New South Wales - Byron Bay
Every couple of years we get the urge to travel to Byron Bay.
Located in Australia’s New South Wales, Byron Bay is a coastal town renowned for its surfing, good food, beautiful beaches and an eclectic mix of characters, from movie stars, schoolies to hippies. If you are looking for a natural and cultural paradise, you’re sure to fall in love with Byron Bay.
My eldest daughter Mia has fallen in love with it, she asked to take her closest friends to Byron in lieu of a large 18th party. On our six or so stays mostly around Sep / Oct we haven’t ever had the best weather with rain and wind. It does suggest to travel between Sept - Nov, so maybe aim for November or Summer? Avoiding school holidays as it is much more relaxed in these times.
ACCOMMODATION
Elements of Byron https://elementsofbyron.com.au/ - I’m not going to lie, we were slightly disappointed with our stay here. James was asked to talk in Byron and we were put up here for $700 a night, plus they paid $35 each for breakfast (as it is not included) on top of our stay. So for $770 a night it wasn’t ideal, when I attempted to book in a massage a week out and they were completely booked out for the duration of our stay, I was also blown away that you needed to book a table for breakfast - even if you have paid in advance. I understand they were almost at capacity and there are a lot of villas, but making a big fuss over there not being enough tables, really taking their time to seat every person or group was crazy and all guests felt like an after thought. We also couldn’t eat dinner until 8pm. The food was good (although the texture of the linguini pasta was questionable), but for $700 a night for a two person stay I wanted to feel relaxed and welcome.
Villas of Byron https://thevillasofbyron.com.au/
Raes on Wategos https://raes.com.au/
Waves Byron Bay https://www.wavesbyronbay.com.au/
The Oasis Apartments and Treetop Houses https://byronoasis.com.au/ (cheap and good for families)
There are also plenty of caravan parks, that are always fun for kids.
We have had a rather unpleasant stay where the lady we booked through lived in the accommodation and had notes like ‘any fake tan, make up or sunscreen damage caused to linen will be charged to your account’ stuck on the bathroom mirror. It would be okay, but everything was white… EVERYTHING, so we felt anxious during our stay. She also constantly popped in, which was awkward.
You could also try a retreat
Gaia Retreat and Spa https://gaiaretreat.com.au/
Byron Wellbeing Retreats https://byronwellbeing.com/
The Byron at Byron https://www.thebyronatbyron.com.au/
Byron Bay Detox Retreats https://byronbaydetoxretreats.com.au/
SHOPPING
Spell, Kivari, Arnhem Clothing, Zulu & Zephyr, Auguste and of course the markets.
THINGS TO DO
There is so much to do in and around Byron. Things that we have done each time we visit include;
Drive up to the Gold Coast and stop at the beautiful beaches remembering to watch the sunset at Wategos Beach.
Fingal Heads.
Killen Falls.
Harry Hills Beach.
Whites Beach.
Belongil Beach.
Minyon Falls.
Nimbin Village.
Crystal Castle.
Byron Bay Lighthouse and Lighthouse Trail.
Cafes, ice cream and buskers in town and the main beach.
The Farm.
Farm and Co - Sunflower farm.
Comma for a massage (book in advance).
I always love Endota! (book in advance)
Solar train. I LOVE the solar train! It is the only one in the world, it is a little Harry Potter and the perfect way to travel between the industrial area or Elements of Byron and the centre of town.
Mullumbimby
Of course there is so much beauty in the water, but our kids are too little for that.
