Escaping the winter blues…

I’m not even going to mention the ‘c’ word here but I think we’d all agree that so far 2020 has been a total nightmare. Health impacts aside, one of the hardest things has been staying put and not being able to travel. I know we’re extremely lucky compared to friends in many other countries, but normally at this time of the year we’d be thinking about Europe, Asia or maybe a Pacific Island – anywhere warmer than Sydney in August.

However, with our travel options now limited to NSW, all isn’t lost. We’re incredibly lucky to have one of the most gorgeous spots on earth within reach, and by that I mean Byron Bay. Anywhere on the coast would have been lovely, but the further north, the warmer, so to Byron we went.

I’ve been visiting Byron for over 20 years and planning to move there for about the same length of time – many Sydneysiders have done the same but, unlike me, the smarter ones have actually made the move.

Around 5 degrees warmer than Sydney and with lovely, uncrowded beaches, excellent restaurants, a spectacularly scenic hinterland and a rich and diverse marine habitat, all are guaranteed to find somthing to love – or all of the above in my case. Did I mention there are Koalas …?

Whether you’re looking to surf, swim, kayak, or kite surf, walk or run the beach or picnic, there is a perfect beach in Byron. Wategos is a perfect gem of a beach located on one side of the Lighthouse, backed by luxurious properties we all wish we owned, not to mention the seriously stylish Rae’s on Watego’s boutique retreat. Wategos is popular with surfers and you may even witness a sunset beach wedding.

Tallow Beach, just on the other side of the Lighthouse stretches 7kms down the coast, ending, or starting, depending on how you look at it, in Broken Head. We watched the sun come up one morning while walking the length of the beach – oh to start every day in this way!

Byron is well known as a Marine sanctuary and whale and dolphin sightings are common during most of the year. If you want to get up close I can recommend a kayak tour. We did a 3 hour excursion and were incredibly lucky to have a family of whales frolicking within 20 metres of us. Another surfaced just behind us and then swam under our kayak. What surprised me most was the noise they make – not the gentle, calm you to sleep, melodic sounds you’d be familiar with, but a deep, loud, rumbling soound – somewhat unsettling when you’re bobbing around on a piece of plastic a few metres away. We were the only ones to fall out of our kayak on the trip but even the water is warmer in Byron so it was just part of the fun.

My Partner is a cycling enthusiast and organised to go on a hinterland ride with the lovely Alice and Chris from Lifecycles Travel. The experience includes an early morning pick up from wherever you’re staying followed by a tailored ride through the beautiful subtropical Byron coast and hinterland. They cater to beginners or seasoned road riders who want to find all the best local climbs and cafes, or even keen gravel enthusiasts looking to get off the beaten tracks, as was the case with my partner. He loved his first ride so much that he booked to go on two more during our stay, each along different routes and ending in a different local cafe. I wish I could have joined but the surrounding country side is very hilly and winding – which is what makes it so scenic. Alice and Chris promised me they would have an eBike by October this year so I’ll be able to join next time.

The Kiosk at Harvest – a perfect breakfast stop after a mornings bike riding around the Hinterland.

A visit to the Farm is a must. A fully functional working farm that hosts a community of growers, producers, eateries and educators. Eat produce grown on site at Three Blue Ducks eatery and walk it off afterwards while you roam the 80 acre property (or parts of it) admiring the heritage breed pigs (enormous), cows, chickens, bee hives and endless garden plots. The sign in the Macadamia plantation warning about snakes was a little sobering…. maybe that’s why I haven’t moved there yet…?

The Farm is also where we met for our hot air balloon adventure at 5am on Sunday morning. The night sky was still pitch black, the kind of darkness you never see in a city, and definitely frosty, but a wonderful opportunity to gaze at the Milky Way and the millions of stars (some shooting!) on show above us.

A quick check-in and breakfast ordered, and we were driven to our starting point. The pilot isn’t able to control the direction the balloon travels in so the launch site is different every day, depending on the prevailing winds. In our case it was an hour or so drive to a grassy paddock just beyond Lismore.

The experience invloves helping set up the balloon as the sun comes up and finishes with deflating and rolling up the enormous balloon in a random field at the other end, so be prepared for a 3-4 hour experience in total. You’re in the air for around an hour and it is just surreal – quiet and dreamy as you float across the country side in what looks pretty much like a giant picnic basket. Our dutch pilot explained that piloting our size of balloon (20 person) was the equivalent of flying an A380 and required 5 years of flying experience – we felt completely safe and I’d do it again in a heart beat.

Feeling slightly famished we returned to the Farm for a delicious breakfast – in our case the best bacon and egg rolls and coffee we’d ever tasted! We actually went back for brunch on our last morning it was so good and such a pretty setting.

Back to the aforementioned Koalas, they are definitely there but you have to be pretty lucky to see a Koala while in Byron – on this trip we saw only one holding up the traffic while crossing a main road just out of Bangalow – but that’s definitley better than nothing!

Stay: We were there for a week and I like to have a house while in Byron so we took an Airbnb close to Tallow Beach, but there are plenty of accomodation options from luxury beachside stays to appartments or camping depending on what you’re looking for.

Adventures:

Bike rides with Lfecycles Travel : https://lifecyclestravel.com/

Hot Air Balloning: https://www.balloonaloft.com/locations/byron-bay/experience

Kayak excursion: https://www.capebyronkayaks.com/

Walks: The area has some lovely bush walks, notably to Minyon Falls and Whian Whian Falls, the later a lovely swimming spot in summer.

A stroll around Mullimbimby is fun – be sure to visit Punch and Daisy for coffee and a bite.

If like me, you love a market, then Byron will give you your fix – check the dates of the various markets here https://www.byron-bay.com/byronbay/market.html. If you’re in town on the 1st Sunday of the month then head to Lismore for the car boot market – it’s a treasure trove!

Eat and drink:

Harvest Newrybar: a favourite and now with a bakery and a kiosk for a casual coffee and bite https://harvestnewrybar.com.au/

Milk and Honey: The best pizzas you’ll ever taste and totally worth the 20 minute drive to Mullimbimby https://milkandhoneymullumbimby.com.au/

Bang Bang: Excellent Asian eatery but you’ll need to book well in advance. Make sure you order the prawn toast https://www.bangbangbyronbay.com/

The Balcony Bar: https://balcony.com.au/ an old favourite

Treehouse on Belongil: the website says it all – food to hug the body and music to sooth the soul… https://www.treehouseonbelongil.com/

Barrio: located in the Habitat Retail & Lifestyle Precinct serves delicious Spanish influenced ethically focused food in a great semi industrial setting https://barriobyronbay.com.au/

Shelter: watch the sun rise on the beach at Broken Head and then visit shelter for a wonderful breakfast https://www.shelterlennox.com.au/

The Farm: https://thefarm.com.au/ enough said already!

Byron is the birthplace of Stone & Wood and they have a new brewery a short drive from the centre of town offering brewery tours, tastings and food to match – the Green Coast is just delicious. Visit https://stoneandwood.com.au/byron-brewery/

Also Doma’s in Federal – only doing takeaways while we were there because of the ‘C’ situation, and Moonshine Coffee Roasters next door, apparently the best coffee in Byron. Bayleaf in Byron is a always a great spot for breakfast or lunch and Top Shop is a perenial favourite

Shopping: There are a lot of great shops in Byron and the srrounding areas but make sure you visit Island Luxe and Bisque Traders , both in Bangalow. Great for a wander and some inspiration even if you don’t need a pair of vintage Morrocan doors just at the moment.

Markets: If like me you love a market, then the Byron region will give you your fix. Check the website for the dates of the various markets https://www.byron-bay.com/byronbay/market.html and if you’re in town on the 1st Sunday of the month head to the Lismore Car Boot market – it’s an absolute treasure trove!