Stan Robinson Park

I was awoken by Wade at 5am this morning at the winery. There were kangaroos outside our cabin! I tried really hard to see them but when I am woken from a deep sleep, I struggle to see (it takes about 10 minutes after waking that I can actually see properly, I assume it is a getting older thing) and I just could not focus on anything, so went back to bed knowing Wade was getting photos. Plus, I know our route for tomorrow was previously planned by Ellis to take us where we will likely encounter them).

After a delicious full cooked breakfast through a pre-ordered vegetarian and dairy free breakfast hamper, (made by Wade, I cleaned up), we were on the road by 8.30am, hoping to be in Ballina by 1.30pm.

We made it and were able to check in a little early. I have to congratulate myself at this point because every hotel I booked, has been absolutely lovely (apart from Yamba Beach Motel, that was the only dodgy one). Today we are in a boutique hotel that was previously a Manor House built in 1924, very nice indeed!

From here, we had a little look around town and found a delicious hole in the wall type juicery/take away that we loved so much, Wade took a pic of their non-fruit offerings (pic attached).

I was keen to get to another of Ellis & Connor’s recommendations - Mullumbimby, they said that after Byron Bay had gentrified so much, all the remaining hippies moved to Mullumbimby as they were priced out. They had also insisted that I book some time in an outdoor rainforest type spa in this town, so we had a couples massage booked too.

Ellis and Connor have experienced so much of Australia and have such a love for this country, I have been eager to try and accomplish every suggestion they have provided - we really want to see it through their eyes and so far, had not let us down and I have certainly experienced things I would not have done. So to Mullumbimby excitedly we head.

Wade had an inkling I would not like Mullumbimby, he said to me ‘think about what the kids have said, …..all the real hippies moved there after Byron Bay priced them out and it became too commercialized……This suggests you are likely not going to like it.’ I entirely disregarded these comments as I love a small independent type shop vibe and genuinely mentally questioned how well Wade actually knew me.

Turns out, he knows me a lot better than I thought.

The town was just an old town, nothing wrong with it all - just rather run drown with old fashioned shops, some even-too-veggie-for-me type cafes (they just didn’t look as clean as they could), and some run down/untidy houses. And absolutely no sign of a rainforest-type spa.

Wade could not get out of the town quick enough, he wanted to go to the beach at Byron Bay, have a snack and then return to Mullumbimby only for the massage. So that is what we did.

We retuned to Mullumbimby to locate Kiva Spa, the one the kids raved about. I pre paid for the massages when I booked online (and read about their three different mineral pools) and it was a prerequisite - should have been a a sign.

This town was not near any rainforest that I could see, and the spa was located down a back alley (no rainforest), adjacent to I think a mechanics shop.

I can see how its charm enticed Ellis & Connor (they are hippies), it was very ……rustic, had lots of plants everywhere and was basically outside (on being shown round, a lizard, a big lizard, ran across the pathway and the guide said at my gasp, ‘it’s ok, we share the space at Kiva Spa) with a corrugated roof and 3 pergola style structures, each with a large literal hot tub underneath it (the three pools) and a sauna/steam room, outside showers, no-defined-sex bathrooms/change-rooms, incense everywhere, and a vibe so very hippy, it was easy to see why there were so many there. We were out of place and definitely did not have enough tattoos. We tried to fit in and had a go in every hot tub, but were relieved to be called for our massages (which were great).

I managed to snap a couple of pics of the place, but they have a strict no device policy, so only a couple.

Until tomorrow.Read more