No crowds, beautiful weather, and a chance encounter with Chris Hemsworth.
Hear from Caity Clarkson, sharing how she spent a four-night getaway in beautiful Byron Bay. Caity stayed at both Wake Up! Byron Bay and The Surf House.
DAY ONE: Eat, beach and explore
Waking up at The Surf House Byron Bay, we were right in the heart of Byron. You simply could not ask for a better location. 50m from the beach and surrounded by cute cafes and shops. Highly recommend!
Heading out, we crossed the road and found Combi (literally a minute’s walk away!) Queue a delicious breakfast of buckwheat berry pancakes.
Ready to explore, we did some window-shopping whilst wandering in the direction of the beach. Toes touching the sand, little did we know that a famous local was walking only a few metres ahead.
A strong northerly wind will attract the Byron surfers. Who knew? Now I’m sure you will all be paying extra attention to the windforecasts, especially when one of those surfers came in the form of a muscular 6”3’ Chris Hemsworth doing his morning stretches before hitting the surf. Excitement levels were high (very high!).
Falling victim to the window-shopping temptations of the AM, we found ourselves returning to Tigani Luxe. Byron Bay shopping is no joke people. Every fashion account I follow on Instagram seemed to magically have a bricks and mortar store there! You will want to set some time aside to properly explore all this gorgeousness.
Overlooking the beach, we shared some acai bowls before popping back into The Surf House to get changed for our afternoon adventure to the Lighthouse (also known as the Cape Byron Walking Track,) with a slight detour to Fisherman’s Lookout.
Cape Byron Walking Track
- Distance: 3.7km loop
- Time: 2 hours (including stops)
- Intensity: Easy (some steep sections and steps)
- Views: Rainforest, clifftop vantage points overlooking the ocean and hinterland, picturesque beaches, most easterly point of the Australian mainland & the Cape Byron Lighthouse.
Can confirm, a Monday afternoon is a blissful time to do this walk with minimal tourists and a warm Springtime sun. It felt like heaven. The conditions also made for a perfect photo opportunity once we reached the lighthouse.
It’s a really easy walk from the town centre to the Captain Cook lookout where the trail begins. Simply follow the boardwalk alongside Clarke’s Beach. I suggest walking in a clockwise direction as we did, turning left to The Pass.
Hot tip! Time your walk with low tide to be able to detour out to Fisherman’s lookout (pictured above) and take in views of The Pass from above like we did.
Then it’s through to Wategos Beach, then the Australian mainland’s most easterly point, then Cape Byron Lighthouse and finally back down via the Tallow Ridge track.
Walking along Tallow Ridge, you will pass a hang-gliding launch site which would be awesome to see in action. Then, it’s a slow stair ascent along to the top of ridge, surrounded by temperate rainforest filled with gorgeous flora and fauna, and back down again.
We visited No Bones for dinner – a plant-based restaurant on a mission to change the way people think about vegan food. All in all, we enjoyed it, but it was not my favourite restaurant of the trip.
DAY TWO: Bikes & the best food day
Getting to Wake Up! Byron Bay was made easy with their shuttle bus. We simply wandered over to the Byron Bus Interchange and jumped on. It runs every hour from 8am – 9pm.
After an early check in and a little chill out time, we hired bikes in pursuit of FOLK Café. Wake Up! offers bike hire on-site which also includes a practical storage box on the back.
Now I had heard great things, but FOLK was even better in person. Beautiful setting and delicious food. No exaggeration, I had the best nourish bowl of my life here (seriously, I am already dreaming about my next one!)
Having weird dietary requirements means eating out can often be a bit worrisome, but the lovely FOLK team made me feel so at ease. They kindly substituted in some options rather than simply removing out what I couldn’t eat. (FOLK if you read this, thank you!) It tasted divine.
Adventuring back along the bike paths, we made a slight diversion to Stone & Wood Brewery. An awesome warehouse conversion filled with people, their dogs and just an all-around relaxed vibe. If you love beer, it’s a great one to stop in at. Or, if you’re like me and don’t drink then we focus solely on dog spotting.
Free shuttle back into the heart, we searched on foot for a dinner- dining option and stumbled upon Bang Bang Restaurant. My oh my, even mid-week you must book this place in advance! We were lucky to nab a high bar as we walked in early (about 5:30pm) but this place was jam-packed with people, food and flavours!
I had never eaten salt and pepper tofu before this glorious night, and it exceeded all expectations! I recommend trying this, even if you are not vegan or vego. Thankfully, by travelling with a vegan friend, it inspired me to share this with her and I’m so glad I did! The main course was just as glorious with Pad Seuw & Fragnant Yellow Curry, both 10/10s.
Who else agrees that we have a second stomach for dessert? We couldn’t walk past Frankie’s Gelato Bar without indulging.
We ended day two as two very content souls in a food baby coma.
DAY THREE: Sunrise, sunset and falls
One of the incredible perks about staying at Wake Up! Byron Bay is their complimentary bus which will drop you to the Cape Byron Lighthouse for sunrise. After visiting on our first day, we were so excited to return and capture it in a totally different light. It was so picturesque, nature did not disappoint!
Make sure you sign up for this free activity when you first check in to Wake Up! to ensure you don’t miss out. There are limited shuttles available. I also suggest wearing good walking shoes to walk back down into town to grab some breakfast and chill out, as the next shuttle back to the hostel from the Interchange is not until 8am.
In our case, we opted for a big morning walk back to Wake Up! as we had a little road trip planned and were heading off early to pick up a car.
Since the awful Byron floods, there are limited options for car hire in the main town. We decided to go with Byron Bay Car Hire off Ewingsdale Rd and jumped in a taxi to get there. The ‘collection office’ was very simple… it was literally a small tin shed, but it got us what we needed! We only needed a car for the day, but there was no cost difference to keep it overnight which was fabulous news!
First stop, Brunswick Heads. We met up here with Ricky from Stand Up Paddle Byron Bay who took us on a stunning 1.5 hour private paddleboarding tour along the Brunswick River. Perfect for both beginners and experienced paddleboarders, this was a totally serene experience with a stunning backdrop. Ricky has lived in this area all his life and clearly loves what he does. He spotted out the local wildlife, took complimentary photos for us and provided homemade snacks riverside after the tour. So lovely, local and personal. Nothing better!
Fast forward to Killen Falls. Thirty minutes out of Byron. So gorgeous, and a short walk from the carpark to get there.
Killen Falls – Waterfall & Nature Walk
- Distance: 660m return to the viewing platform, or 1km return to the base of the waterfall
- Time: 45 minutes – 1 hour return (including stops)
- Intensity: Easy (uneven steps and rocks to the base of the waterfall)
To our surprise there was a single toilet unit installed at the end of the carpark which was super handy on our little road trip. We saw hardly anyone on our walk down to the falls and it was quiet when we arrived at the base. There were a few people around, but I hear that in summer it is very popular, so visiting early would be best.
Most importantly, make sure you wear your runners or hiking shoes. There are a lot of uneven rocks to climb down and over to reach the base of the waterfall. Nothing too strenuous, but it would be awkward without proper shoes. You would only want to view the lookout from the top without them. The cave behind the falls is incredible but be careful of slippery rocks.
The water level was still quite high after some decent rain, so we didn’t hang around for too long as the surrounds were all very rocky.
We stopped into Lennox Head for a late lunch. After an earlier recommendation, we decided on the Lennox Hotel and enjoyed some delicious burgers out on the balcony overlooking the ocean. Why does food taste so much better after a hike?
The overnight car gave us freedom to explore beyond the main beach for sunset, so we headed over to Wategos Beach. It’s not easy to get a park there but was worth a few drives around the block to find one to catch the sunset. Worth it is an understatement, Wategos Beach was divine.
DAY FOUR: Yoga and the Treehouse
We woke up early to drop the car back by 8am and walked back to Wake Up! (about 35-40 minutes).
Treehouse Byron is located directly next to Wake Up! and was the perfect place to grab some breakfast. It’s a gorgeous setting, giving off a treehouse oasis vibe that your inner child would revel in.
Surrounded by a jungle of tropical ferns and palms, the name rings true everywhere you look. The hippie Byron vibe comes to life through what looks like thrifted styling and driftwood-esque seating. It’s kitsch but cute.
We then headed into the Yoga Tent at Wake Up! Byron Bay. They offer complimentary yoga every day! It was calming and relaxing with challenging moments; all the things you hope for yoga to be, it delivered. We had the most magical teacher and setting. Again, you need to sign up for these classes, but you are offered upon check in. Make sure you take them up on it!
After a gorgeous morning, it was time to head to the airport and back to reality.
A mid-week stay in Byron Bay, a dream.
The Details
- Location: Byron Bay, NSW, Australia
- Accommodation: The Surf House & Wake Up! Byron Bay
- Travel dates: 23 – 27 October 2022
- Season: Spring
About Caity Clarkson
@caityclarkson
Caity is a nature and adventure lover who freelances as a content creator. In her 9-5 she works as a wedding sales manager for a gorgeous five-star venue in the Yarra Valley.
Has lived in: Hamilton Island, Queensland & Yarra Valley, Victoria.
Has travelled: 38 countries.