A Chill Weekend in Byron Bay

The Low Down

After the stress of getting Decompression Sickness while obtaining my PADI Open Water Scuba Certification on the Great Barrier Reef and the resulting 27 hour bus ride, I was looking forward to a chill weekend in Byron Bay.

Getting There

I took a 27 hour bus ride from Townsville to get to Byron Bay but I don’t recommend it.

If you’re within 6 hours of Byron already, a bus is fine.

If you’re further away, I recommend flying into a nearby airport, such as Gold Coast (OOL) or Brisbane (BNE), and then taking a bus from there.

Where to Eat

While enjoying a chill weekend in Byron Bay, you’re going to want to eat some delicious food! It was refreshing to have so many healthy options in Byron.

The Avo Hut

I enjoyed breakfast at The Avo Hut so much I ate here twice!

If they have the Gluten Free/Vegan waffle special, give that a whirl. Side of bacon recommended. It came with syrup, jam, berries, and coconut ice cream–what more could you want?!

The Eggs Benedict (GF) is delicious as well!

I also recommend trying the local fresh squeezed juice. The Ruby Tuesday, which was watermelon, rhubarb, pink lady apple, pear, and lime was my favorite. The Blook Bank with beet root was a close second.

The waffle special and Ruby Tuesday

Combi

The other breakfast place I tried was Combi and the buckwheat pancakes (GF/V) were fan.tas.tic. They came with fresh banana and raspberry chia jam, coconut ice cream (I’m now convinced all pancakes should come with this), syrup, and a macadamia crunch.

Again, side of smoked ham recommended as well as some local fresh squeezed juice–the Belongil was excellent!

Buckwheat Pancakes (this looked so appealing I couldn't resist eating some before taking a photo)

Oakberry

Okay, I have a confession. I arrived in Australia in October 2022 without ever having tried açaí.

And boy, I don’t know how I was getting through life.

The Oakberry açaí began my obsession and became a staple throughout the rest of my Australia trip.

Is your day complete until you’ve had açaí? Nope.

Dani’s Drive Tip: While it may be tempting to pile on as many ingredients as you can because they’re unlimited, the more ingredients you pick the less actual açaí you get. I learned to keep it simple. My favorite was strawberry, kiwi, coconut chia pudding, GF granola, and peanut butter.

Dani's first açaí (notice the absurd amount of add-ins)

Lesser Meals

No meal will ever be as good to me as breakfast, but I did eat out for a couple other meals as well.

I grabbed the Mexican Pork Tacos at Miss Margarita and the Chili Coconut Tacos at Chihuahua. Neither satisfied the taco craving I was trying to fulfill so I’d try your luck elsewhere.

Things To Do

Now that your belly is full, it’s time to explore!

Byron Beach

You obviously can’t miss Byron Beach. It’s what this town is all about.

Grab your sarong, a Bible, and a book and head down to the beach! Knock out your morning Bible study here while you soak in the blue water, epic mountain views, and people surfing.

Byron Beach epic mountain views

Cape Byron Lighthouse

Sunday Market

If you luck out and are in Byron Bay on the first Sunday of the month, you’ve got to check out the Sunday Market.

I stumbled upon this on my walk to Tallow Beach and it was adorable. They have some really great vendors with unique gifts you can pick up for family and friends. I found everything from a baby hair bow to a fancy guitar pick to eco-friendly laundry detergent!

Apex Park

Spending the late afternoon and into the evening at Apex Park was the absolute highlight of my chill weekend in Byron Bay.

Sitting on my sarong facing the water, I was so engrossed in my journaling that I didn’t even notice they were setting up live music behind me until they began to play!

And wow, did I find three new great local artists I still enjoy listening to months later–Angus Kaftan, Pete McCredie, David McCredie (these two are brothers, and I unsuspectingly found David playing on the streets of Manly a week later!).

I highly recommend blocking off some time to enjoy this park and hopefully catch whoever may be busking that day while you admire God’s beautiful sunset!

Enjoying the sunset and live music at Apex Park

Looking for More?

If you’re looking for more, there are also countless boutiques around town providing some great shopping. Maybe pick yourself up some linen (any Byron Baes fans out there?)!

Here's me in my new linen 😉

If you’re exploring more along Australia’s east coast, check out other things to do in Townsville, Bondi Beach, Sydney, and Manly or if you’re looking for some real adventure consider taking the PADI Open Water Scuba Certification on the Great Barrier Reef!