BYRON BAY – THE AUSTRALIAN TRAVELLER GUIDE

Australia’s best secret beach Whites Beach, Byron Bay, NSW It came as no surprise that this little treasure took out the top spot – as anyone who has been here can tell you, Whites deserves it. You’ll find this beach at one of Australia’s most popular destinations, Byron Bay, but even though it’s just down the road from million-dollar Main Beach, it feels a world away from anywhere. To get here, you need to drive down a dirt road through rainforest, stop at an unmarked spot, and wander down a quiet, tree-filled path onto the white shoreline – a bit...

White-washed walls, polished concrete floors, light-filled open-plan interior and a delicious daybed for post-swim snoozes on the verandah... this is what a beach retreat is all about. Two queen beds, a king-sized bedroom with ensuite, and an outdoor shower to rinse the sand off, set amongst a frangipani-filled tropical garden. And did we mention Broken Head Beach is just a two-minute stroll away? The house is also close to many of Byron Bay’s attractions, including hikes through the rainforest, local markets and the odd appearance by a passing pod of whales. From $350 per night (low season, three-night minimum); $500...

It’s the quintessential family beach shack: an original, open-plan timber house in the heart of Byron Bay, with high ceilings, timber floors and French doors that lead onto a large verandah. But it’s the outdoors we love most about this property – with mountain views, hammocks for lazy summer siestas and a backyard mango tree for the picking. Fire up the barbeque, or light the wood-fired pizza oven for a slice of the best this side of Naples. The shops and main beach are a 10-minute walk away, where you’ll also find the best coffee and fish burgers in town at...

Where is it? 815km north of Sydney in the Tweed Valley How to see it for yourself? Drive south-west of Murwillumbah, pass through Uki and turn south onto Doon Doon Rd. Why I love it “Due to its proximity to Cape Byron, the easternmost point in NSW, the mountain catches the first rays of sunlight in the morning." - Kim MacDonald, The Legendary Pacific Coast Pacific Coast...

Australian Traveller Magazine's 100 Great Australian Holiday Homes Multi award-winning architect Sharon Fraser calls it a 'sunken lounge', but we know a good old-fashioned conversation pit when we see one. But even that 'purely for fun' element of Fraser's astonishing never-before-rented uber property in the Byron Bay Hinterland isn't the home's standout feature. It's competing for cool-and-quirky status with an outdoor fire pit, a synthetic Stick fence that ripples in the breeze like wind through grass, absurdly large swimming pool and of course that giant signature rouge rabbit sculpture - an original in steel by Melbourne's Peter McLisky. Fraser's otherworldly,...

NSW's Affordable Accommodation - Backpackers  Where is it? Byron Bay, NSW North Coast. Situated on five acres of subtropical terrain in the idyllic coastal town of Byron Bay, the Arts Factory Lodge is a 10-minute walk from Main Beach. It is also close to Byron Bay CBD, less than two kilometres away. What’s it like? Reminiscent of the 1970s hippie movement, the Arts Factory features hammocks, psychedelic painted walls and alternative workshops like African drumming, yoga and didgeridoo making. There are traditional facilities, too, including a heated swimming pool, communal games room, on-site café and juice bar. Just be aware...

Crank up Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, sing it loud and proud, you’re on the great road trip north. There’s an overwhelming sense of camaraderie and freedom to be had spending nine hours in a car with your best mates. And Sydney to Byron Bay gives you 772km worth of opportunities to dump some of your excess baggage. I’ve been to Byron many times, but the trip I remember most fondly was on the way up to the East Coast Blues and Roots festival. We took to the road in a big old RV. I invested in Wavefinder...

If you feel like you’ve done everything there is to do in Byron Bay, Graham Simmons says think again. His ten best insider secrets will allow you to see the iconic destination in a new light, and pass yourself off as a local at the same time. Take the Cumbebin Wetlands Boardwalk Just a ten minute walk from the Byron CBD, the Cumbebin Wetland Sanctuary is a pocket of rejuvenated paperbark wetlands hidden behind the Butler St market grounds. Volunteer labour has transformed this reserve from a lantana-ridden wasteland into a sheltered haven for birdlife and frogs. Bangalow palms and...

Australian Traveller Magazine's 100 Great Australian Holiday Homes Some holiday homes you just want to run away to and hide in until forever comes and goes. We’d put The Rock Retreat firmly in that category. Overlooking the Tweed Valley in far northern NSW and perched on such a high plateau that you’ll occasionally look down at eagles flying past its massive wraparound balconies, this eyrie-cum-holiday home leaves the stresses of the city far below. The beaches of Byron are about 45mins away. On a clear day you can see to Queensland. With panoramic views to Mt Warning, you’ll be one...

Australian Traveller Magazine's 100 Great Australian Holiday Homes Never has an era been so fondly recalled as the simple Australian beach life of the 1950s. Partridge Cottage, overlooking the Cape Byron Marine Park in Byron Bay, is one of the last of the original ’50s north coast beach shacks. With its simple, white-painted clapboard exterior, wooden floors and retro furniture (think red laminate chairs, colourful wall tiles and antique lamps), Partridge Cottage has been lovingly renovated to stay true to its heritage. It’s not flashy, but it oozes warmth and character. And with sand from one of Australia’s premier beaches...

Australian Traveller Magazine's 100 Great Australian Holiday Homes Strictly for those accustomed to lives of opulence, Emerald Valley Villa in the Byron Bay Hinterland is the kind of place where if you need to ask the price, you cannot afford it. Not only is it a six star triumph of luxury and Balinese style, it’s a true masterpiece of eco-design that allows for the resort to be powered by 100 percent green technology, leaving not so much as the tiniest carbon toe-print, nor an ounce of guilt on a departing, pampered visitor. The entire design fuses modern methods with ancient...

Jump on a plane to Byron Bay for some soul searching this winter, writes Solveig Walkling. Normally I’m the kind of person who can’t wait to get to their hotel room - just to get out of it again quickly and start exploring the surrounds. Most hotel rooms are configured around the dark void they call the TV and it doesn’t take long to get sucked in. Not so the Byron at Byron. While my room has a modern flat screen TV (and working remote control), I haven’t even thought about turning on the telly yet. Nor am I on...

Beguiling Byron. A place of happy beach existence, where sophisticated barefoot executive meets trust-baby bohemia meets yoga master. It’s the ultimate Australian town where no-one is out of place: DINKS, Reiki masters, ferals, wealthy Europeans and British backpackers all live happily here. Its carefully crafted laidback ambience and ability to totally unwind the most knotted of shoulders make it virtually unmissable for most travellers. For the first timer, the town itself can be underwhelming and, within an hour of arriving, many wonder what the fuss is about. But within 48 hours the cynic is usually converted and another I-just-looove-Byron-ite is...