Many people out there on Steemit will never have heard of Nimbin. It's a village about 70kms west of Byron Bay, one of Australia's leading wedding, holiday and backpacker destinations. It's also a place full of hippies, campervans and chilled out lifestyles - as you'd expect from a beautiful coastal area of Australia.
Nimbin - The Amsterdam of Australia!
According to Wikipedia:
Nimbin has been described in literature and mainstream media as 'the drug capital of Australia', 'a social experiment' and 'an escapist sub-culture'. It's also an icon in Australian cultural history with many of the values first introduced there by the counterculture becoming part of modern Australian culture.[3]
Australia's Answer to Woodstock - The Aquarius Festival 1973
1973 was the year that the Aquarius Festival, a large gathering of university students, practitioners of alternative lifestyles, 'hippies' and party people, was held in the village. And the place has never been the same since.
After the festival hundreds of participants and festival goers remained in Nimbin in search of an "alternative lifestyle" and formed communes and other multiple occupancy communities. In fact, Nimbin made legal history for the first ever application of group title ownership of land in Australia. Since then, MO (or Multiple Occupancy) has spread throughout Australia.
Since the Aquarius Festival, the region has attracted thousands of writers, artists, musicians, actors, environmentalists and permaculture enthusiasts, as well as tourists and young families escaping city life.
Below are some pictures from the era.
Nimbin Today - Marijuana Mardi Gras
Without a doubt, going to Nimbin is an experience you won't forget in a hurry. It's a strange motley crew of characters to say the least. But enough from me... let the video tell the rest of the story!
Some pics from 2015 Mardi Gras:
Nimbin may not be to everyone's taste but it sure as hell is an interesting place to consider visiting if you're ever Down Under.
Hope you enjoyed the read.
Images sourced from: byron-bay.com nla.gov.au staticflickr.com lismoregallery.org nimbinmardigrass.com visitlismore.com.au abc.net.au echo.net.au cannabismoon.com nomadsworld.com