weekend getaway in byron bay

As promised, here is a little post on Byron Bay aka Paradise number 2. I hope I am not making all people in the Northern Hemisphere a bit too envious about these summery and beachy photographs ;)

Byron Bay is so far, one of my favourite spot in Australia. The beach, the walk up to the lighthouse, its sunsets, its dolphins, its healthy culture... There is everything that I love. We arrived the first day, after an hour of flying over NSW, pretty early in the morning. The first thing to do was to lie on the Main Beach, where all the surfers and swimmers are having a hard time in a 28C temperature, even in Autumn. We then had a little nap and went for a few drinks, namely Coconut Water in the "city", or shall I say the main street. Unlike what most people think (including myself) Byron Bay is a very small town, although touristy - but not too much. The first day was mainly beaching and then we decided to walk half the trail up to the lighthouse. The sunset was absolutely stunning, but we kept the rest for the next day!    

Before I mention the activities of the second day, I would like to highlight the existence and yummy places for brunches and breakfasts there. The first photo was from Expressohead. Although they sell nice drinking coconuts, it's great to have a drink but don't go there for breakfast. You may not see it but my poached eggs were overcooked. You can tell a chef is a good one by the way he cooks his poached eggs (quote from Gordon Ramsay) so I'm sorry but this was a total fail. The second however.... my favourite place ever! Called Café Byron, I had the best smashed avocado on sourdough with lemon. And not to mention the delicious watermelon and mint fresh juice... So simple but so delicious. Their affogato (ice cream in coffee) is also a must for you to try. 

So the second day. I started my day going to the beach very early in the morning to do some kayak with dolphins (from the company Cape Byron). Well, the experience was crazy and worth every penny! The crew was awesome and you DO see dolphins so close to you. I could not believe my eyes. The morning tea with Tim Tams is also very appreciated. 

After the dolphin Kayaking and a yummy brunch for myself, we went on the beach - slightly away from the main beach and decided to lie down for a beach. The place is called "The Pass" and apparently it is the perfect place for beginner surfers. I will definitely go back to Byron and learn to surf a little bit. I can't leave Australia without having done any surfing! At $59 for 4 hours I would definitely do it. The Pass is absolutely genius, a nice beach, nice views and nice BBQs to regroup with your family and friends. We kept on walking on the way to the lighthouse. As you can see, we caught the sunset on our way and the landscape is absolutely breathtaking. Right before reaching the lighthouse, you go to a point which is the "most easterly point of Australian mainland". Basically, you're at the easterly east of Australia! Crazy, huh? 

The last day was breakfast (again) and a day trip to Nimbin as the day was cloudy and a bit rainy. Nimbin is funnily interesting in terms of its hippie culture. But in all honesty, there is no point going there unless you want to buy illicit products or visit the Gallery, which was closed at the time... 

Overall, Byron is THE place to relax and have a good warm time (water never under 25C) the whole year. Locals say sometimes it's not even refreshing when it's 32C outside and 30C inside the water. The beaches are really pretty and it's the true Aussie way of life: sea, sand and BBQ! With friends or in couple, I absolutely love this place. It's a must if you ever come to Australia and I will definitely go back. My favourite café is definitely the Café Byron. Ginger Pig is also a nice place if you wish to have some cocktails.