Byron Bay is the picture-perfect Australian summer beach getaway, it's got beautiful weather, lovely beaches and a relaxed atmosphere. While it may have gotten a lot more popular in recent months there is still a certain laid-back feeling when you visit. Below we will walk you through how we spent a few days exploring Byron Bay.
Byron Lighthouse
A trip to Byron Bay is not complete without visiting the Byron Bay Lighthouse, sitting on top of the headland at the most western point of mainland Australia, this lighthouse is the perfect place to watch the sun rise or set over Byron.
Depending on how big of a walk you want to do there are several different places to park, just keep in mind that Byron has recently changed almost all of their parking around the town to paid parking so make sure you check the zone you are in before leaving your car.
We spent a couple of evenings up at the lighthouse watching and taking photos of the sunset, we were also able to spot some whales as well as see the surfers at Cosy Corner below.
Whale Watching
One of the best things to do along the east coast is whale watch, during the whale season which runs from April to November you can see humpback whales swimming, jumping and splashing at various points all along the coast.
One of the best places to do this is around Byron Bay because it is the most westerly point of the East Coast. The whales will often be swimming quite close to the shore as they make their way north or south.
The lighthouse is one of the best places to go whale watching in the region, during whale season you can often see whales jumping and splashing around on the horizon. If you are extra lucky, they may even come in close and play around in the shallows near the headland itself.
Another nearby location is Lennox Head, around 20 minutes south of Byron Bay, the Pat Morton Lookout offers both north and south views so you can watch whales' approach and swim past you. We got extremely lucky at the Byron Bay lighthouse one evening when we were able to watch a couple of whales playing below, however we found that we were able to more consistently see whales passing by from Lennox Head.
The Beaches
Probably the most well-known thing to do in Australia is to go to the beach, we have some fantastic beaches around Australia (we even have a list of our favourite spots - insert beach blog) and Byron Bay is no exception. The beaches here are beautiful and there are a few to choose from depending on what you want to do.
If you are looking for a surf you can try it out at the Pass, this is one of the easier places in Byron to learn, just be aware that there will also be many others there of different skill levels. For those who are looking for bigger surf, on the southern side of the headland at Cosy Corner is the other place for surfing. If you are just interested in watching people surf there are a few lookouts on Tallow beach looking out to Cosy Corner, alternatively you can also see down to the beach from the lighthouse walk at the top of the headland.
You can also go swimming at the two beaches above, Tallow Beach is quite rough as it is in line with the open ocean, there are several beaches starting from the Pass that are much smaller and more protected from the ocean swell that are better to swim at. Starting from the Pass you have Chalkes Beach, Byron Beach and Main Beach are next and you finish with Belongil Beach which is partly a dog beach which ends where the creek meets the ocean.
During summer you will find most of the beaches packed with tourists so be sure to head down early if you want to get your spot. Whilst we were in Byron it was school holidays so we didn't chance our luck at the beach, instead we chose to park further away and go for walks along the ocean boardwalk and down to the beaches in the late afternoon.
The Hinterland & Waterfalls
When most people travel to Byron Bay they only really go there for the beach and generally don't do much else, there is however an extensive hinterland inland from Byron Bay that is very beautiful and often overlooked when compared to the coast.
Killen falls is only 30 minutes' drive south of Byron Bay and is a popular swimming hole for the locals. It is a relatively easy hike, 600m to the viewing platform of the falls and 1km to the base of the falls themselves. The walk is quite nice as you walk through a light forest along the edge of the river, to get to the base you descend down and walk/rock scramble along the river bed to the base of the falls.
Another waterfall that is quite close to Byron is Minyon Falls, this waterfall is around 40 minutes' drive east of Byron Bay and takes you right to the centre of the hinterland. Unfortunately the hike to the base of the falls was closed when we visited due to the recent NSW floods however you are able to see some of the waterfall from the viewing platform that is right next to the carpark.
Byron Bay may not be the sleepy little sea side town it used to be; it is very, very popular now with most accommodation options in the town being booked out months in advance. Even though it has grown in popularity it is still a very beautiful relaxing place and the beaches and surf spots are some of the best in the region. When planning your next east coast road trip, Byron Bay should not be left off the list because it is too popular, there is still plenty to see any do outside of the town away from the crowds.
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