We flew into Ballina on Thursday for a few days, as one of my best friends is getting married and so we had a couple of days to spare exploring. We are staying in Lennox Head which is super stunning but we had heard so much about Byron Bay (which is only a 20 minute drive from our Airbnb) so we thought we would go and see for ourselves if the rumours were true.
Turns out, there really is so much to love about it. All the stereotypes about surfers and kombi vans and dreads and music on every street corner? Yeah, they’re true. Are the people super chill? You bet – but they’re some of the kindest and open minded people you will ever meet. Here’s a little list of 5 highlights from my brief but delightful time in Byron.
1. Cape Byron Lighthouse
…was flipping AMAZING! The 20 minute wait for a parking spot was so, so worth it! Obviously there were already dozens upon dozens of tourists up here by 9am but there was still room to move around and get plenty of amazing photos. There are also lots of walking tracks to the various lookouts if you want to spend extra time taking in the view from different angles and heights.
2. Coffee Shops – the special kind
Yeah I know you can get coffee shops everywhere but what we have experienced in Byron is particularly memorable. Hospitality like no other with more than just a smile and a polite “how are you” – the people go above and beyond to ask about your walk of life and where you’re from. We have met SO MANY wonderful strangers in such a short time! It makes me feel so warm and fuzzy!!
OH AND APPARENTLY the coffee is the best my snob husband has ever had, so there you go.
3. Beaches for dayyyyzzzzz
A drone-flyers delight – cue husband of course. The main beach is littered with surfers and families and spectacular views from the shore. You can just sit there and soak it all up, seeing as it is 20+ degrees in the thick of winter. Perfection.
4. Clothes shopping!
Eye-catching and quirky little boutiques alongside the most amazing thrift stores (which are not necessarily all that thrifty) make for a very satisfying shopping experience. I love the fact that there are no malls in this kind of town, perfect for the warm weather, so you can just hop from store to store browsing the racks for unique one-off pieces and an abundance of comfy beachwear.
5. Diversity in scenery
I love love loved the fact that we were able to drive ten minutes and discover such a variety of sights – coastline, forests, suburban, village, people from all different cultures and walks of life – this makes me so happy! We had an absolute blast. I completely recommend Byron Bay if you enjoy a relaxed, super chilled atmosphere where the people will greet you with a smile and ‘anything goes’.
Just seriously. Do it.
faithfulandblue 