Byron Bay: A Hippie Town in New South Wales, Australia

Time flies so fast when you’re having fun. In Byron Bay, we literally had less than 24 hours but there was never a dull moment in this hippie neighborhood in the southeast of Australia’s New South Wales.

Australia was a blissful happenstance for me and my buddy. After our laid back backyard wedding, we had a celebratory honeymoon trip in Australia after getting a sponsored Manila to Sydney flight from Scoot.

Check out Scoot's year-round fares to key cities in Australia from Manila via Singapore

We consulted with One Vine Migration for our tourist visa and gladly, we were approved in less than 24 hours on our one-year multiple-entry visa (check here on how to get Australian Tourist Visa in the Philippines). After finalizing our route (Sydney, Byron Bay, Gold Coast and Brisbane), we got discounted deals on tours, activities and transportation in Australia via Klook App.

Our Australian trip started with a Manila to Singapore Scoot flight in which we had a 16-hour layover. Our Singapore to Sydney flight, on the other hand, was an adventure in itself as it’s our first time to board a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Short hike at Cape Byron Lighthouse

Sydney was our first stop and we had five days to explore the city. With two of our best buddies crashing our honeymoon trip, they took charge of the next leg of the trip including the itinerary and hotels.

We flew from Sydney to Gold Coast and went straight to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary—our first kangaroo and koala experience. I appreciated our quick wildlife encounter considering that I’m not usually fond of animals. We then headed to Byron Bay for a quick overnight stint.

It felt like we traveled back in time where hippies and surfers of the 70s wander around, freely and carefree. The creative and free-spirited locals converge in this quiet community of Byron Bay, in stark contrast with the fast-paced life of Sydney. And guess what? We could get in to bars and pubs with our flip flops on🤘 #BlissfulLakadDownUnder

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One hour away from Currumbin is the hippie coastal town of Byron Bay. A popular holiday destination for Australians, it is known for its beaches, whale-watching, surfing and diving spots. It also attracts a majority of folks who want to have a boho lifestyle as it is home for new-age retreats because of the overall laid back vibe.

Since 1901

We took advantage of the fine weather and went straight to one of the famed icons of the town, Cape Byron Lighthouse (built in 1901).

Located three kilometers northeast of Byron Bay, it is considered as Australia’s most powerful lighthouse until today with a light intensity of 2,200,00 cd.

Cape Byron Lighthouse

The panoramic view from the viewpoint was stunning. A number of people set up some mats and casually lounge as they wait for sunset. The whole area exuded of stillness and serenity. We wished to stay longer but we had to move on.

View from Cape Byron Lighthouse

We checked in at Byron Bay Hotel and Apartments and settled for a bit.

We then walked around the quiet neighborhood of Byron Bay around half past nine in the evening and noticed that the shops were already closed, a typical scene in Australia. Restaurants and bars were open though so we searched for our perfect rendezvous.

Byron Bay Street Art

We followed the lead of our friend which brought us to a local bar, The Railway Friendly Bar. At ten in the evening, it was packed with locals and tourists alike. We found our spot with high stools and wooden barrel table on the open-aired corner.

Bar drinks were costly, well in Asian standards, but it was so fun to try out different local cider drinks. A local band was also playing and the crowd grooved with the music. Gay also invited his Indonesian friend who joined our crazy group as we talked about the yummy dishes we missed back home.

Railway Friendly Bar at Byron Bay

It was a lovely night as we headed to a local supermarket after our bar stint. We hoarded packs of Tim Tam’s before we hit the sack.

We woke up late the next day, just in time for the hotel check-out.

Chill vibe at Byron Bay

We strolled a bit that morning and felt the same vibe the night before. There’s this stillness in every corner that it seemed like we’re on a 60’s movie set on a suburbs where everybody knows everyone.

We booked an Uber to the nearby town of Lennox Head. We were looking for an orange lake and the driver brought us to Lake Ainsworth.

Orange Lake surrounded by Tea Trees near Byron Bay

At first, we were sceptic if it’s the right place as there was no sign of an “orange lake”. We went closer to the water surrounded by tea tress and realized that it was actually reddish yellow. It would have been better if it’s sunny that day as the lake would turn to orange maybe due to some minerals in the water. 

Lake Ainsworth

We headed to 7 Mile Beach afterwards and noticed that it was empty. We wandered around and had a quick snack on a café at Lennox Head.

Let's check out the beach!

We got to chill at Gay’s crib in Ballina (around one hour from Byron Bay) and let her cutesy seven-year old daughter, Luna, show us around. We had a nice time at Lighthouse Beach which was a mere two-minute walk from their house and played Filipino hopscotch on sand as we watched the golden hour from the horizon. It was already dark when we bounced back to their home.

7 Mile Beach at Lennox Head

We had a short but sweet stay in Byron Bay. The vibe on this part of Australia was relaxing which radiated from its hippie community. There are some places who would claim to have a boho atmosphere but Byron Bay is a legit community with a hodgepodge of personalities who seemed to connect together effortlessly.

Check here for discounted hotels in Byron Bay