Cheer up & Chill Out

 Byron Bay

It's renowned for being a great vibrant place for backpackers and holidaymakers and Byron didn't let me down. 

Byron Bay was everything I wanted it to be and more. The town has such a vibrant and ecstatic atmosphere with it's various bars, nightclubs, restaurants and boutique shops. The town has such a raw edge which makes it a unique place to visit. My favourite thing was the small business' and boutiques scattered around the small town. I still regret to this day not getting a little souvenir from these quaint little shops, so if your ever in Byron give to the community by buying a little souvenir. It means you will always have a little piece of Byron. 

With it's long history and reputation of being the hippie central of Australia, all these years later it's great that the town still resonates that hippie, free spirit vibe that you'll find hard to get anywhere else.

Main beach is a popular spot for backpackers, surfers, hippies and even families. Watching the sunset here was just phenomenal and it's quite easy to let the time slide past. Watching the sun set and the surfers rise.

The vibe at Main Beach was so relaxed and chilled. The weather however, was not so chilled. This made for perfect picnic weather. We didn't crave the weather of home (N.Ireland) but we certainly craved a delicacy from home, fish and chips. Luckily for us, we found a little place called FishHeads near Main Beach itself. It was reasonably priced and offers takeout or dine in. After finding a perfect little spot with beautiful beach views we decided to make our dinner a little picnic and take out.

When we first arrived in Byron we checked in at our campsite, 'Discovery Parks - Byron Bay' which I can not recommend enough. The weather was so glorious we spend most of our first day in the on-site pool. We spent three nights in Byron, costing us $145. It was well worth the money considering how great the facilities were and also that we booked it last minute (just before Anzac weekend). We were incredibly lucky.

Our next day we travelled into Byron town for our first proper exploration. Me being, "super organised, tries to be spontaneous Gemma, but doesn't always work" knew exactly what I wanted to do with my time in Byron. Number one on the agenda, Cape Byron Lighthouse walk.

Having huffed and puffed the whole way up to the lighthouse, I came to the realization that I was extremely unfit but this was quickly overshadowed by the captivating views that were sprung on you at every moment of the hike.

Another little gem of a place was Clarke's Beach/The Pass which has stamped its mark as one of the top 15 best surf beaches in Australia. I'm not keen on the idea of actually taking part in surfing myself, being that I am terrified of deep water however, there is something so enthralling about the sport. Numerous times Peter and I would take a time out and sit on the rocks, bathing in the warm glow of the sun, feet dipping into the strangely warm sea watching the surfers try time and time again to catch a wave. It came to the point were we would be exuberant when they would succeed.


If your planning on visiting Byron I would highly urge you to stay longer than three days. Spend a few days relaxing, chilling out, soaking up the Byron vibe before truly exploring the heart of the town.