Byron Bay

Cape Byron is the most Easterly point in Australia. For this reason alone, it would attract its share of tourists, but there is so much more to see in this place. In fact, it's far more popular than Ballina and sees a continuous stream of visitors throughout the year.


Byron Bay used to be the whaling centre of Australia. Every year, hundreds of hump back whales would be slaughtered on their annual migration route. The processing plant gave the town a rather distressing aroma of rotting flesh. Today, it has become the hippy centre of the area. People looking for free love, peace and harmony flock here by the thousands.

On the headland, is built a rather grand 1900s lighthouse. It’s tall, elegant and continues to flash out its light over the entire region every night. It’s here, that people flock every spring and autumn to watch the migration of the hump back whales. The same whales the locals were hunting fifty years ago. That’s a pretty massive change in a small amount of time.

The main attraction of Byron Bay is the beach. It’s massively long. It stretches in a long wide curve from the head land, uninterrupted until it reaches Brunswick Heads. The sand is soft and white and the sea is warm. It’s the perfect beach.

There’s also a very strong hippy vibe in town. There’s loads of shops selling hippy junk, as well as quite a few decent handicrafts.

Personally, I think the town is still full of stinky hippies, but the tourists seem to love it!