Surfs Up In Byron Bay

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Geo: -28.6434, 153.612

What is it that attracts people to Byron Bay? It's a small town with just a beach and at the most easterly point on mainland Australia, but yet is a backpackers mecca and also a holiday mecca.
It's strange in my opinion but it's a place I like going to and especially when we were meeting James and Hayley and that we were going to be celebrating Valentines day and Anna's birthday as well.
We drove up from Coffs Harbour with just a small stop at the big prawn in Ballina and Lennox Head and finally arrived into Byron Bay by 6pm where we met with James and Hayley who had rented an apartment.
We were able to use their facilities which was really great and helpful and set about making a BBQ dinner where James had a little issue with the barbecue when it basically set on fire. Luckily it didn't overcook the meat. We went out for a couple of drinks later that night, but nothing was too appealing to stay for a long time.

The next day was Valentines day and what better way to start the day with a three hour surf where the conditions were pretty good for the four of us and everyone had a great session. It was pretty tiring and we went back to the apartment for a bit of a rest.
Anna and I went for a walk up to the lighthouse which took about 3 hours return as we did the full loop which walked past Watego's beach and to the most easterly point in mainland Australia and up to the lighthouse for some spectacular views to Byron Bay looking north and looking south. The setting sun broke through the clouds shining the rays of light over Byron finishing off a pretty magical Valentines day.
On return we picked up some pizza and ate it along the beach. It was such a great day.
We planned to start the second day in similar fashion with a three hour surf in the morning followed by a day trip to Minyon Falls and Nimbin, but the waves were pretty small so we decided to reverse it.

Leaving just before lunch we took a drive through the thin and windy roads around Lismore to Minyon Fallls in Whian Whian state forest. I have done a lot of work around this area but I have never made it to Minyon Falls and it was pretty cool. The area offers some great views of the landscape and waterfall as well as walking opportunities.
Next stop was a psychedelic trip to the past to the hippie town of Nimbin. It was a short visit as the town is pretty small, but some of the shops and people in this town makes for an interesting day trip. Nimbin is known for it's relaxed state on drugs so we took a trip down memory lane and visited the very obscure but interesting Nimbin Museum.
A place that we saw there was the candle making factory which still uses the traditional dunking method and the employees were gracious in showing and explaining some of the processes involved.
Upon return the waves still didn't give us an opportunity for a ride and stopped our surfing streak of four days.

Day Three and Anna's birthday, she wanted to be in Byron Bay for her birthday and hoped for a birthday surf, but yet again the conditions in the morning were pretty small. After an initial present opening in the morning followed by a cheesecake breakfast, we went to the beach to try surf but ended up going for a swim and working on our tan.
We all went for a birthday Falafel lunch and Anna and I took a walk around the town to see some of the cool surf shops around. It would have been a crime not to go for a surf so we did manage to hire a board for a bit over an hour and enjoyed another surf in better conditions than the morning.
Later in the evening Anna and I went to one of the few restaurants in Byron and enjoyed a great dinner followed by a cheese dessert. We then met with James and Hayley and hit some of the bars for a few celebratory drinks. It was a great day and Anna was completely spoiled.

Our last day in Byron started with another surf but this time the conditions were quite bigger than usual and we had a few injuries within the space of a few minutes when James first took the side of a board to his upper lip causing some blood to emerge. Then shortly afterwards Anna went to catch a wave when the board flipped up and hit her on the head.
We all took a step back and rested under the shade from a hot day and time to relax after a stressful morning.
That ended the great time spent in Byron Bay. Not only was the weather perfect but also the company and activities we did. A big thanks goes to James and Hayley for letting us use their facilities and also a big thanks to Anna for a great time had over the last two weeks on our campervan road trip, even though we have a few more days left.

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