Australia: 24 Hours in Byron Bay, New South Wales

Byron Bay oh Byron Bay……how I dream of Byron Bay. We arrived late afternoon into Byron Bay and the second we did I instantly became ‘chilled out’. Following a 3 hour drive in our immaculate Kombi Ronnie, we were ready for a leg stretch and a beer. I had tried to pre-book a campsite from the UK. However, it seemed that all the campsites within Byron Bay were simply a turn-up and pay job. Again highlighting the laid-back attitude of this beautiful town.

We rocked up to the Glen-Villa Resort which only offers cabins and sites to couples and mature adults. At what age you are considered a mature adult, I don’t know. So if you are looking for a lively, party site this probably isn’t the one for you. It was however fine for us. We were greeted by a very friendly receptionist. She explained what facilities were on site and how to get to the main street (Jonson Street) etc.

We spent part of our evening drinking local ale and people watching sat outside The Northern Hotel. We could hear many different accents from around the world. Followed by one of the best pizzas I have had outside of Italy at the Sante Restaurant. It is located on Jonson Street, opposite Woolworths. I imagine there is a party side to Byron Bay but we didn’t go on the hunt to look for it.

The Beach

The beach…..the beach!!! We had been on St Kilda beach in Melbourne and numerous beaches on the Great Ocean Road but this was the first one that the sun was really shining on. Byron Bay is touristy – that’s a given and I’m sure there are plenty of beaches all over Australia that match it (and possibly beat it) in the beauty stakes but this to me was everything I had envisioned when thinking about an Australian beach. The weather was fantastic (maybe too fantastic – I should have used sun cream – ouch), the beach was relatively quiet and I saw real-life Australian lifeguards(!) I truly felt like I was in an episode of Home & Away.

Even though there had been a shark attack the week before we were there everyone seemed pretty relaxed about it and it wasn’t putting people off hitting the surf. The feeling of soft sand between your toes and the warm waters of the Coral/Tasman Sea lapping around your ankles is amazing….I miss it!

Things To Do In Byron Bay

If you are looking for something to do in Byron Bay if you have had enough of sun worshipping, why not head up to Cape Byron Lighthouse. The walk up to the lighthouse takes about 30 minutes. You can drive up to it but be warned parking spaces are limited and if there isn’t one available the ranger will send you straight back down – no waiting allowed. The views down to the bay are beautiful and the uninterrupted views out to the Pacific Ocean are crazy – you truly feel like you are at the end of the earth.

Cape Byron is, in fact, the most easternmost point of Australia….there’s even a sign to prove it! Again fantastic views – we even saw a pod of dolphins swimming below us. I highly recommend taking a trip up to the Cape Byron Lighthouse but be warned if you take a picnic or buy food from the cafe the birds aren’t shy about swooping in and taking it from you!

So it’s safe to say I love Byron Bay….the beach, the juice bars, the ‘hippy’ way of life. I can understand why people live there. It draws you in. So much so that even after just 24 hours my husband was eyeing up tie-dye t-shirts and neck beads! 🙂