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 Byron
Bay is a
fantastic place to spend vacations. It has become
a must see place in Australia and no Aussie travel
is complete without a trip to "Byron".
Byron was a Hippie City during the 60's & 70's
and still maintains this image to a degree. Today
surfers, intellectuals, painters, sculptors,
artists, naturalist and many other exotic people
make Byron their home.
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Byron
Bay is located
on the North Coast of New South Wales, about one
hour by car south of the Gold Coast. The place
relies mostly on tourism and its attraction is a
mixture of the relaxed atmosphere as well as the
beauty of its beach and surroundings. It is a
happy, cool place with many restaurants serving
the best seafood caught in the region and great
parties in the night clubs happen all the time.
The town is beach front, with small blocks and
streets that make the place so attractive. Due to
the huge number of tourists, mostly young
backpackers, the streets get really crowded with
people from all over the world, and cars run as
slow as life there is. In the city centre, many
restaurants (some with Jimmy Hendrix and Janis
Joplin pictures adorning the walls) place tables
on the pavement so that you can enjoy a cold beer
and people watch. All specialties and cuisines are
offered, including organic and natural.
The
beach in front of the town
has white sands and crystal clear water which is a
definite invitation to swim or surf. Byron
Bay Lighthouse sits on a hill above
Byron, and if you choose to do the walk, you can
go to the most Eastern point in Australia! The
lighthouse is still operating and is open for
public visits. From the top you have a 360 degrees
view of all the surroundings and also of the town
and adjacent mountains. It is also possible from
the top to spot Wales and Dolphins (certain times
of the year). Surfers were partly responsible
for Byron Bay's growth and relaxed, alternative
lifestyle. The waves in Byron Bay are considered
World Class Surf with 3 right point breaks with
perfect waves. (When there is swell!) The waves
are tubular and fast when the swell is big and
breaks slow and mellow when small - good for long
boards.
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The
beach is not only beautiful,
but has many sunbathers trying to get a tan.
Topless sunbaking is not OFFICIALLY permitted but
every time I have been there, I have had a great
time "people watching"! But beware, the
sun is strong, so be careful to protect your
assets with sun cream.... With the Surfers, many
alternative people migrated to the region, living
in farms up in the hills and planting natural
orchards. These radical lifestyle combinations
make Byron an exclusive place in Australia.
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The
beach located
at the other side of the lighthouse (photo) is
long and open, and rarely crowded. The waves are
bigger than in the bay and provide good surf when
waves are small. At the end of this beach, the
next point is called Broken Heads, which is
also very quiet and beautiful. There are trails
and bush walks to be done starting from this point
that follow the water line. Accommodation in
Broken Heads is limited to a camping/caravan park
and there are no shops around. By comparison,
Byron has plenty of accommodation to fit any
budget, from camping grounds to luxury resorts.
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The
new freeway
(border with the Gold Coast) has a 110 km speed
limit which makes the distance from Surfers
Paradise to Byron possible to complete in a little
over an hour. Driving South from Byron, there are
other very nice small towns such as Lennox Heads
(photo) and Ballina. The road crosses a state park
with beautiful plants, trees and beaches, most of
them offering great waves for surfing. Another
road leaves Byron going to the Mountains, passing
by farms and rural areas where great bush walks
can be found and beautiful waterfalls for a
refreshing dip. It is a great place for
eco-tourism.
Byron
Bay just
can not be missed during your visit to Australia,
and don't forget to spend some time shopping for
great arts and crafts produced in the region.
More about Byron Bay...
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| Blues
Festival |
Broken
Heads - point |
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