Byron Bay Recommendations

[Lynda2475]

Too lazy to write a full on trip report but reporting back here for those that might be interested.

Stay: I spent 6 nights at The Beach Shack – Boutique Accommodation Byron Bay and stayed in the Belongil Shack. I chose this particular shack because it had a large walk in shower (i loath showers over baths = a trip hazard waiting to happen) and a large private balcony over looking the pool with a day bed and table and chairs for dining), I was happy with my choice, the king bed was super comfy, it was clean, quiet (adults only, no kids in the pool) and an 8-10 minute easy walk to the main street and beach in Byron. The included breakfast was huge, Steve & Geoff looked after me, making sure my fruit salad never had an melons (im allergic) just heaps of fresh pineapple, passionfruit, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, bananas and pear and also always left homemade muffin/donuts/cake in the room after changing towels/emptying bins (no daily full room service due to Covid).

Shop: Every store had a sign and bottle of hand sanitiser to use at entry, but there was no policing of store limits and not a single mask in sight. I didn't end up buying anything except meals, snacks and drinks.

Eat: As the included breakfasts of toast, fruit, yogurt, Eggs/Salmon/Ham (depending on day), avocado, cheese, cereal and juice were so huge (and no I didn't eat all that), I didn't always have lunch, and if lunch was later I didnt always have dinner. But:

• There seemed to be more Mexican and Burger places in Byron than anything else. I ate at both Chihuahua and Miss Margarita (didnt have any burgers), preferred food at Chihuahua, but Miss Margarita has Margaritas.
• I had a lovely lunch and coffee at Barrio (outside of Byron proper - near North Beach station and Elements). Having spent an arvo at this end of the solar train, I was glad I chose to stay in Byron proper and not in this isolated (at least without a car) and less active part of the bay.
• A couple of meals from Bang Bang (both dine in and takeaway), note they only do takeaway between 4:30pm and 6:30pm (and if busy usually wont do it after 6pm). Can recommend the Korean Chicken, Pad SeEw and Mussaman Curry,
• Cafe Bagus was closed all week - so couldn't check out the Nasi Goreng, likewise Orient Express was closed for lunch despite supposedly doing yum cha which I quite fancied.
• I was told that Bay Leaf has the best coffee but they only do full cream milk, soy milk or almond milk and I only have skim milk (or macadamia milk in a pinch) so ended up getting coffees at Sunday Sustainable Bakery and Fundies Wholefood Cafe (but Barrio coffee was best).
• Hunky Dory do huge servings if you are after some fish and chips and lets face when i a beach town you end up grabbing fish n chips at some stage.
• Finn Poke great for a healthier lunch - I had a wagyu special so cant comment o the fish options.
• Had a gelato at a few places none stood out as anything extra special, but have to have an icecream when on a beach holiday.

Play: The weather was lovely, I could wear shorts everyday (Mon through Fri, Sun and Sat were travel days), but it was windy (and got windier every day) which meant the offshore swell was big this was problematic for making plans (see below).

• Whale watching - arrived too later on Sunday and Monday was fully booked out so booked boat trip for Tuesday, but was cancelled due to wind/swell, and everyday thereafter. I did catch a glimpse of one from the lighthouse
• Lighthouse - walked a 9km round trip from my accommodation to the lighthouse and back on Monday, a good workout and some great views. Stopped for a gelato at the lighthouse before return trip.
• Sea Kayaking - Should have gone sea kayaking Mon arvo instead of Lighthouse walk, because the swell meant i couldn't go on Tues - Fri either
• Snorkelling at Julian Rocks - again no success due to the swell.
• Solar Train to North Beach for lunch and window shopping. The conductor wore a mask, only mask I saw in Byron all week not counting the airport/plane ride.
• Cinema - Ended up watching two movies at the Palace - Tenet (6 people in theatre) and Made in Italy (only person in theatre)!
• Swimming - Went for a swim in the hotel pool and also at Wategoes beach (after a long walk).
• Crystal Palace, The Farm and Surrounding Towns - I had booked a day tour on Fri, but was cacnelled due to not getting minimum numbers, so I headed to Ballina.
• Caught the Bus to Ballina, went for a walk, spotted some pelicans and did a Silk Painting Class - quite chuffed with the outcome, waiting for it to be stretched so I can hang on my wall in the hallway.
• Random things - Managed to walk through set up of a shot of the channel 9 crew filming an episode of Travel Guides, also passed Stan crew who were supposedly filming the new NIcole Kidman series. No Hemsworhs spotted but Tim Ross (aka Rosso form Merrick & Rosso) walked into me coming out of a cafe).

The short trip was the mental break I very much needed from WFHS (and minor consolation for all the cancelled travels this year) but I dont really feel like Ive done the main Byron activities due to the many cancelled palns - Whale Watching, Kayaking, Snorkelling, Crystal Palace etc.

I will need to go back - in fact might do so over xmas if state borders dont reopen.

 

[kookaburra75]

Too lazy to write a full on trip report but reporting back here for those that might be interested.

Stay: I spent 6 nights at The Beach Shack – Boutique Accommodation Byron Bay and stayed in the Belongil Shack. I chose this particular shack because it had a large walk in shower (i loath showers over baths = a trip hazard waiting to happen) and a large private balcony over looking the pool with a day bed and table and chairs for dining), I was happy with my choice, the king bed was super comfy, it was clean, quiet (adults only, no kids in the pool) and an 8-10 minute easy walk to the main street and beach in Byron. The included breakfast was huge, Steve & Geoff looked after me, making sure my fruit salad never had an melons (im allergic) just heaps of fresh pineapple, passionfruit, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, bananas and pear and also always left homemade muffin/donuts/cake in the room after changing towels/emptying bins (no daily full room service due to Covid).

Shop: Every store had a sign and bottle of hand sanitiser to use at entry, but there was no policing of store limits and not a single mask in sight. I didn't end up buying anything except meals, snacks and drinks.

Eat: As the included breakfasts of toast, fruit, yogurt, Eggs/Salmon/Ham (depending on day), avocado, cheese, cereal and juice were so huge (and no I didn't eat all that), I didn't always have lunch, and if lunch was later I didnt always have dinner. But:

• There seemed to be more Mexican and Burger places in Byron than anything else. I ate at both Chihuahua and Miss Margarita (didnt have any burgers), preferred food at Chihuahua, but Miss Margarita has Margaritas.
• I had a lovely lunch and coffee at Barrio (outside of Byron proper - near North Beach station and Elements). Having spent an arvo at this end of the solar train, I was glad I chose to stay in Byron proper and not in this isolated (at least without a car) and less active part of the bay.
• A couple of meals from Bang Bang (both dine in and takeaway), note they only do takeaway between 4:30pm and 6:30pm (and if busy usually wont do it after 6pm). Can recommend the Korean Chicken, Pad SeEw and Mussaman Curry,
• Cafe Bagus was closed all week - so couldn't check out the Nasi Goreng, likewise Orient Express was closed for lunch despite supposedly doing yum cha which I quite fancied.
• I was told that Bay Leaf has the best coffee but they only do full cream milk, soy milk or almond milk and I only have skim milk (or macadamia milk in a pinch) so ended up getting coffees at Sunday Sustainable Bakery and Fundies Wholefood Cafe (but Barrio coffee was best).
• Hunky Dory do huge servings if you are after some fish and chips and lets face when i a beach town you end up grabbing fish n chips at some stage.
• Finn Poke great for a healthier lunch - I had a wagyu special so cant comment o the fish options.
• Had a gelato at a few places none stood out as anything extra special, but have to have an icecream when on a beach holiday.

Play: The weather was lovely, I could wear shorts everyday (Mon through Fri, Sun and Sat were travel days), but it was windy (and got windier every day) which meant the offshore swell was big this was problematic for making plans (see below).

• Whale watching - arrived too later on Sunday and Monday was fully booked out so booked boat trip for Tuesday, but was cancelled due to wind/swell, and everyday thereafter. I did catch a glimpse of one from the lighthouse
• Lighthouse - walked a 9km round trip from my accommodation to the lighthouse and back on Monday, a good workout and some great views. Stopped for a gelato at the lighthouse before return trip.
• Sea Kayaking - Should have gone sea kayaking Mon arvo instead of Lighthouse walk, because the swell meant i couldn't go on Tues - Fri either
• Snorkelling at Julian Rocks - again no success due to the swell.
• Solar Train to North Beach for lunch and window shopping. The conductor wore a mask, only mask I saw in Byron all week not counting the airport/plane ride.
• Cinema - Ended up watching two movies at the Palace - Tenet (6 people in theatre) and Made in Italy (only person in theatre)!
• Swimming - Went for a swim in the hotel pool and also at Wategoes beach (after a long walk).
• Crystal Palace, The Farm and Surrounding Towns - I had booked a day tour on Fri, but was cacnelled due to not getting minimum numbers, so I headed to Ballina.
• Caught the Bus to Ballina, went for a walk, spotted some pelicans and did a Silk Painting Class - quite chuffed with the outcome, waiting for it to be stretched so I can hang on my wall in the hallway.
• Random things - Managed to walk through set up of a shot of the channel 9 crew filming an episode of Travel Guides, also passed Stan crew who were supposedly filming the new NIcole Kidman series. No Hemsworhs spotted but Tim Ross (aka Rosso form Merrick & Rosso) walked into me coming out of a cafe).

The short trip was the mental break I very much needed from WFHS (and minor consolation for all the cancelled travels this year) but I dont really feel like Ive done the main Byron activities due to the many cancelled palns - Whale Watching, Kayaking, Snorkelling, Crystal Palace etc.

I will need to go back - in fact might do so over xmas if state borders dont reopen.

Thanks for the information. MrsK and I are heading up to Byron Bay in mid Oct for a week, and will check out the places.

 

[sudoer]

A few people have mentioned Elements in this thread, unfortunately they will be leaving Accor at the end of 2020. I've started another thread in the ALL forum here: 'Elements of Byron - MGallery by Sofitel' leaving Accor at end of 2020

 

[jb747]

Thanks for the information. MrsK and I are heading up to Byron Bay in mid Oct for a week, and will check out the places.

Still going?

 

[Lynda2475]

I have another booking for first week of Jan which is fully refundable (classic reward fligth and refundable hotel up to 24 hours out). Not sure If it is worth going now the beach has been washed away. Anyone have a theory on whether they are likleyt o truck sand back in to fix the erosion before xmas?

 

[kookaburra75]

Still going?

Past tense now, which reminds me I have to do the trip report. We flew up in mid October to match in with MrsK's birthday. The Dash 8's were about half to two thirds full, with everyone wearing masks. Going from Canberra via Sydney was a bit eerie, 4pm on a Tuesday at Sydney airport and virtually no-one there. Even in the QF Bus Lounge, the only person we saw was Christine Holgate, on her way for her last trip to Canberra no doubt.

We stayed at The Byron Beachcomber, which is about five minute walk north of the main part of town. We had a single bedroom apartment, and it was large, clean and modern. Being an apartment we stocked up on supplies so we could eat in and avoid the crush. There was a gate in the back fence, so you could cut across the railway line and onto Belongil Beach, which was so much better than the main Town Beach (not that it's there anymore). The last two nights we stayed down at Lennox Heads, at the Lennox Holiday Apartments.

I'll try and get the Trip Report done in the next couple of days, but the important stuff was:

• Don't try and be funny by drawing a smiley face on the outside of your mask with a felt pen - as you will be breathing the fumes for at least 15 minutes (MrsK was amused by that, although I couldn't tell if she was smiling)
• Byron Bay was lovely, but busy. They did the COVID management really well, including having to show your phone to confirm you had registered at the venue properly, with police checks going on
• Lennox Heads in our opinion was better - much like an old beach town than Byron

 

[Lynda2475]

Reporting back with another brief mini TR.

Stay: I spent 6 nights at The Lord Byron, not as luxe as the Beach Shack, but rooms had been renovated relatively recently and were comfortable. Despite beign on main street, rooms were quiet, and seated on a lounge in the cabana out the back you wouldnt know you were in town. Lucked out as there didnt seem to be any kids staying, was easy to find a time for a swim when no one else was in the pool and due to an issue with something in the car park there were free coughtails to compensate one night. Bikes, Surfboards and umbrella's availabel for guest use at no extra cost (Glen20 and anti-bact wipes next to the bikes to disinfect helmets etc).

Shop: A few more shops open than back in September. Most food places now using the Service NSW QR app, but disapointingly Sunday Sustainable Bakery wasnt using it so only got takaway from there. Still barely a mask in sight except at Woolworths and in the shuttle from the airport.

Eat: Revisited some places form last trip and added a few new ones:

• Chihuahua still good for a quick takeaway
• As its high season Bang Bang was open for lunch some days too - although I only had dinner once.
• Hunky Dory was convenient for a quick dinner but the fish tacos were better at Fishmongers Gourmet Fish & Chips.
• Finn Poke Okinawa beef bowl remains a firm favouiorte.
• 3 Blue Ducks had a yummy lunch.
• Breaky was decent at Jonson's if a bit over priced.
• Yum Cha at Red Ginger was very very ordinary - not a patch on any local chinese resurant in Sydney..

Play: The weather was hot, sunny and very humid (desipte what was forecast) until Thursday where a storm nixed the hudity and dropped temperatures to low 20s.

• Lighthouse - did the walk to and from here 3 times for some arvo exercise.
• Snorkelling at Julian Rocks - was fully booked early in the week then not running due to swell later in the week
• Crystal Castle, The Farm and Surrounding Towns -was able to do the trip this visit, nice to see the surrounds.
• Stand Up Paddle Boarding - fun even though i fell off first attempt at standing up, but had it perfected on second attempt and was easily able to navigate the river and lagoon.
• Art & Wine Co - did a painting and a cermaic class, some early evening fun.

Was nice to be away for a few days and not needgn to worry about if I could return home.