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Byron Bay

Byron Bay is part of the Northern Rivers region, 140 km south of Brisbane, 600 km north of Sydney and 90 km south of the Gold Coast. Byron Bay is the perfect climate for swimming, surfing and snorkeling as the temperate and tropical waters merge. Byron Bay is famous for whale watching and its socially and environmentally aware community, boasting that it has no high rise, no McDonalds and no traffic lights. Byron Bay is culturally diverse, famous for its alternative and relaxed way of life that has attracted an interesting mix of residents, a unique and colourful town with plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants as well as great music and entertainment venues. Byron Bay is host to an ever increasing number of tourists from Australia and overseas.

Byron Bay holiday accommodation includes plenty of hostels, camping grounds, house rental, apartment, motel, hotel and studio type accommodation. Many backpackers visit the town all year round and are well catered for with plenty of low cost hostel accommodation. Byron Bay is home to pagan gatherings, yoga retreats and music festivals including the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival during Easter and the Splendour in The Grass Festival in July. Byron Bay is the surfing Mecca for talented surfers and perfect waves. The Byron Bay markets are held once a month and have numerous stalls selling artworks, handcrafted wares and locally-grown produce. Cape Byron Marine Park and Julian Rocks Aquatic Reserve help protect marine life in the Byron Bay area which makes it a great snorkeling and diving area, having access to the over 20 000 ha of water to explore. Humpback whales can be seen on their annual migration up the coast to Hervey Bay in July and on their return in September. Byron Bay is home to beautiful headlands, pristine beaches and is one of the most beautiful locations in the country. Many photographers and painters are attracted to the natural beauty of the area. Byron Bay is famous for its lighthouse, bushwalking, swimming, snorkeling and whale watching.

Byron Bay History

Byron Bay is a small part of the Tweed Volcano, an ancient shield volcano which erupted 23 million years ago. The Arakwal people (part of the Bundjalung group) were the original inhabitants and had a comfortable lifestyle when Captain Cook sailed past in 1770. Admiral Byron in 1770 was named after Cape Byron by Captain Cook. Admiral Byron was famous for sailing around the world in the 1760's. No European settlement occurred until 1885. Cedar-cutters in the late 1800s opened up the lush countryside and is now devoted to cattle, dairying, nut plantations, tropical fruit and tourist accommodation. Byron Bay had a history of primary production (abattoirs, dairy factory, fishing and whaling until 1963) and was a hazardous but significant sea port. Rapid growth soon followed after the opening of the railway in 1894 and the building of the jetty in 1886 when the village of Cavvanbah became Byron Bay. The Byron Bay Co-op Canning and Freezing Co Ltd was established in 1912 and was built near Belongil along the sea shore. The Byron Bay Whaling Station was one of four whaling stations on the east coast and was closed in 1962. The whaling station killed over 1000 whales in the 1950s and 60s. Today it is home to The Southern Cross University Whale Research Station. The most easterly light in Australia is the Cape Byron lighthouse opened in 1901 and has the most powerful beacon in Australia visible to a range of 27 nm or 40 km out to sea. Byron Bay has grown from a small sea side town into a beach paradise in the last 40 years.

Byron Bay Weather