Beth's Babbles: Byron Bay - unlike any place I've been before!

After being on the road for so long and spending almost 4 months sleeping in a van, we decided to stop somewhere, settle, get jobs and stop worrying about money. And we ended up in Byron Bay.

View of Byron Bay beach on my way to the lighthouse

Byron Bay is a small, picturesque seaside town as seen in much of the rest of Australia, but this town is nothing like any town I've been before and quite frankly, I love it. People go round with no shoes on. Everyone can surf. Males, females, kids, grannies - everyone has long blonde dreadlocks. The people look like they're wearing pyjamas, but they're not. You can sit on the floor in the street like you did when you were 12, but no-one cares. Everything that can be painted with artwork, will be painted with artwork. Rainbows and curly patterns fill your view walking down the street. You can buy crystals, headdresses, beads, didgeridoos, there's also a colourfully painted "Happy Herb" shop which definitely doesn't look legal, but I think it is. You see things you don't see anywhere else. There's a guy in his sixties who descends on the street every few days with a hula hoop and banana and pineapple shaped maracas, giving it everything he's got. Initially I thought this was crazy, but then I realised that he has 10x more skill than me so I can't help but admire his passion.

And here he is... shaking it... with my fiancé...

Incase you're wondering where Byron Bay gets it's name; and whether it's roots are planted in romanticism, debauchery and flamboyancy; in 1770, the bay was the anchorage site for Lieutenant James Cook who named it after fellow sailor John Byron - the grandfather of English poet Lord Byron. The Cape Byron lighthouse built in 1901 marks the most easterly point of the Australian mainland.


Cape Byron lighthouse

Amongst Byron Bay residents include my 2 favourite Aussies - John Butler (from musical band John Butler Trio) and Chris Hemsworth (so gorgeous even my fiance admits to a mancrush). As of yet I haven't seen either of them. Butler now lives in WA and spends most of his time there (not that I'm stalking). Hemsworth is currently in Brisbane filming the new Thor movie, though I have seen him playing with pineapples in the promo video of the local smoothie bar.

Other than those two, Byron has approximately 5000 permanent residents. There is a big hippy
community, and a large number of backpackers stop here - especially in summer. It's a main attraction for "schoolies" as school finishes for the summer and the students all stampede to Byron to drink and start their vacation in style. I have this to look forward to in the next couple of months, as my manager always reminds me as I'm cleaning the rooms of the beachside motel.


The sign says it, it must be true

There are some great spots to eat in Byron, especially if you're vegan, vegetarian, organic, health freak, fruitarian, gluten free, lactose free, sugar free... and come to think of it, I'm not sure what they do
put in their food. All joking aside, Byron Bay does exceptionally well at accommodating these people, but also has some awesome restaurants and eateries along the beachside or further into town for those of us who aren't so picky. I'm happy to say there's no Mcdonalds or KFC in sight, and the only worldwide chain you'll find here is Subway - but then that's not all so bad is it? Since Joe now works in a Thai restaurant, I don't see a reason to turn down Thai curries every night. Though I can't wait for them to teach him the recipes! Munchies is a small family run restaurant that we've also found ourselves returning to. They serve a number of mouth watering pasta dishes, chef's specials, and the best schnitzel I've had so far!


The first whale I've ever seen!

There's so much to do in Byron, that I might write another blog post just on that subject, but to summarise - and so you can feel the excitement that I do - you can surf, kayak with dolphins, whale watch at the most easterly point of Australia, skydive, have ice cream at the lighthouse, watersports, laze on the beach, drink yourself silly, check out the markets, eat, sleep, and do it all again. A number of events and festivals occur throughout the year. The most notable being the Byron Bay Film Festival and the East Coast Blues & Roots Festival.


We also spotted dolphins swimming just off shore

So that's my home for the next few months. It's very hippy, and at first I thought I wouldn't fit into Byron Bay. I don't wear colourful patterned dresses or do yoga. But actually, there is no "fitting in" in Byron Bay, and there's no excluding. It is what it is, and you can be whoever or whatever you want, and that's awesome! Everyone is so laid back and friendly, they don't care who you are or where you're from but you'll be welcomed in anyway. If you want to know more about what it's like in Byron Bay but I haven't quite convinced you to come here, just watch The Inbetweeners 2 movie.