.
im currently living on the central coast, and i feel like im trapped, and i cant handle the hustle and bustle of the fast society, i want to just pick up and escape .
find a beautiful girl and travel, go to beautiful places and meet nice people, and live happy after my email add is hippymarty_69a@hotmail.com if there are any girls out there interested
love Martyxxx
|
Posted by tiffany on 2005-11-08 01:11:26
My Score:
Comment: My friend and I are graduating Naturopathic Medical School and looking for a chill place in Australia to relax by the beach and learn more natural medicine. Anyone have any recommendations? Thanks, Tiffany
|
Posted by tiffany on 2005-11-08 01:11:11
My Score:
Comment: My friend and I are graduating Naturopathic Medical School and looking for a chill place in Australia to relax by the beach and learn more natural medicine. Anyone have any recommendations? C
|
Posted by mani rani poo on 2005-09-14 06:34:33
My Score:
Comment: hello fellow hippieis or hippy lovers. I am a true hippy from the 70''s I went to Nimbin and lived at tuntable falls commune after the aquarious festival. I have lived on communities all my life , visted hundreds of places and lived the hippy dream. MAry from sydney posted looking for hippie here I am. email hippy for all hippy info. FLower child AKA Casey talked about bello (bellingen) its a beautifull place slowly being taken over by more amd more conservative people who would rather read about nice lovely places in coffee table books. Bello is my dreaming place and despite the changes 100''s of real people hiding in the valleys. where is casey now? What a great comment "when I grow up I wanna be a hippie" yes yes do it. I decided to leave lower upper middle class canberra in the early 70"s and went straight to nimbin. never forget the ethos the integrity of the search for the human spirit, goals were to find a place , heart and commune with nature. Lets go down to the forest lets go seek the council of the trees and celebrate 4 million years of peace. I started down to earth in australia after visiting rainbow festivals in california and we established the state based down to earth movement. I have never given up I will be a hippie till I die.
post email here in comments and will be hippie to enlighten enyone.
mani rani poo is a joke by the way.
my real title is grand funnel master III (3rd) mango tree
email mikaloviche@hotmail.com.au
The grand poo bar himself
POBox 230 enmore 2042 sydney nsw australia
|
Posted by lachlan on 2005-08-14 15:06:44
My Score:
Comment: hey all, im living in perth rite now. and im 16. my dream is to leave scool after graduation n go live down south by myself and just discover life. i was wondering if there is any other hippies in w.a. and if there are any communes down south, cos thatd be a pretty amazing experience. thats about all, this site rocks.
|
Posted by verushka on 2005-07-31 00:14:44
My Score:
Comment: Let me tell you a secret, the most alternate, bohemian, hippy place to live in NSW is Bello. Bellingen, on the Mid North Coast. A thriving community of peace loving, organic growing, like minded community people. In fact , there is a community right next door to me on the Kalang Rd. And another just out of Bello off the highway called Bundagen. Look up the site. They make the best breads (sold at the bellingen markets). The community is right on the beach, were they swim naked and free, they have built beautifull rustic shacks out of wood and stained glass. Byron was wonderful many years ago, but large groups of yuppies have moved into the area and spoiled the atmosphere. It is full of wannabe hippies who put up shopping malls and large hotels to attract more wannabe hippies.
Bellingen is the hippytown!
|
Posted by slarti on 2005-06-17 12:23:57
My Score:
Comment: Well it seems I am wrong there are some hippies on line, hello fire-fairy I am also in Newcastle and yes I don’t get treated with much respect, people see someone with no shoes and automatically think ya a bum or just chuck something at you. I also have grand plans building a mud brick house, growing food and living by my own rules, the good life simple yes but do you really need more.
Peace love and freedom to you all, and if anyone would like to chat slartibardfast@happyhippie.com
|
Posted by flower child aka casey on 2005-05-20 16:28:54
My Score:
Comment: My name is Casey and i haev always been amazed by thippies, wen i was 7 yeras old our family went to a holiday at bellingen and i was so happy and felt at home there, thats when i announced "mum, when i grow up, i want to be a hippie" .mum lauhghed, now i am 15 all i want is to go and live in nimbin or byron or bello, i get in trouble at skool for my way of thinkin...
your born, you livem you die, y not have fun ,y does education have to take up all of mylife
"you have nothing when you come into this workld and u take nothing with you, haev fun." I got in so much trouble for my way ofthinkin.. and i just want to get out and go to a place where pple rnt afraid to be different... I LOVE LIFE, and i think its important that pple express what they are feeling through what they wear and do , livein herr i cant.... and... oh well i still live on teh hope that when i get older.. i can go and live from a tent in bryon or bello or nimben... LOVE YOU ALL
|
Posted by Rani on 2005-05-19 08:13:06
My Score:
Comment: Hi Everyone!
My name''s Rani and I''m looking for people from established communes to speak/do fun workshops (or whatever is outrageous!) at the Students of Sustainability conference as part of our Alternatives-themed day.
Feel free to check out www.sos2005.org for more info. It''s a conference that happens every year at a national level, to bring up environmental and social justice issues.
If anyone is interested, drop us an e-mail: rani_lukita@yahoo.fr
Thanks heaps!
Rani
|
Posted by Voodoo Doll on 2005-05-10 09:33:36
My Score:
Comment: i used to live in byron until i was 7 & then i moved to brisbane, but i have never been able to let go of that lifestyle that was in byron, great people, beautiful beaches, a healthy supply of hash, would more could you ask for, i dont see how people done find the hippie life style appealing, many city people dont appriciate it until they have experienced it, i feel like i am the only one, is there any one else who feels passionatly like me in the hippie lifestyle, i think every one in aussie who feels like this should move to byron as soon as u get the chance, im gonna feeling my schooling and then im outta here, off to byron. i just wounder if there is anyone else who wants to just chill on the beach, have a few billies, and talk about life...isnt that what life is all about....
Peace xx
|
Posted by Nat on 2005-04-26 18:15:57
My Score:
Comment: What exactly is a ''Kibbutz''??
|
Posted by guy on 2005-04-16 10:27:13
My Score:
Comment: hi
i''ve been asking around for years if people were interested in forming a kind of commune/ kibbutz (if you know what that is!!) in sydney. no-one seems interested - oh well. if anyone is then contact me at parkilfe30@hotmail.com
guy
|
Posted by Bessie on 2005-04-13 04:29:49
My Score:
Comment: when i first heard of nimbin i thought wow a place of peace, happiness and fun. when i finally did my research ive found out that i definately do not want to go there for a visit. i smoke weed and thats it i dont want to go to a place where 9 year olds come up to me in the street and try to sell me heroin or cocaine.
its more about the heavy drugs these days and im sick of it i just want a nice place to sit around with nice people and nice weed.
|
Posted by Johan on 2005-04-10 10:59:04
My Score:
Comment: I''ve travelled round a lot of this country and still haven''t found a more tolerant city than Brisbane. I grew up there and still remember seeing the cops sitting atop the fish and chip shop roof talking with the goths that normally inhabit the various high places around the city. So long as you''re not naked, no one cares how you dress and it is really a very nice city.
|
Posted by fire-fairy on 2005-03-28 14:11:46
My Score:
Comment: Hey everyone, I live in a place called newcastle at the moment, and theres nawt many hippies around here. They just look at me differently coz I look different and dress different, but for a lilttl while I was living in Blackheath in the Blue mtns, and there were alot more hippies that way, and it was accepted alot more.
|
Posted by Slarti on 2005-03-08 11:25:59
My Score:
Comment: Hippie It''s all in the head. There seems to be a lot of people looking for hippies on the web, sorry to say Australian hippies don''t seem that fond of this forum but we are here. If you are looking for hippies try the harvest trail for an unique holliday, Peace Love and Freedom to you all.
|
Posted by Sarina on 2005-02-10 07:58:43
My Score:
Comment: I lived in Oz for a short 5 months, last January to May. I was going to Bond Uni and was based near Surfers, but had plenty of time to travel. I did most of it on my own which I found very refreshing and fun. Nimbin was not exactly what I expected. Too many fucked up kids selling drugs - the vibes were all wrong for me. Byron Bay was amazing though. There is a mix of folks, tourists included of course, but overall it is great place to chill out. The beach is wonderful, especially sleeping under the stars right there. That was one of the best experiences of my life. If you try it, make sure to bring something warm though. Illuka was a place I did a volunteer thing at. We weeded out a bunch of non-native species and planted native trees and shrubs. It was a world heritage area and reallly beautiful. Camping in Lambington National Park was also a favorite of mine. Anyway, the point is that there are many special places to visit and amazing people to meet. Don''t limit yourself only to the played out spots that get internet coverage. Enjoy the beautiful landscapes and people you encounter along the way!
|
Posted by mary:) on 2005-01-17 14:14:00
My Score:
Comment: heyyy people im from australia sydney , WHY CANT I FIND ANY HIPPIES TO HANG WITH MAN!!!! im serious i think im like the only one , i think being a hippy has made me smile more and made me have a happier life :) im only 16 but i love being a hippy i wana move to america i heard theres heaps of them there, but i think hippies are dieing away :( please if you are in sydney aaustralia let me no :)
byee
|
Posted by hghg on 2005-01-03 14:03:21
My Score:
Comment: Nimbin is not in perth
|
Posted by ange on 2004-12-17 06:19:49
My Score:
Comment: hey are there any places like nimbin in perth western australia???
|
Posted by Belle on 2004-09-11 22:58:23
My Score:
Comment: Hey all, I live in Santa Barbara, California and I am in school to be a photographer. Me and a bunch of other kids in my school are going to Australia to photograph there. I wanted photograph a person in a commune, but I don''t know where I would find a person or even a good commune. Any info would help me out greatly because I can''t go to Australia and shoot nothing. email me or write me back on here.
thanks so much, everyone
Aviva99@aol.com
|
Posted by Stephanie on 2004-08-21 17:19:43
My Score:
Comment: Hey. No one has posted recently, but hopefully this will help someone who stumbles by... I went to Australia for 5 months (I was studying in UTS in Sydney, living in Glebe), and although I thought Byron Bay was a beautiful beach and Nimbin was fun (especially the museum), they were not as rhey were. They have gotten so much attention for those finding a certain life that they have lost what they had in the first place. I do agree with the posers in those places, and because of that the beach at Byron is packed with people littering on the beach and souvenir stores and Nimbin is full of lost souls selling drugs (including other things besides pot and shrooms). I agree that a true hippie would have much more fun at Mission Beach with a beautiful uncrowded beach, the rainforest, and awesome hostels that resemble a big family sharing an awesome house. And although I did start my dreds when I was in Australia, I started them on a Surfari trip. If you want to spend some time with nature and cool people, take one of these trips and surf for a week and camp out in tents at different beaches. If you would rather have a hostel and a pub then a beach, a campfire, and a board, that''s a preference, but my definition of hippie would favor nature over tourists. The trip then ended up in Byron at the Arts Factory, a hostel that is a must see at the very least, with some skills that will come in handy in Byron. I must say that my favorite part of Byron was a bonfire with some dredheads and Aboriginals, however... look by the bus stop on warm nights. Before I step off my soapbox, I would like to say that a hippie is determined by their mindset and not what they look like or where they are. I could as easily be myself and talk to awesome people and see people talk about important political issues, etc. in Glebe Markets in Sydney on Saturdays than in a pub in Byron. Byron and Nimbin are awesome, but someone that is truly a certain way can find a decent area that caters them anywhere in Australia, not just the places that every tourist knows about.
|
Posted by on 2004-05-24 02:31:11
My Score:
Comment: I think people are becoming confused about what it actually means to be a ''hippy'' or what that involves. Wearing beads, having dreadlocks and smoking pot does not make you a hippy. If you want a real ''hippy'' experience or whatever you want to call it, then don''t got to Byron, hell, don''t even go to Nimbin. Explore the world and find a place that''s special to you, not just some town that other people have named a "hippy haven'' or whatever. Its about finding your own place in the world and enjoying all that it has to offer, not getting stoned.
|
Posted by Anne on 2004-05-09 17:37:46
My Score:
Comment: Having been to Nimbin and Byron bay recently i found nimbin to be rather depressing and someplace where a great idea seems to be going wrong, there were too many tired and lost souls who seemed to be there for no other reason then drugs... i dont like when hippy is so closely associated with the useage of drugs and i think that there is a difference between the right to use and those that abuse, it made me sad to see the community in that light. But byron bay also seemed to be becoming yuppi ized... is there anyplace with that balance where hippys live?
|
Posted by wildbabybecky88 on 2004-05-09 08:50:07
My Score:
Comment: hi guys, im in year 11 at a state high school, in australia. i have an english assignment on youth subcultures of australia. and i chose hippys as my topic.
anyways, i have a question more than a comment:
do you think the youth of australia is adopting the "hippy lifestyle" back into their lives?
also if you have any infromatin that may actually help me feel free to send it threw.
my email is teddi_bares@hotmail.com
please reply to tat. ta! becca xox
|
Posted by spikey on 2004-05-07 16:20:19
My Score:
Comment: You guys are forgetting, byron is not the be all and end all, and is overrun with backpackers getting dreadlocks - Mission Beach in the Far North was the place I loved - and should have stayed, illegal or not.
peace xx
|
Posted by GayDjembeBoy on 2003-11-09 22:29:43
My Score:
Comment: Hi there - just looking for sum other gay hippies out there. Am going to confest and live in melbourne. Would love to hear form you! Email me at: witchgod69@hotmail.com or www.gaydar.com.au/hippyboi
|
Posted by karwadi on 2003-06-09 21:56:53
My Score:
Comment: i agree with everything thats been said about nimben and byron bay, both places totally rocked my world, but as a melbourne girl, i''ve spent a lot of time hanging around fitzroy and brunswick, and st kilda (although all are increasingly becoming bopperish and yuppiefied) and they all have a lot of the hippie vibe going. um, there''s a place called goongerah in east gippsland (far eastern victoria) which is all with the hippie coolness, as well. beautiful bush, beautiful people and the best hash in the state. what more could u ask for?
|
Posted by kimbels of kimbelsworth on 2003-06-04 13:25:35
My Score:
Comment: byron bay has to be the best place ive ever been to!! I went there on a school trip to Australia, when I when i was 12, and from what ive bin told my head master had to physicaly drag me out of the market because I didnt want to leave. I felt write at home there!! I cant wait to go back when im older! If anyone is going to Australia, byron bay is a must see! If you don''t go you''ll totaly miss out!
|
Posted by Miss-Penny-Lane on 2002-05-28 03:16:59
My Score:
Comment: In Oz Byron Bay is the place to be, it is beautiful and relaxing alonfg with a fab surf and awesome pub not far from the sand. Close to Nimbin so you are always supplied with the necessities of life. Go there Byron Rocks!
|
Posted by mick on 2002-05-12 04:03:55
My Score:
Comment: hey why is there nothing in here about nimben ..nsw australia .
just do a search and if you use marijuana AND nimben you will hit gold
cheers from downunder
|
|
| 
· Young Hippies Forum
· Hippies From A to Z
· Hippy Chat
· Old Hippie Forum
· Hippie Havens
| More Australia Hippie Havens |
|
