Byron Bay



Byron Bay is a coastal town famous (or perhaps infamous) for its enthusiastic wellness movement and celebrities in the Northern Rivers ‘Rainbow Region’ of New South Wales, just off the M1 Pacific Motorway, approximately 800 km north of Sydney and 175 km south of Brisbane. Cape Byron is the easternmost point on the Australian mainland.

Understand
The traditional owners of the area are the Bundjalung Nation of the Arakwal, Minjungbal and the Widjabul people. Byron Bay is famed worldwide for its surfing beaches, scuba diving, whale watching, rural beauty and laid-back lifestyle. It is a well-known destination for celebrities - international as well as local, as well established and aspiring Intergram Influencers. It is a major tourist centre; the area having experienced a dramatic increase to 1.7 million+ visitors per year. The town and surrounding area have a population of about 30,000.

The community of Suffolk Park lies a five-minute drive south, along Tallow Beach. It's a quieter alternative to the heart of Byron, but for most services you will need to make the trip into Byron. The towns of Bangalow and Nimbin lie inland, less than an hour's drive away. Lennox Head and Ballina are to the south.

There are many thriving "wellness" home-based businesses focused on alternative, holistic, cultural and knowledge industries, with a growing population of artists, writers and filmmakers. Byron Bay is renowned for capturing the hearts of the people that visit and many end up staying; the community spirit in the town and the surrounding area is strong.

By plane
Ballina/Byron Airport is the nearest airport, around 30 minutes drive away at Ballina. There are flights from Sydney and Melbourne. Airport transport options. There are regular shuttle services from the airport and most of them are door to door. Book online to save money. Xcede Airport Transfers and Steve's Tours Airport Express offer shuttle services direct to your door from $18. Blanchs bus service costs $10, but isn't door to door and travels through other towns on the way.

Gold Coast Airport is around 1 hour away at Coolangatta and has domestic flights and international flights from New Zealand, Malaysia, and Japan. It often has cheaper flights and cheaper car hire than Ballina. There are a number of transport operators from the airport to Byron Bay. For example, Byron Bay - Surfers Express do pick-up and drop-off at the airport in their runs between Byron Bay and Surfers Paradise for $27. Xcede Airport Transfers offer shuttle services direct to the door.

By bus
Regular coach services travel between Sydney and Brisbane via Byron Bay.

By car
Byron is around 7 hours drive from Sydney, a good day's drive, with many possibilities to stop and rest. Traffic on the Pacific Motorway gets busy during school holiday periods (both Qld and NSW). During summer the Ewingsdale Road route in and out of town from the Pacific Motorway can get crowded and slow. When coming from the south on the highway in holiday periods, avoid traffic delays on Ewingsdale Road by taking the Lennox Head exit from the motorway at Ross Lane and enter Byron from the south.

Byron is only just over an hour from the Gold Coast, and just over two hours from Brisbane via the M1.

By tour
Many surfing or backpacker tours along the east coast.

By train
Trains no longer stop next to the Railway Hotel as the rail line is closed except for a 2 km shuttle service to Sunrise Beach. You can transfer to a coach from the train at Casino. You can buy a through ticket. Casino is located quite a distance from Byron Bay and it might often be best to get a bus directly to Byron, saving a lot of trouble. Or, if you are lucky enough most of the domestic airlines have sales on pretty consistently from most major cities to the Gold Coast, Brisbane and less frequently Ballina. All of these are closer than Casino and may be cheaper if you find the right sale.

Get around
There is limited regular public transport within Byron Bay, operated by Blanch's Bus Company- however most destinations within the bay are walkable, including The Lighthouse Walk. The Byron Shire Council has installed parking ticket machines, with the fee being $2 per hour.

Surfing
Byron Bay has good surf with a variety of beaches within the town limits. It has occupied the imagination of Australians for many years for its climate, lifestyle and warm water.

It is not uncommon to surf among pods of common dolphins as the evening winds down in Byron, especially if you are surfing Wategos or the Pass.

If you visit Byron Bay without a surfboard, you can hire one online in the Bay for US$20 a day and US$120 a week at http://www.rentasurfboard.com

Beachgoing


A clothing optional beach called Belongil is situated north of the Byron Beach Club at Tyagarah. Access via Grays Lane and a walking track from the Pacific Highway.

Marine activities


Byron Bay has some of New South Wales's best scuba diving. Most diving is at Julian Rocks, only five minutes off shore. The depths around Julian Rocks are 5–25 meters, and it's suitable for snorkeling. You can dive with the following:

Events


Find out about upcoming events in The Bagg, a local publication out on Mondays.

Health

 * Ripple Massage Day Spa And Beauty Jonson St, 0438 567 906 has massage and beauty therapists for day spa treatments.

Budget
Many of the pubs and bars serve food also – check the Drink section following.

Drink
Byron Bay has a very vibrant social scene for a town of its size. The Northern hosts the more important bands, and the Beach Hotel and the Railway Friendly Bar have bands most nights.

Nightclubs include Woody's Surf Shack and the backpackers' favourite, Cheeky Monkeys. This can also be a good place to go out on Mondays and Tuesdays when everywhere else is quiet.

Find out what's on around town by picking up a copy of The Bagg, a gig and entertainment guide out every Monday.



Sleep
Byron Bay is a well established destination for backpackers, schoolies, families and couples, and there is a choice of accommodation styles catering to all of them. Most local real estate agents handle holiday house rentals, and there are many in the beach areas, and even further into suburban Byron. Some bed-and-breakfasts have been created by building additions to once suburban Byron houses. Camping on the beach is illegal and council rangers will issue fines if you camp for free. Camp at Belongil fields or Byron tourist village if you need somewhere cheap to camp and it never gets full. You can set up camp at night and pay the next morning.





Respect
Residents of this area are well known for embracing alternative lifestyles, and you can encounter beliefs around health, nutrition, medicine and other aspects that are very different from the considered 'mainstream' of Australian society. Byron Bay area has a relatively high number of people who are strongly anti-vaccination for example. Some of these views may prove difficult for you to understand, but it should go without saying that you should be respectful of the people who hold them.

Stay safe
Be careful of drink spiking - always keep your drink in view and don't accept drinks from strangers.

Swimming- as in anywhere on the coast in Australia, always swim between the flags. Avoid swimming at night especially on your own. Follow all instructions from lifeguards.

Go next

 * Go and explore the southerly parts of Tourist Drive 30.


 * Explore the 'Rainbow Region' - rural towns and sleepy villages, set in lush and particularly scenic countryside. The area is famed as a haven for alternative culture. Nimbin, Mullumbimby and the Channon are the favourite towns to visit in this region. There is a popular market in the Channon once a month, well on the tourist trail.  Bangalow features a nice relaxed old-town main street.


 * There are many scenic wonders in the area. Byron area has many rainforests & parks. The volcanic plug of Mount Warning is a favourite tour. It can be reached by driving into Murwillumbah and following the roads to the small village of Uki. There are many waterfalls like Minyon Falls (direction Federal-Rosebank), Protester Falls (the Channon area) and Wanganui Falls (Wilsons Creek). The drive to these falls is very scenic as it follows the creek and a narrow valley and some nice rainforest.


 * Brunswick Heads is a nice day trip. The pub is a good place to relax for a meal by the river and it has some quieter beaches. Between Byron Bay and Ballina there is a nice coastal drive which passes through the quiet coastal town of Lennox Head. If you stick to the coastal roads, you will see many more beaches and coastal scenery than the highway.