Nimbin’s iconic buildings go up in smoke.

[Jaded and Bitter]

Though the actual owner lives in Sydney, the business involved weren't insured. Heard the owner of the museum interviewed yesterday. He said they don't believe in insurance. I wasn't really surprised to hear him say that if I'm honest.

I know it seems like a long shot, but I'm guessing a naked flame or ember was the ignition source..

Lol. Does he believe in insurance now? Bet the landlord did yeah.

Right now hes believing in getting a new shop built for free which he don't have to rent to a stinking hippie museum, and being covered for lost rent in the meantime. What will take its place?

Naked flame or ember? Possibly a scented candle also :lol:

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

A large Orchey bottle with a hose stuck in the side...

 

[kalbarluke]

First time I went to Nimbin was almost 20 years ago. I had just got my licence and went for a drive from Brisbane to the Northern Rivers area. I pulled up in the street. Took my seat belt off and before I even opened the door to get out, a kid (probably no older than 11 or 12) rides up beside me on his push bike, pulls out an ounce of weed and tries to sell it to me. There were plenty of people around and no-one batted an eyelid. Freaked me out a bit. Didn't see anyone walking down the street naked, though.

I've never been back. I've heard heroin had a strong grip on the town for quite a few years. There are much nicer towns in the region IMHO - Bellingen, Bangalow and Kyogle (as someone mentioned earlier) are some good examples.

As for legalising marijuana, I don't really have an opinion but I'd like to see how the 'Colorado Experiment' in the US goes over the next couple of years before I make judgment.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

. There are much nicer towns in the region IMHO - Bellingen, Bangalow and Kyogle (as someone mentioned earlier) are some good examples.

Bang on there. Actually anywhere in the Northen Rivers is better than Byron...Nimbin is a pretty area, but the town itself is ****.

 

[Eagleburger]

First time I went to Nimbin was almost 20 years ago. I had just got my licence and went for a drive from Brisbane to the Northern Rivers area. I pulled up in the street. Took my seat belt off and before I even opened the door to get out, a kid (probably no older than 11 or 12) rides up beside me on his push bike, pulls out an ounce of weed and tries to sell it to me. There were plenty of people around and no-one batted an eyelid. Freaked me out a bit. Didn't see anyone walking down the street naked, though.

I will never forget the expression on my friends face when I took him there for the first time. He was from brisbane and spent the whole drive down asking if I knew where, how who to score. We pulled up, didnt even have a foot on the ground and had two offers.

 

[Bribie G]

MMMM bangalow free range pork :icon_drool2:

 

[manticle]

Belanglo free range pork is a tad suspicious though.

 

[Batz]

On my first visit we were going to have a coffee and something to eat, so I hit an ATM. While keying in I thought, hey I can smell dope, finished my transaction and turned around to see a young guy with a joint hanging out of his mouth. I was amazed as he held out a deal for me right there in the main street, I couldn't get away quick enough as I was sure it must have been a set up.

After walking around town and having similar offers up and down the street I realized what sort of place Nimbin was.

Batz

 

[Dave70]

Had some friends go up there a fortnight ago, still plenty of buds available. Turns out their half the price of down here. Locally hasn't changed in 20 years. So much for cartels etc. just farmers trying to move product I reckon and keep the alternative lifestyle. It seems the town hast changed in the 18 years I haven't been there. At least they got the junkies out of the park, maybe?

I don't smoke pot nor are an advocate for legalisation, nor can I see it happening with the tobacco tax issues we are having now.

It's a shame it burnt down but if you had gone through the place it was just a museum of pot memorabilia and then nothing too exciting, a lot of collected junk turned into a dopers shrine...

Nor was I for many years. Eventually my cognitive dissonance got the better of me.
Suffice to say I certainly don't think we'll be passing the spliff around same sex wedding receptions in this country any time soon.

 

[Phoney]

I've never been back. I've heard heroin had a strong grip on the town for quite a few years. There are much nicer towns in the region IMHO - Bellingen, Bangalow and Kyogle (as someone mentioned earlier) are some good examples.

Bellingen is some 300km south of 'the region'.

I used to have to go up there for work...

Used to hate it....such a ******** place.

Dude, you live in Grafton and you're paying out on Byron? That does not compute.


As for Nimbin, I think it went through it's darkest days in the 90's, when all of the junkies moved there from the capital cities for free/cheap rent, and the easy ability to make money (selling dope to tourists). That's when people were OD'ing in the park / toilets. The town was pretty much split in two with the older hippies who were against hard drugs pitted against the new smack addled blow-ins. It was very ugly.

The last few times I've been through there its been much cleaner, lots of colorful characters around. But then I'm not one to be bothered by people offering me bags of weed to sell, they're harmless and always go away and leave you alone following a polite 'no I'm right thanks'

 

[Dave70]

Probably find a direct correlation around the time of junkie migrations to easier pickings up north and the decline of popularity of their traditional source of income in city's, the VCR.
Or not.

 

[shaunous]

Dude, you live in Grafton and you're paying out on Byron? That does not compute.

Stu's right, your wrong. Byron's a ***** hole.

As for Nimbin, it is also a ********, but I've had some fun times there at the Mardi-Grass festivals. I spent a month there one weekend

Watched a guy cup his hand, pour a vile of liquid LSD into it, lick it, then some few minutes later walk down the road along the tops of the parked cars, from bonnet, over roof along boot then continue to the next car. I had to pinch myself a few times to make sure I wasn't asleep and dreaming about 'fear and loathing in Las Vegas'.

Nimbin, it'll get ya!

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Bellingen is some 300km south of 'the region'.



Dude, you live in Grafton and you're paying out on Byron? That does not compute.

Sorry, but Byron is not as greater place as you may think. You obviously havnt worked up there. Sure it looks prety and its popular for the sake of being popular...but underneath...sorry, but Grafton beats it hands down.

And so what if Bello is some 300km south, its still better..

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Can't surf at Grafton.

 

[Dave70]

Yes you can.
Its just called water skiing.

 

[djar007]

I used to live in a shed in the shipyards in Ballina as a kid. Been back a few times and it doesnt have the same feel as it once did. But then again, neither does Torquay , Cairns or Broome. We are beginning to sound like our fathers. Which is cool. They arent the same as they used to be either.

 

[sp0rk]

I used to live in a shed in the shipyards in Ballina as a kid. Been back a few times and it doesnt have the same feel as it once did. But then again, neither does Torquay , Cairns or Broome. We are beginning to sound like our fathers. Which is cool. They arent the same as they used to be either.

I grew up in Ballina, left in 2005
It's a massive ******** now...
Plenty of ice users, stabbings and massive brawls, just head out to West Ballina on a Friday/Saturday night if you want to see the effect of placing a Dan Murphy's very close to a big Indigenous/low socio-economic community...
Council don't give a **** about residents, all about development not infrastructure and won't spend a dollar that won't give them a massive return
The plan for the new marina/resort/high end units, which means ripping out a massive chunk of highly used public land is a great example of that
The deputy mayor was a friend of a friend when I was growing up, always thought he was a massive scum bag... </rant>

Can also confirm Byron is a massive hole, we used to hit Byron every other weekend to see bands or score party drugs for my mates (was never my thing)
Full of scumbag weekend hippies, arsehole yuppies and burnouts
Never felt safe walking around there at night
Mullumbimby, Kyogle or The Channon are/were where it's at if you wanna see an awesome hippy town

 

[djar007]

Channon market was awesome as a kid. Very laid back.

 

[shaunous]

Can't surf at Grafton.

Best beaches in Aus according to many are within half hour to 45mins away from Grafton town, so I'd argue that.

 

[sp0rk]

Best beaches in Aus according to many are within half hour to 45mins away from Grafton town, so I'd argue that.

The beaches at Wooli and Minnie Water are pretty damn awesome

 

[shaunous]

The beaches at Wooli and Minnie Water are pretty damn awesome

Sure are! Not Grafton town, but pretty much

 

[Phoney]

Sorry, but Byron is not as greater place as you may think. You obviously havnt worked up there. Sure it looks prety and its popular for the sake of being popular...but underneath...sorry, but Grafton beats it hands down.

And so what if Bello is some 300km south, its still better..

I had a friend who lived in Byron so spent many a weekend up there. Sure, the weekend nights can get ugly with brawls and drunks spewing in the street etc. But thats no different to the town centers of a lot of towns and cities around Australia in that respect. Bondi & Manly are not much better either, though Manly's cleaned up its act recently. The beaches in Byron are indeed pretty beautiful (for town beaches, no comparison to national park beaches), and unlike every other coastal town in Australia at least its got a bit of a cool vibe and it's not just full of geriatrics and bowling clubs (eg: Yamba, Evans Head, Port Maq etc). All in all, I dont mind it, and would rather live there than most other mid-sized towns.

Ballina is bogan central, Tweed heads is a mix of bogans and geriatrics.

Grafton, Kempsey and Taree are all pretty much the same. Large service towns, recently bypassed from the highway, significant derro populations, not much going on but pretty once you get out of town. Apples and oranges with Byron really.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

The beaches at Wooli and Minnie Water are pretty damn awesome

And Wooli oysters are awsome...best on the east coast by far.

Byron Bay is just the Gold Coast for wanna be hippies alternate lifestylers......mka esure you have plenty of coin if you want to go to either of those 2 **** holes

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I had a friend who lived in Byron so spent many a weekend up there. Sure, the weekend nights can get ugly with brawls and drunks spewing in the street. But it's no different to the town centers of a lot of towns and cities around

Well we dont get that here in Grafton......

Grafton, Kempsey and Taree are all pretty much the same. Service towns, recently bypassed from the highway, significant derro populations, not much going on but pretty once you get out of town.

Wrong.

Sorry Phoney, but you wont win this argument. Byron Pay is a phoney place, just like your name...

 

[Phoney]

Sorry Phoney, but you wont win this argument. Byron Pay is a phoney place, just like your name...

OK perhaps not. But you're not doing much to argue your point other than calling out names and telling me I'm wrong.....

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Its not much of an argument when we all know the truth...and yes...you are wrong.

 

[sponge]

I really liked Ballina when I was working there a bit a couple of years ago.

That was until I started spending longer periods of time (including weekends) there during commissioning. God dam things get dirty after sunset on a Friday and Saturday. All I can say is that I am very, very thankful I accidentally sank the black ball early on in the final of a pool comp at the Shawsy. Things were not looking good for this little out-of-town'er, coming along and beating some passionate locals at their local.

The locals seemed pretty happy when I left them my runners-up prize of a 6-er of veebs though.

After a couple of trips up to Byron on some weekends, although I didn't spend long enough to really give it a fair chance, I really didn't enjoy it.

 

[sp0rk]

And the Shawsy is in East Ballina, the nicer side of town...

 

[sponge]

I only dared travel to the west when the sun was in full view :lol:

The shawsy just happened to be opposite where I was staying and had some cheap lamb shanks for a feed, so spent more time there during the week than the other watering holes in town. Weekends were a different story though..

 

[Dave70]

Not hearing much love for Yamba or Iluka..

I like Iluka cos I can drive straight onto it. Saves lugging children and an esky over scorching sand.

I like Yamba (Pippi beach) cos one day I saw a ladies ****s.