Byron Bay is a coastal town on the far North Coast of the Australian state of New South Wales, located just off the Pacific Highway, approximately 800 km north of Sydney and 175 km south of Brisbane. Nearby Cape Byron is the easternmost point on the Australian mainland.
Understand
Byron Bay is famed worldwide for its surfing beaches, scuba diving , whale watching , rural beauty and a laid back lifestyle. Byron Bay and its surrounding area have a population of about 30,000, the area mainly deriving its income from tourism (1.7 million+ visitors per annum) and farming. A new focus are the many thriving home-based businesses focus on alternative, cultural and knowledge industries, with a growing population of artists, writers and filmmakers.
See
East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival . Held at Byron Bay each Easter.Splendour in the Grass Music Festival . Alternative to mainstream festival over 2 days in July (winter) each year.Schoolies in Late November/Early December celebrating school leavers from across AustraliaDo
SurfingByron Bay is known to have a good surf with many varying beaches within the city limits:
Byron Main, the most known beach in Byron, usually has a smaller swell which breaks close to shore. At the southern end of the Byron Main beach lies "The Pass." The Pass can be very crowded, along with Byron Main on summer days but is perfect for long boarding with wide rollers that go forever.Watego's Beach is just around the corner from "The Pass" and Byron Main. It is somewhat hidden from view, lying on the north side of the Byron point. Watego's is usually less crowded and has a bit larger surf then "The Pass." The surf runs west towards Byron Main and takes a bit more skill to paddle out to then "The Pass" or the main beach.Tallow's Beach is the least known and least used Byron beach. Tallow's Beach is on the south side of the Byron headland and generally has a larger surf along the cliffs of the Byron headland. It is very uncommon to see tourists along this beach because the only way you can see the beach from anywhere in Byron is from the top of the Byron headland.It is not uncommon to surf among pods of common dolphins as the evening winds down in Byron, especially if you are surfing Watego's or "The Pass."
Diving and snorkelingByron Bay has some of New South Wales's best scuba diving. Most diving is at Julian Rocks, only five minutes off shore. The depths around Julian Rocks are 5-25 meters, and it's suitable for snorkeling. You can dive with the following operators:
Byron Bay Dive Centre runs diving and snorkeling trips to Julian Rocks. Certification is available through PADI, SSI and NAUI. Non-certified dives are available after taking a short SSI Passport Diver course.
