Byron Bay Break

...Byron

Byron Bay is situated on the East Coast of Australia in New South Wales. Byron Bay is a relaxing retreat with gorgeous beaches for sun bathing and surfing, a hippy vibe with lots of alternative health shops and therapies, a party atmosphere with great bars and often music festivals, it really has something for everyone.

Things to do:

Byron Bay Lighthouse - This is must do while in Byron Bay, the ...
...200 whales where spotted in Byron Bay in the first 3 days of migration.

I highly recommend the Sun Rise walk, about 5am you can head up to the Light House and watch the amazing sight of the sun coming up over the most beautiful scenery.

Beaches - Byron Bay has got plenty of beaches to offer, the Main Beach is a short walk from to, this is where most tourists head too and many surfers. If you carry on along Main Beach ... more

Beach Bum in Byron

Byron Bay is situated on the East Coast of Australia in New South Wales. Byron Bay is a relaxing retreat with gorgeous beaches for sun bathing and surfing, a hippy vibe with lots of alternative health shops and therapies, a party atmosphere with great bars and often music festivals, it really has something for everyone.

Things to do:

Byron Bay Lighthouse - This is must do while in Byron Bay, the lighthouse walk is well worth the effort with amazing costal views and in the right season whale spotting can be done from the top.
I have been informed that this season over 200 whales where spotted in Byron Bay in the first 3 days of migration.

I highly recommend the Sun Rise walk, about 5am you can head up to the Light House and watch the amazing sight of the sun coming up over the most beautiful scenery.

Beaches - Byron Bay has got plenty of beaches to offer, the Main Beach is a short walk from to, this is where most tourists head too and many surfers. If you carry on along Main Beach then you will come to Wategos Beach which is just below the Light House. This is my favourite beach in Byron; it is a lot quieter and is surrounded by beautiful holiday homes. The thing I love the most is while you are enjoying a swim you can look up and see the Light house.
Tallos Beach is a short drive away from the centre of Byron, it is often a little rough so not much swimming is done but it is very popular with Dog Walkers.

Surfing - Byron Bay offers many options for the wannabe surfers amongst you, some of the most popular are the Surf Camps a whole week of intensive surf training. Information on these can be found at local travel companies like Tribal Travel and Wicked Travel.

Shopping - Byron Bay has an array of boutique shops; the style seems to be trendy hippy offering a variety of floaty tops and skirts in all the colours of the rainbow. They also offer a variety of surf shops with all the latest trends for the beach.
The main supermarket is Woolworths.

If you are looking for something a bit different to take home then I suggest a trip to the Byron Market held on the last Sunday of every month. These markets are an array of colour and atmosphere offering everything from hand made crafts, pictures and souvenirs.

Day Trip to Nimbin - a rather interesting day out is a trip to Nimbin! I decided to check this out with a company called 'Happy Tours' for $35. I had no idea what I was letting myself in for! I thought I was going to see waterfalls and great scenery. Within 2 mins of leaving the bus I had been asked if I would like some Cookies or Mushrooms! The Magic kind that is! I was shocked and surprised and soon came to realise that this place was basically famous and popular for selling weed.
I am not really into that sort of thing but It was an interesting day.

Art Classes and Yoga - While I was in Byron Bay I decided to take an alternative Art Class it was great fun and something different it cost $15 for 2 hours.

For the fit a healthy amongst you there is no shortage of exercise classes in Byron Bay, the most popular being Yoga. Quite a few classes run Yoga on the beach in the early morning.

Free Internet - Being a back packer and staying in touch with home is great in Byron. All the travel agents offer free internet, this is of course a ploy to get you inside and sell you trips, but if you are head strong and don't get sucked in then you can just go in a email home for a while for free.

Eating Out:

I highly recommend that you get Fish and Chips in Byron Bay and try the Barramundi Fish cooked in a light batter! Very yummy indeed. Also take a trip to the Organic Food Store and try the cinnamon Organic Doughnuts! Divine.
Byron is full of little cafes and eating places although it can be expensive as they survive on the tourist trade.

Night Life:

Byron Bay maybe a small place but it has a big nightlife.
Cheeky Monkeys - This is the favourite place for young backpackers to go, Cheeky Monkeys offers many promotions and discounts of food and alcohol to get every one in a party mood. With no dance floor available the only place to dance is on the tables! This is the main reason people love it so much, it is not every day you can just climb up onto a table in a bar and dance away.

The Beach Hotel - or 'The Beachy' as it is affectionately known is one of my favourite places in Byron Bay. It is chilled out and relaxed with a gorgeous outside drinking area that looks onto The Main Beach. They do great lunch time or evening food here, I recommend the nachos and also scampi.
Some evenings and also Sunday afternoons the Beachy has live music, I spent one Sunday afternoon listening to a reggae band it was fabulous fun.

Drinks are slightly expensive here but they do have some great cocktails. This place attracts a real mixture of holiday makers and locals.

The Railway - Situated in the centre of Byron Bay this pub is always busy. The Railway is quite a local's pub with live music and good food.

The Buddha Bar - this is part of the Arts Factory Hostel and attracts a lot of backpackers as well as a few locals. The Buddha Bar is very relaxed and has indoor and outside seating. A word of warning if you plan to sit outside make sure you have a lot of insect repellent as The Arts Factory is situated close to swap and hundreds of mosquitoes are around! I ended up covered in bites and it really wasn't nice.
Again live music can often be found at the Buddha Bar, they also run a free mini bus to and from town as it is a shirt ride away.

Places to Stay:

Accommodation - There is plenty of accommodation available for all budgets in Byron Bay. The most interesting place I came across was a hostel called The Arts Factory.
This place offers standard hostel dorm rooms as well as Tepees in the garden for the braver. They also offer loads of great activities, Didgeridoo making and Aboriginal Art, Massage Courses and use of their recording studios.

Conclusion:

I spent 5 weeks in Byron Bay in total and fell in love with it; if you don't have the time to spare then I would advise a 3 day stay at Byron Bay.
It is one of the best places I saw on the East Coast and can recommend it to others. 

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