Byron Bay: Worth the Hype

By Bobbi-Jo // 23 March 2010 // Comments: 0 // Related Categories: Benny, Best Backpacker Job, Kayaking, Scuba, Things to do

I was going to wait until some pictures came through to throw this post up. It’s much better to see rather than just hear (because you read everything on the Internet out loud. Sitting in a circle with your friends. Popcorn style) what I’m talking about, but I know that the anticipation is killing you, so here’s a little tale about Byron Bay. Pictures will be posted on Facebook later - speaking of which, here’s a new album with the sights and sounds (literally, we’re talking didgeridoos) from Bellingen, NSW.

Benny, Wilson and I rolled into Byron Bay expecting a lot. You hear about this place as far south as Sydney, more than any of the places (like Newcastle or Bellingen or Port Stephens) that actually fall between them.

The surf. The people. Nimbin. It’s almost like a Greek god of backpacker destinations in Australia. There’s good reason for that though. There are tons of like-minded travelers, lots of people who have settled in for a longer amount of time and are working. Everyone is laid back and pretty content with walking around being beautiful living calm, peaceful, beach-soaked lives.

You’re starting to see why it’s so popular, yes?

While I definitely suggest you stop at all the smaller destinations between Byron and Sydney, give yourself a few extra days in Byron Bay. The view from the lighthouse is pretty spectacular, especially if there are hang gliders scooting around in the sky above it. Plus! You can stand on the easterly point of Australia. How cool is that? You can call home and tell your folks that...um. You stood on the most easterly point of Australia? While it can’t compare to what I’m sure St. Patrick’s Day is like in Sydney, Byron, and The Rails in particular, put on a great showing, and tons of locals and backpackers got in the spirit to celebrate the most alcohol infused day of the year.

If you can and are so inclined, check out Sundive and go on a dive at Julian Rocks. Fun fact: they were named after a female relative, Julia, of Captain Cook. Funner fact: the twin rocks are said to be the embodiment of two star-crossed lovers who were forbidden from being together but cursed to sit side by side never being able to touch. Tragic? Yes. An pretty cool dive site? Double yes.

As we discussed, you can spot leopard sharks - which are COOL. I saw turtles, which, aside from not drowning was pretty much my goal for the morning. Rays are a pretty common as well. I can’t say that I’m not a little disappointed that I’ve been diving a few times now and still haven’t found Nemo.

But give me time.

I was paired up with Richard, a Dive Master. When you’re told that you will (“will”, not “probably will”) see sharks, you want your guide to have “master” in the title. Trust me. I figured he’d know all the underwater ninja moves in case I started looking like lunch to any of the larger and hungrier fish. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that, and the dive was absolutely beautiful.

Later the same day I went out with GoSeaKayaking on a dolphin watching kayak trip. We didn’t see any dolphins, and I got seriously rocked by a few waves. Have you guys ever BEEN kayaking? At low tide? It’s HARD. Fun. But, hard. I can’t even name all the places my paddles or the actual kayak hit me each time (yes, more than once) I got knocked off of the kayak. I’ll just say that everything still hurts and I might not be able to have kids. Even with the hiccups, our guides made sure we had a fun time and gave us background of the area and more in-depth information on dolphins (did you know they can drown? how sad) along the way.

So there you go - Byron Bay in a small little nutshell that doesn’t do it justice. Make sure you see it for yourself, and while you're there pop in to Buddha Bar for some great live music and the hippiest vibe you'll get outside of Nimbin.

Can't get enough?

And also keep an eye on YouTube and Flickr!