Brisbane and Byron Bay (Oct 2 - 6)

Our first order of business upon reaching Brisbane was to return our rental car and pick up our new Hippie Camper van. We had checked out a bunch of different options, but the Hippie Camper was definitely the best. We immediately set to unpacking our stuff and stocking the camper with food and drinks. Once that was done, we checked into a caravan park. We had planned to head into Brisbane, but instead found ourselves heading back to the airport in the hopes of getting Tracy's purse back. Luckily, the rental car agency found it in the car which had not yet been rented back out.
The next morning we headed into town in our camper, but found parking rates similar to that of downtown San Francisco (almost $75 a day). We immediately located another camper site on the edge of town, checked in and then headed for town on the bus.
We found Brisbane immediately likeable. A very walkable city with many nice views created by the river sweeping through town and the spacious parks. The people were also very friendly. We spent the afternoon and evening wandering through town checking out museums, historical sites and cafes. Tracy found about three different tea shops, so we headed back home loaded with a variety of teas.
The next morning we were forced to move on even though we found Brisbane very inviting. We hit the Brisbane markets on the way out of town and loaded up the Hippie with fresh fruits and veggies. Next, we hit a national park with a koala santuary where we enjoyed a nice little hike. There were no koalas to be seen, but we spotted some intersting birds and a few wallabies. We even had time for a nice picnic. After that we head straight for Byron Bay.
We arrived late into Byron, but found it also to be quite accessible. This is a hot vacation spot in Australia and is surrounded by bunch of little alternative communities (aka hippies), so Tracy felt right at home ;-). The town was full of little cafes, art stores, and street performers/buskers. We enjoyed some gourmet fish and chips the first night a few drinks before settling in for some sleep.
The next morning we enjoyed a nice long run on the beach and played in the water a little. Tracy of course found time to squeeze in some yoga. We also started to get to know our camper neighbors a bit. They were a fairly rowdy crew and were nice enough to share a drink or two with us. We enjoyed another evening exploring the town before setting off the following morning in search of some quiet and solitude in Yamba. As we left, one of the young girl's camping next store had a brief, but touching exchange with Tracy, which brought a tear to her eye.