The must-do highlights of Byron Bay in three days
DAY TWO
Morning
Begin the day with an al fresco brekky at the buzzing Bayleaf Cafe, which serves everything from poached eggs to Japanese savoury pancakes, before hitting the shops. Byron Bay's alternative and surf culture has led to an eclectic array of stores, from high-street surf shops to boho boutiques Spell, Kivari, Rowie the Label, and Arnhem Clothing. Pick up crystals, candles, pendulums, salt lamps and sun catchers at Soulife Byron Bay, tie-dye apparel from The Rainbow Shop and, of course, cookies from The Byron Bay Cookie Company, which started its life as a stall at the local markets in 1990 (the white choc macadamia nut, and tropical mango and passionfruit are still favourites).
Less than 20 minutes' drive north of Byron, the laidback coastal town of Brunswick Heads is an entirely pleasant place to while away the afternoon – once you've found a parking spot, that is. Grab a burger from Old Maids, some sushi or sashimi from Trouble San or fish and chips from Starfish Takeaway, and find a spot on the grass besides Simpsons Creek that runs off the Brunswick River. There's a modern playground for kids to play, and you can hire a kayak, canoe, stand-up paddleboard or motorised boat from Brunswick Buccaneers to explore the emerald-green waterway. Wander over the bridge – where local kids can often be seen taking death-defying leaps – and go for a dip at Main Beach, or in the calm waters off Torakina Beach. Afterwards, pop into Hotel Brunswick to enjoy a cold beverage in the beer garden, or try a tropical treat from Wal from Natural Ice-Cream Australia, whose van is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Evening
On the way back to town, stop off at The Farm, which aims to educate young and old about where food comes from. Located on a 32-hectare property at Ewingsdale, around 10 minutes' drive north of Byron Bay, The Farm is home to several micro-businesses. Watch the pigs rolling in the mud and crush some macadamia nuts in the orchard before sitting down for dinner on the verandah at the rustic, sustainably focused Three Blue Ducks restaurant. The menu changes with the seasons, but Thursday is generally mussel night, with such delights as mussels with yellow curry sauce, lemongrass and kaffir lime, while on Sundays you can indulge in a roast dinner with pepper-crusted slow-cooked beef brisket, mustard, horseradish, jus and Yorkshire pudding served alongside garlic and rosemary potatoes and vegetables dug fresh from a nearby patch.
DAY THREE
Morning
Today is all about exploring the hinterland, starting in the historic town of Bangalow, a scenic 20-minute drive south-west of Byron Bay. Enjoy breakfast in the courtyard at WOODS café, hidden away in the arts precinct, or at Bangalow Bread Co. or Butcher Baker in the main street, which is lined with art galleries, luxury boutiques and homewares stores. Stock up on such products as locally-grown olives, goat cheese and wild-caught smoked fish at the Bangalow Farmers' Market, held every Saturday morning, or wander amidst the camphor laurel and fig trees at Bangalow Market in the nearby showground on the fourth Sunday of the month. History buffs can follow the self-guided Bangalow Heritage Walk, where plaques featuring old black and white photos reveal the past lives of the town's Federation-style buildings, including a bootmaker shop once owned by the great-grandfather of cricketing legends Steve and Mark Waugh.
Afternoon
Continue your journey along the winding country roads before settling in for lunch at one of the many acclaimed eateries hidden in the hills beyond Byron Bay. For a classic Aussie pub, you can't go past the beautifully restored Eltham Hotel, which was built in the former railway town in 1902. Alternatively, indulge a long lunch at Mediterranean restaurant The Hut, which is located in an old schoolhouse at Possum Creek, farm-to-table restaurant Frida's Field at Nashua, or the Japanese-inspired Doma Cafe in the sleepy village of Federal. After lunch, make your way to Cape Byron Distillery at McLeod's Shoot for its Brookie's Rainforest and Gin Tasting tour to learn about how the rundown dairy farm was transformed into a sub-tropical paradise bursting with ingredients such as native raspberry, cinnamon myrtle and Davidson plum, which are used to help create the distillery's award-winning tipples.
Evening
Return to Bangalow for dinner at You Beauty, which was crowned Regional Restaurant of the Year in the 2025 Good Food Guide Awards. True to its name, the venue channels the spirit of a classic Aussie pub — an ethos shared by its owners, who also helm the aforementioned Eltham Hotel and neighbouring Ciao, Mate! pizzeria. But with its timber-clad interiors, high bar stools and intimate ambience, it leans more toward a chic inner-city hotel than a country watering hole. At the helm is sustainable chef Matt Stone, who champions local farmers and producers with a rotating seasonal menu. Expect standout dishes like roo skewers, salted snapper with fried potato, and the unforgettable crocodile toast with sesame seed, all perfectly paired with natural wines.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Melbourne's cafes have always been world-class. But in 2025 they've got even better
When Australians go overseas, it usually sparks a lightbulb moment: we take our morning routines seriously. While many other cities sleep, in Australia we're seizing the day with run clubs and coffee, or stopping at our favourite cafe for babycinos and a shared croissant en route to school and work. Weekend brunch tables are booked well ahead. People's devotion to their daily cafe visit borders on spiritual. There are more than 100 of these cornerstones of our social lives gathered in Good Food's Essential Melbourne Cafes and Bakeries 2025, presented by T2 and published today. The guide celebrates the people and places that shape our excellent cafe and bakery scenes and includes more than 100 venues reviewed anonymously across 10 categories, including icons, those best for food, tea, coffee and matcha, and where to get the city's best sweets, sandwiches and baked goods. These reviews live on the Good Food app, and can be discovered on the map. Skimming the list it's clear that, even if cafes are quintessential, they're far from standard-issue these days. Thick slabs of tamago (the firm Japanese omelette) are almost as likely as swirls of scrambled eggs. Rice and flatbread jostle for space with sourdough. Shades of purple, green and pink are seen in drinks and on pastries. 'Brunch and coffee have always been a significant part of Melbourne culture and the pride of every Melburnian,' says Tuan To, co-owner of Amara in Seddon, which he opened in April with a Vietnamese-skewed all-day menu. 'I thought why not bring [together] the two and create something new yet familiar.' Amara's signature dish might be a steel pan of runny-yolked eggs with pâté, sweet stir-fried beef and pickles. The crusty baguette on the side can turn it into a banh mi-esque experience.
West Australian
4 days ago
- West Australian
Family trip to Japan worth $10,000 up for grabs for Bunbury and Busselton host families
Families in the South West are invited to open up their home to host Japanese exchange students for a three night home stay. Educational tourism and homestay management company Gold Educational Tours is asking for families in the Bunbury and Busselton areas to host one of 40 Year 9 to Year 11 students from the Higashi-Fukuoka High School for their stay. The trip is from September 11 to 14 and participating families will receive 24/7 bilingual support throughout the program and up to a $330 hosting payment. They will also be in the running to win a $10,000 family trip to Japan. Cowaramup mum and recent host Natalie Polt said hosting students was an 'incredibly rewarding' experience for her family. 'Our children were of similar age, and this created an instant connection and made the cultural exchange feel natural and fun,' she said. 'We wholeheartedly recommend the experience to anyone considering hosting — it's a meaningful way to build international friendships and broaden your perspective on the world.' Gold Educational Tours director Jason Hutchinson said the trip prize was the company's way of thanking families for their generosity. 'Their hospitality makes these cultural exchanges truly meaningful,' he said.
West Australian
6 days ago
- West Australian
Fluorescence in Penang's night
Nature has incredible fluorescent things that can only be seen at night — as I have just discovered at a new dining and nature experience on the Malaysian island of Penang, where I live. Set in Teluk Bahang, a quiet village in the northwestern corner of the island, hemmed by the green hills of Penang National Park, the smallest in Malaysia, is Entopia, one of Penang Island's top family-oriented attractions. This world-class facility was developed from the former Penang Butterfly Farm to become a larger, more comprehensive tropical sanctuary featuring hundreds of rare insects like the Atlas Moth (one of the world's largest), reptiles and plants. The sanctuary is now also opened at night from Thursdays to Sundays from 7pm to 10pm to offer Entopia by Night, ($14.50 for adults, $11 for children) possibly the world's first biofluorescent walk during which the focus is observing how animals and plants display fascinating, sometimes incredible natural fluorescence. If you were looking for one Penang activity that would surprise the children and young adults you have in tow, this could be it — and it has some interesting add-ons, too. Things kick off inside the Atlas, a building on the right side after Entopia's entrance, where guests sit down to have a fluorescent temporary tattoo. I chose to have a blue scorpion on my right hand. Visitors can then check out the fluorescent lab experience. When we arrived, two staff members in laboratory gear were running a demonstration on how to extract chlorophyll from the local pandan leaf, storing it in alembics. In some cases, when put under UV lights, the extract takes an eerie fluorescent colour. The next activity was the 'mystery glowing drinks', when guests taste different types of drinks, trying to guess what they are, and seeing how some fluoresce under UV light. You'll never look at a soda or ginger ale the same again after this. The best way to experience Entopia By Night is the Biofluorescent Odyssey ($35), which includes admission fee, guided walk and a three-course dinner at the Tapestree Cafe housed within Entopia's gardens. When we walked in, the lights were off, candles flickered on the tables, and the speakers were playing soothing jazz music. After being seated, I noticed that UV lights hang over the tables, and once one switches them on with a remote, the food takes a unique, ethereal glow that will surprise even the most jaded diners. The food brings together Malaysian and a hint of North-Asian, especially Japanese, tastes, and is available in two options — the 'tropical harvest' featuring a chicken-based main, and the 'seaside herb voyage' for fish lovers. A refreshing tacca lime soda came with the starter, a cucumber roll with mashed potato and chuka wakame, a vegetarian spin on Japanese sushi, made all the more inviting by the yellowish glow produced by the UV lighting. Once served, even my creamy green pea soup glowed in pinkish hues, and was firm yet liquid, the way I prefer it. It was a pleasure to dig into it with this new kind of fluorescent technicolour. The main was grilled chicken — ham and pineapple Hawaiian style with mustard honey sauce — like a compressed prime chicken meat steak sandwiched between slices of fresh pineapple and glazed in aromatic herbs. A delicious texture and mixture of tastes, sweet and savoury. On the side, the mains had salad with dressings and a set of four fried potatoes that looked like insect cocoons. Those who prefer fish can opt for fish piccata with creamy butter herb sauce — also beguiling, but to be fair, I preferred the zestiness of the chicken. After the food, we waited for a guide to round up our little group of six and started the final part of the night, a guided walk through Entopia's gardens, in particular the amphibian and insect section. We were shown and told how certain species of geckos, frogs, scorpions and special plant varieties reveal incredible patterns that are invisible to the human eye during the day when they are bathed in ultraviolet light. The guides use UV light to show the biofluorescence and explain how frogs and other insects use it. For example, did you know that when bathed in UV light, the Bornean horned frog becomes fluorescent, or that the shell of the giant forest scorpion turns a psychedelic blue-green? Our guide held up a box containing three scorpions' outer shells, which they leave behind and change as they grow in size, making some of the most squeamish in our group squirm. All in all, Entopia by Night is a unique and fun way to spend an evening chasing incredible critters without the need to go sweat in the forest. Kids are definitely going to have a blast, and the dining package is also very reasonably priced compared with the general admission. The advice? Go for it when in Penang with kids or your partner — I think it may be even better than visiting Entopia during the day.
