After skipping swiftly through the Gold Coast, a city I found so dull I wonder how it was granted such an alluring name, I arrived in Byron Bay. I had been looking forward to this location ever since I booked my trip six months prior, a surfer town known for its long, golden-sand beaches and laid-back way of life.
I spent around five days here, the longest I stayed in any single destination, and what I spent those days doing… I couldn’t precisely tell you. The slow pace and mellow vibes synonymous with Byron seem to draw out time into a hazy blur, making this the perfect place to do nothing. Here, being lazy isn’t something to feel guilty for; instead, you are savouring moments and appreciating the small things, like the sun that endlessly shines and the buskers’ music drifting in the air. The atmosphere is somehow simultaneously relaxing and energising, which lingers on as day turns to night, the town still very much alive and buzzing with activity after the sun goes down. Pubs and bars fill with people, locals and travellers seamlessly mixing together to form one cohesive community.
As nice as it was to take it easy after a few weeks of fairly full-on adventure, I didn’t spend all my time lounging by the pool (although, one stand-out moment was a morning spent doing just that, whilst listening to a group of extremely talented musicians jam together in the hostel garden. I thought it would last an hour perhaps, but it just kept going and going… they were still playing when I sat down to eat dinner that evening. Such a special experience, to have your whole day soundtracked). When in Byron, you have to surf. My roommate and I hired a board and headed to the beach for a few hours, where we tried our hardest to make the most of the waves we were given. With approximately one and a half surf lessons between us, the small waves that we arrived to were a blessing, however after an hour or two the sea fell pretty flat, forcing us to reside to the beach for the rest of the morning. Not a bad outcome in the grand scheme of things, and at least we could say we tried. The fresh smoothie we treated ourselves to on the way back to the hostel was just what we deserved after a very demanding day out.
Byron’s most iconic feature is undeniably the lighthouse at Cape Byron, the most easterly point of mainland Australia. It’s supposedly an incredible spectacle at sunrise, but I’m really a night owl by nature, so I visited at sunset instead. I definitely took the ‘scenic route’ up, following a track through dense forest, surrounded by an eery silence that was only occasionally disrupted by a bush turkey digging through fallen leaves. I had no idea where I was or where I was going; this was the first time in my travels that I genuinely felt lost, and my rookie error in not having a local sim card meant I couldn’t use my GPS. After what felt like an eternity of hiking on my own, some joggers passed by me, reassuring my irrational mind that I am indeed near civilisation and not in an episode of Bear Grylls: Mission Survive. I eventually emerged into the open, rewarded with epic views over Cape Byron and Tallow Beach, then followed the road up to the lighthouse. I arrived in time to see the golden-orange light beginning to break through the clouds, casting a luminous glow on the surface of the water and the white walls of the impressive building. I joined the small crowd that had gathered to admire the serene setting with a 360 degree view across Byron Bay and out to sea. I didn’t stay much longer than 30 minutes, wanting to head back before the light disappeared completely, and this time I took the route more well-travelled. The Cape Byron Walking Track led me along the other side of the coastline, offering up spectacular views across the bay as the last light dipped below the mountainous horizon.
Finally, no trip to Byron Bay could be considered complete without a visit to the nearby village of Nimbin. It’s like stepping back in time to the era of the hippy, shops filled to bursting with psychedelic memorabilia, quirky characters congregating in cafes, and the strong presence of certain herbal treats that would raise a few eyebrows in a less liberal part of the world. The best word I can use to describe my time in Nimbin is random; nothing made much sense to be completely honest, but I suppose that’s the charm of it. It was memorable, and certainly made me smile, and that’s exactly what I came travelling for.
My days spent in Byron Bay were some of my favourites so far. It reminded me of my years spent in Falmouth, another small coastal town with a big heart and chilled vibes - although the weather here was a vast improvement on the horizontal rain in Cornwall. I probably could’ve stayed forever, but the time finally came to move on to somewhere new, and just a tad more fast-paced…
Stay tuned, next stop: Sydney.