Byron Bay tourism in AustraliaByron Bay, just over 800 kilometres north of Sydney on Australia's eastern seaboard, has a character that is "different" and a holiday ambience best described as sexy yet serene. This town of some 9,000 residents is constantly saturated with tourists - many young backpackers and most dressed in a way that makes it clear they're in town for a good time. Byron Bay has a well-deserved holiday reputation for attractive women and bronzed, healthy surfers. This is a town where business suits are never seen, most shops offer something alternative and MacDonalds isn't allowed. Hemp clothing is common, as are soy drinks and vegie burgers, but they rub shoulders with upmarket fashion. The environment? Magnificent. |
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CLICK ON THE PICTURE above for more world tour photos with information about the cheapest holiday spots and tourism industry links for airline flights, hotel reservations and car rentals. What's on the next page? Coffs Harbour, New South Wales If you want the cheapest flight tickets, hotel rooms, hostels or Australian holiday packages, visit our Travel Shop. Thumbnail Picture Index Last Minute Travel Tips Maps of Australia |
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Byron Bay holiday tips Cape Byron, pictured above, is the most easterly tip of mainland Australia. The surrounding area in northern NSW boasts a fantastic choice of unspoilt beaches and hinterland that make the district a tourism paradise. The town has a relaxed, escapist lifestyle in some ways similar to that found on numerous backpacker holiday islands in Asia and the Pacific. The main street offers a broad selection of restaurants, bars and pavement cafes. Various restaurants are high quality, others are below average, and almost all cafe meals have city prices. A building height limit of three storeys is imposed in the town centre by the local council, along with a ban on drive-in food outlets and restrictions on high density developments. The weather is invariably perfect for holidays. Average summer temperatures range from 21 to 28 degrees Celsius, and in winter the mercury varies from 15 to 21 degrees. The sea water varies from 21 degrees in winter to 26 degrees in summer. However, it's worth noting that the wettest time of year is Autumn (March, April, May). It rains an average 17 days during the month of March. The driest time of year is Spring (September, October, November). About 20 thousand people live throughout the shire of Byron while the town itself is home to about 9,000. It's estimated a whopping 2 million visitors nowadays enjoy holidays annually in the shire of Byron, equal numbers being poor backpackers or wealthy tourists. Many of these tourists come from overseas. English and north European backpackers are a common sight and the babble of different languages in Byron's cafes is a constant reminder that the town has a cosmopolitan economy that revolves around tourism. Most people fly to Byron. The nearest regional NSW airports are at Ballina (30 minutes south), Lismore (40 minutes west) and Coolangatta (60 minutes north). There are frequent bus journeys from all major Australian cities and towns. Backpackers should note a bus depot is located in the centre of Byron and all necessary tourism facilities are within walking distance. A car drive north to Byron Bay through NSW from Sydney on the Pacific Highway costs about the same in petrol as an airline ticket, and provides an enjoyable 10-12 hour cruise along modern freeways that at times narrow into single-lane country roads.
Alternatively, Byron Bay is about 175 kilometres south of the Queensland capital city of Brisbane. Cape Byron, about three kilometres from the town's post office, has gained an international reputation as one of the most beautiful holiday spots in the world. The cape has jagged cliff faces, rainforest, banksia forests and picturesque ocean views that include frequent glimpses of dolphins and migrating whales. Byron's whale-watching tourism seasons are May/July for the northern migration and September/November for the southern migration. The cape itself has a five kilometre walking trail and its northern edge is comprised largely of Watego Beach, Australia's only swimming and surfing beach facing directly north.
To the south of the cape promontory is the endless Tallow Beach, pictured above, a scenic coastline with a mixture of safe and questionable swimming spots. A popular feature is the lighthouse at the tip of Cape Byron. This structure, built in 1901, is 22 metres high and boasts one of the most powerful light beams in the southern hemisphere. The light can be seen over 27 nautical miles and is still an invaluable guide for mariners wanting to steer clear of Byron's hazardous coastline. Aboriginal custodians of the Byron Bay area are the Arakwal clan, who have an ongoing role in the preservation of traditional sites and who retain their cultural values. Festival events can be enjoyed in and around Byron throughout the year, a tourism highlight being the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival during April.
Byron Bay is a magnet for tourists wanting to enjoy a ribald New Years Eve and the town's main street, pictured above, becomes a festival at midnight. The town is famous for its alternative arts scene and the shire is home to numerous well-known writers, musicians, media personalities and actors... as well as an army of talented artists who aren't so well known. Alternative beauty therapists and healers are abundant, many drawn by the natural aura of the district. The beaches of Byron are strips of powder white sand and the surf breaks are relentless. Byron's surf is considered among the best in the world and the town has for many years produced champion board-riders. Many surfboard designers in Byron are recognised internationally for their skills and surfers often share waves with dolphins. The safest patrolled beaches are Watego, Main Beach, The Pass and Broken Head. A 4.5 kilometre nudist beach can be found just north of Belongil Creek, to the north of the Byron township, via Gray's Lane running off the Pacific Highway at Tyagarah.
The landscape is lush green throughout the year and Byron is surrounded by watercolour views... the Pacific Ocean to the east, rounded purple hills to the west. The town was a Shangri-la hideaway for backpack surfers and hippies until the early to mid 1980s when the capitalist world recognised the holiday lure of Byron and tourist numbers exploded. There has been a simmering rivalry for decades between long-term locals who want Byron to retain its "magic" and outsiders such as tourism and real estate developers who might spoil the party. Many locals want to be capitalists and many capitalists want to be locals, so there's an uneasy truce. A growing number of city professionals are opting out of the rat race and using digital technology to settle in the Byron district. Nevertheless, Buddha stores and statues are a frequent reminder of the town's spiritual base.
Pictured above is the famous Great Northern Hotel in the main street of Byron. There is an abundance of backpacker hostels throughout Byron, the cheapest around US$30 per day. The least expensive motel will set you back about US$75 per night, although the average ticket is more than US$100 per night. When visiting Byron, it's crucial that holidaymakers also see at least the hinterland and preferably a few inland towns, rather than lazing through their entire holiday on the beaches. The interior has stunning national parks, rainforests, waterfalls and rare species of flora and fauna. Mt Warning on the Byron western skyline, for instance, is an extinct volcano featuring a spectacular but rugged 4.4km trail climbed each year by tens of thousands of visitors. Byron's interior is also home to a huge number of artists and craftspeople. Their paintings, pottery, sculpture, leadlighting, glasswork, brass and metalwork can be found in every nook and cranny. A tourism drawcard within the town itself is the Arts and Industry Estate, a precinct just north of the railway line where local artisans - several of international repute - indulge their creative output. It's worth aiming your holiday travel to be in Byron township on the first Sunday of every month when a huge market is held with stalls featuring all of the region's fantastic food, drink and creative produce. A Marine Park Sanctuary has been declared around Julian Rocks, a volcanic formation about 2.5km from the Byron shoreline. This rocky outcrop was named by Captain James Cook in 1770 as he surveyed the Australian coastline. In his ship's log on May 15, 1770, Captain James Cook named the area's "high point" Cape Byron. He named the cape after vice-admiral John Byron - grandfather of the famous 19th Century poet, Lord Byron. A unique marine park, rich with coral and sealife, stretches from Brunswick Heads in the north to Lennox Head in the south. These crystal clear waters are an underwater paradise and a strong holiday tourism magnet for divers. The vast majority of real estate listings in Byron Bay are priced well above $350,000, many above $1 million. A typical 2004 listing for land in the township was 1,150sqm for AUS$279,000. To book the cheapest tickets, hotels, hostels, etc. for Australia, visit our Travel Shop. |
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