Byron Bay

Byron Bay

From Brisbane, we carried on down the coast, to Byron Bay. We had met a couple of people from here on our South America trip, but unfortunately bad timing saw them being in the UK while we were here.

Byron Bay is generally thought of as a hippy town in a beautiful setting. The location certainly is pretty, but there's nothing very alternative about it now. There are a few indicators about its past, such as quite a few craft business that likely started out as hobbies, and a bit more vegetarian food than normal - including an excellent falafel place called Orgasmic, though I'm not sure they're quite that good!

Byron Bay

Byron Bay

We had the impression that people did come here as part of a new lifestyle, and quite possibly some of them never left. Certainly we saw a few groups of homeless people around, at least one of whom only had a hole where his nose used to be.

Some of Byron Bay may feel a little like it is resting back on its reputation in some areas, but in others it is a vibrant and interesting place.

Kookaburra, Byron Bay

As in much of the East Coast of Australia, the beach and surfing here is a major draw, but that wasn't of interest to us. We did however take a walk along the Cape Byron Conservation Park to the lighthouse, and the most easterly point in Australia.

Byron Bay

The walk was nice, although a little too much of it was set back from the coastline, so didn't have much in the way of views. We did spot a kookaburra in the woods, and as we got near to the lighthouse, we saw a wallaby.

Byron Bay

We also spotted something out in the water - it was a bit too far out for us to identify it, but as there only seemed to be the one there, it was presumably a whale, not a dolphin. There was a group of kayakers not too far away, but I don't know whether they managed to intercept it.

Wallaby, Byron Bay

Byron Bay

Byron Bay

Byron Bay