Byron Bay, New South Wales

May 10 - 13, 2003

From Cairns, I flew to Brisbane, where I rented a car and drove 2 hours south to Byron Bay, on the northern coast of New South Wales.  Byron Bay is known for its alternative culture (a bit like an Australian subtropical, coastal Berkeley, I suppose) and is popular with surfers, hippies, and especially nowadays, backpackers and tourists.  I imagine this increased tourism is taking away from the town's charm, but I still loved it here.  It has beautiful beaches, a great cafe scene, a nice open air bar which has local live music each night, and scenic countryside surrounding it.  If you ask me, a much better alternative to the Gold Coast.
 

The Belongil Beach House, where I stayed in Byron Bay.  The highlight of this place is its excellent cafe and lush tropical grounds.		The sandy beaches of Byron Bay.
The lighthouse at Cape Byron, which sits on a cliff overlooking the sea.	The eastern most point of the Australian mainland (28º 38' 15" S 153º 38' 14" E) at Cape Byron.	Hang gliding is popular off Cape Byron around sunset.	Sunset from Cape Byron.
Some of the more colorful vans parked at the Belongil Beach House.		I had my maiden voyage in a glider in Byron Bay.  I flew with my guide from an airstrip outside town over the lighthouse and back.  After reaching maximum altitude, we cut the engine and glided the rest of the way, including landing.  I even handled the steering for a while.  The only scary moment was when we nearly glided into a squall!
The countryside outside Byron Bay, looking towards the sea.	Downtown Byron Bay after a downpour.	The Railway Bar, aptly named because of its location next to the train station.  This is the place to listen to some live music and meet the locals.	Jumbo shrimp?