A trip to Byron Bay is kind of unplanned. We initially thought visiting Brisbane would be a better choice, to see the hustle and bustle of the capital of Queensland. But after consulting with a dear friend who's living there, she convinced me that Brisbane would not give us extraordinary experience. Besides, parking cost a fortune in Brisbane.
So we decided to change the steering wheel towards the south.
Byron Bay it was.
When I asked that friend what to expect from Byron Bay. She said, "The beach, the lighthouse, or simply just the vibe of the town."
Byron Bay is a coastal town in the northern part of New South Wales. Located in the north coast, Byron Bay is attractive for its beaches, scuba diving sites, bushwalking trails, coastal trails, as well as the town itself.
Our first stop was 61 km away from Gold Coast. The Farm is a 34 hectare establishment of community farm. Young farmers who are not able to purchase a land can grow their own produce by leasing a small patch of land within the area. The Farm is also open to public to enjoy the scenery of the farm or to introduce some farm-related knowledge to the kids. There are restaurants, stores, workshops and farm tours for the visitors.
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| The Farm Byron Bay |
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| The sign post |
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| The children playground |
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| Three Blue Duck Restaurant |
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| With a little produce store at the end |
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| Breads by The Bread Social |
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| What a pleasing sight to the eye |
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| Sunflowers |
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| Time to be spent with people that you love |
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| Sheds and barns |
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| A bright smile for the bright day |
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| Thanks, The Farm! What an enjoyable few hours spent here |
We continued our journey to the town of Byron Bay to have lunch and to stretch our legs. At the end of the town, there is a strip of beach with picnic area by the sides. It was a warm autumn day and many people were out sunbathing even though it's a weekday. Aussies really know how to enjoy life!
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| The road towards Byron Bay Town |
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| One of the restaurant |
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| The main road is full of cafes, restaurants and shops |
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| A small alley towards our Fish and Chips |
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| My Cutie Pie |
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| Feros Arcade |
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| The crowded beach even it's a Tuesday |
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| Sunbathing |
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| The beach is good for surfing |
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| More people sunbathing |
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| But this guy's dabbing |
The main attraction of Byron Bay is probably Cape Byron Lighthouse. It sits at Australia most easterly point. It was built to protect the ships passing the area since the 19th century and it is still operational up until this very day.
The lower ground of the lighthouse is occupied by Byron Bay Maritime Museum where visitors can learn about the shipwrecks and other maritime stories.
Driving uphill about 15 minutes, we reached the car park of Cape Byron Lighthouse. After paying AUD 8 (~SGD10) admission/parking fee, we secured our spot and started exploring. The view from up top is magnificent but sadly we arrived when the museum is 5 minutes to closing time.
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| The view of Byron Bay down there |
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| The rest area with small cafe |
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| Enjoying the view |
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| The guardian of Byron Bay |
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| The view of parking area from the top |
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| By the cliff of South Pacific Ocean |
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| It's pretty scary, isn't it? |
There is a walking track at the back of the light house that can lead the visitors to the most easterly point of Australia. The walking track continues to Wategos Beach and Little Wategos Beach. If one is persistent enough, he can walk all the way back to the town.
I planned to walk all the the way down to Little Wategos Beach but my nephew kept telling he his legs were gonna get broken. So, we U-turn after 10 minute walk.
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| The walking track |
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| This little guy made his way to the most easterly point of Australia |
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| The magnificent view of the ocean |
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| Cape Byron (Can you spot someone trying to recreate the view on to a canvas?) |
It's time to drive back to Gold Coast for our flight back to Sydney. Since it was not the time for boarding yet, we added an unexpected stop to Coolangata Beach before going to the airport. I had checked everyone in, what could go wrong?
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| Coolangata Beach, how I love the sky |
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| The two lovebirds |
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| And the two playful grown babies |
We reached the airport about 1 hour before the flight. To our surprise, we were told that the flight was cancelled due to bad weather in Sydney. We were given replacement flight either from Gold Coast Airport or Brisbane Airport for the next day. However, morning flight from Gold Coast was all taken and we were left with 4pm flight.
It was apparently to late to catch any public transport to Brisbane. Hiring taxi or car would cost a fortune. And we should still get an accommodation for the night. Nothing was covered by Jetstar except the replacement flight.
That's the most stressful one hour of my life.
Finally I've decided to get a refund and purchase a Qantas flight for the next morning (that cost $$$$$$) so that I could get to work. My cousin and her family decided to spend another day in Coolangata.
So, moral of the story, it's very risky to travel within Australia as the weather is so unpredictable. Take the morning flight, if possible, so you have more room to breathe should anything happens.
Love is in the air,
Little Feet
Gold Coast Trip - end
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