Byron Bay has an amazing vibe.
Everyone is so chilled, and the place just makes you feel happy.
We first headed there in the evening after our day at the motel. We were in search of food and an evening beach view. Byron was one of the most recommended places in Australia before we set off, so we were really excited to be heading there finally. I had always thought it was very near Sydney, but in fact, it is a lot nearer the Gold Coast. But then geography has never been my strong point.
We headed to the main beach and pulled into the car park. The car parks are pretty expensive, so once we got a space we sat in the car people watching until it became free parking. The beach was so busy. It was 6pm and there were still people relaxing everywhere and people still in the sea. The place was full of camper vans similar to ours, and there was a bit of a 'hippy' feel. A lot of the men had long hair, and there were a lot of people walking around with no shoes on. Most people were wearing bit floaty clothing and there was a lot of peace signs and floral designs.
When we were finally able to leave the van (we were just being stingy again), we had a walk through the town. There was a large selection of bars and cafes all buzzing with people. There is a lot of colourful street art, and general happiness everywhere you look. There was even an old man (with a long beard and a British accent) stood in the middle of the street with a hula-hoop and maracas singing "Shake your pineapple in Byron Bay", for absolutely no reason. He was just loving life. I mean maybe he was on drugs, but he was just so happy!
We ended up eating in a chain Mexican - Guzman y Gomez, because the queues were small and we were starving. It was still delicious. I had enchiladas and it was as good at it looked.
The next day we headed back for a beach day. There was a field of free parking available a 5-minute walk away from the town. The place was super quiet which confused us a little because it was free and the car parks were so expensive?!
We set up on the beach. Sadly it was very overcast, but it was still really hot! Whilst Hollie sunbathed, I spent most of my time paddling in the sea, because the sea water was so nice on my bitten legs. What we hadn't realised was that we had set up on the dog beach, which was also where a lot of the surf lessons were taking place. I spent a lot of time in the sea dodging both. Whilst sitting on the beach, it was amazing watching the experienced surfers. The waves were huge and their skill was incredible. I was fascinated.
(A lot of photos are taken on my phone at Byron Bay as I didn't want to take my camera to the beach - it wasn't as dull as it looks - its just poor quality pictures)
For lunch, one of Hollie's friends had recommended Bayleaf cafe - which was about a 10-minute walk from the beach. They had the best coffee, and I had some poached eggs and bacon which was also great - definitely check it out if you are in Bryon! Supposedly Chris Hemsworth is a regular!
After lunch, we met up with one of Hollie's friends and headed to a bar. Embarrassingly for me, I hadn't taken my ID to the beach, so we actually all got asked to leave the first place - even though I only ordered a Diet Coke. We headed to another one nearby that wasn't as strict and spent the afternoon getting some travel advice from a local. Whilst we were enjoying a nice ice cold drink, the heavens opened and it rained for the rest of the day. It was nice and refreshing, but there really isn't much to do at Byron when the weather is rubbish. As the evening was drawn closer, we had to head off to get to the Gold Coast in time for our next hotel check-in.
I had been a little disappointed by the weather on our trip to Bryon, and by the fact, we hadn't had a chance to head up to the lighthouse. So later in my trip, I went to stay with my friend Shelby on the Gold Coast. Whilst telling her how much I liked it there, she suggested we head back there one afternoon so I could check out the lighthouse.
The weather was incredible when we went back. Shelby didn't live too far from Byron, so knew a couple of different areas to stop in. We stopped first at another beautiful beach - Cape Byron - on the way to the Lighthouse. It wasn't as busy as the main beach, but there were still plenty of travellers parked up, having barbecues and enjoying the beach life.
We headed up a steep winding road FULL of potholes, to reach the lighthouse. There was a parking attendant there when we arrived, but she didn't spot us, so we got away with not paying the $8 parking charge. Which I think is a crazy price, because we were only there for about 15 minutes.
At the lighthouse, there is a small coffee shop where you can stop for a drink and a bite to eat, and at the top of the hill, there are more incredible views. The weather was perfect, again, so it was amazing up there.
We headed back into the Byron Bay and headed to a bar - yes the same one I had previously been asked to leave. When I was ID'd on this occasion I was happy to wave my passport around and not get kicked out. As we walked in, I spotted a friend from school, which was a bit crazy considering I was in a bar on the other side of the world!
We spent the afternoon enjoying cocktails, okay that was me, Shelby had a cider because she was driving. And then before we set off again, we got a slice of pizza from a pizza stall - a perfect day out.
I enjoyed Byron on my first visits, but going back when the weather was fantastic made it even better!
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