East Coast Trip

Byron Bay is a coastal town, eight hours north of Sydney, famously known for its beaches and surfing. A picturesque place, teeming with beautiful restaurants, boutiques and cafes.

I decided to fly to Byron over the 11 hour bus which shortened my journey by almost 10 hours!

My first stop in Byron was to ‘BayGer’. I had heard good things and it didn’t disappoint! One thing I noticed was the choice of veggie burgers available – 12 options! A big difference from home. (Don’t worry Dad, I still eat meat!!)

Despite Byron’s beauty, my hostel ‘YHA Cape Byron’ was subpar (or maybe my standards have risen having lived in luxury for the first few weeks of my Australian trip!) However, a combination of booking late and choosing the busiest time of the year to take this trip, meant beggars can’t be choosers! It did have a pool though!

There was a lovely coffee shop next door to the hostel which opened early! So I got my fix there each morning.

Byron is an expensive place , a far cry from Asian prices! I stayed for 3 nights, and despite a few pre-booked activities, I mainly chilled out (which was welcomed after a few weeks of heavy socialising).

The main beach was just a few minutes walk from my hostel.

I took a surf lesson with Mojo Surf Australia one morning. The lesson took place on Seven Mile Beach, a 20 minute drive from the town. There were about 20 people taking the lesson, but I managed to perch myself beside another Westmeath native, who was just as skilled at surfing as myself!! (Not very!!)

I had great fun and I did even manage to surf a few times! Everything was going rather too smoothly in fact, until the last wave took me (and my earrings) completely by surprise!! It was a lucky escape by all accounts!

I went kayaking with dolphins another morning. We started at 7am, before any locals and tourists had gathered on the beach. Apart from a group of surfers, we were the only people in the water at that time, which made the experience even more magical.

We kayaked out for 30 minutes before stopping in the middle of the water to wait for the dolphins to do their thing! Mothers and babies swam around us for quite some time, peeking out of the water delicately every now and then! It was absolutely gorgeous.

I took a walk up to Byron Bay lighthouse for sunset, passing the easternmost point of land on the Australian continent.

Along the route, there were many incredible viewpoints.

I also walked passed Watego’s Beach, a hidden gem in Byron.

And finally, the lighthouse itself.

While in Byron, a heavy storm came. Although this was not ideal weather, it was the perfect excuse to stay in the hostel and plan for the weeks and months ahead.

After my three nights, all that was left to do in Byron was to grab a bowl of fro-yo, and take a bus to my next destination.

Next stop, Surfers Paradise.