Getting there
If you have time for an east coast road trip, the drive up to Byron Bay will involve eight hours on the road, and will take you past some of New South Wales' most beautiful beach towns. Stop off in Port Macquarie for a good coastal walk and some excellent seafood, or journey slightly inland to the fairytale town of Bellingen where you’ll get a little taste of hinterland at the alfresco Japanese restaurant (Qudo) whose sister restaurant (Federal Doma Cafe) is tucked in the hills beyond Byron.
For those short on time, flying up to Byron is a perfectly easy option – with regular flights from Sydney to Ballina-Byron airport (misleadingly named, as it’s firmly located in Ballina, 25 minutes from Byron). Otherwise, you can fly to the nearby Gold Coast airport, which is a 43 minute drive from Byron Bay (but closer to the other nearby towns including Mullumbimby and Brunswick Heads).
Once you’re there, you’ll want to hire a car to make the most of what the region has to offer – the waterfalls and remote beaches are where the magic lies.