24 reasons Byron Bay is heaven on earth

When I first got to Byron Bay, I wrote a blog post about my initial thoughts on the place. Now I've been here almost 3 months (which makes it the longest I've stayed anywhere in Australia so far) and here are the reasons I think it's the greatest place on earth.

Welcome to Byron Bay!

1. Beautiful beaches - on both sides of the lighthouse, stretches of coastline with fine golden sand, warm, clear waters and happy people reach for miles. At the end of town centre is "Main Beach" - a golden paradise for swimmers, surfers and sunbathers alike. Before reaching the sandy shores you'll be greeted by the grassy banks where you can experience the beach without getting covered in sand. Further along the bay is "The Pass" which is favourite spot for surfers and resident dolphins!

Byron Bay from the lighthouse

2. Cape Byron Lighthouse - It's about a 45 minute walk from town to the lighthouse (a lot of steps though, I warn you, I nearly died!) but a walk well worth it. Venture alongside Main Beach, The Pass and Wategos Beach before walking through rainforest and parks. See how the other half live with the  absolutely stunning (and extremely expensive) houses on this side of town, and eventually you'll reach the lighthouse and witness more dramatic views. Watch the sunrise here and you'll experience a high that you can't get from drugs.

Cape Byron Lighthouse

Got up early to snap the sunrise from the lighthouse, and... wow!

3. Most easterly point of Australian mainland - marked by the lighthouse (and this plaque), it makes for an excellent viewing of the sunrise, seeing the beautiful coastline, and looking out for whales and dolphins.

4. Strong community - it's a warm place to live, and I'm not just talking about the weather. It's clear the residents care about their community.

5. Chris Hemsworth said so - the Thor star owns a $7.2m house in the area and describes Byron as the "greatest place on earth".

6. Hinterland - the surrounding area has some absolutely stunning settings such as Rocky Creek Dam and Minyon Falls.

Rocky Creek Dam

7. Surf - if in Byron, you've gotta try it. Alternatively (or as well as!) get a bodyboard to ride those waves! Luckily we got one with our van and have been having a whale of a time with it in the ocean.

My birthday surf lesson!

8. Dive - keep an eye out for sharks and rays at Julian Rocks (2k from the bay, a 6 min boat ride away)

Joe and I scuba diving at Juilian Rocks

9. Snorkel - not up for a dive? Julian Rocks accommodates snorklers too, and there's plenty to see!

10. Kayak - it's a lot of fun kayaking in the sea, and you'll probably see some wildlife. However, if you don't, "Go Sea Kayaks Byron Bay" will give you another session for free! You can also go kayaking on local rivers and creeks inland for more thrill and adventure!

11. Skydive - next on my bucket list once I work up the courage!

12. Swim - of course there's an amazing ocean right there, but if you fancy the experience minus the salt in your eyes, there's a lovely pool right on the beachfront that only costs about $4 (£2).

13. Wildlife - Common sealife includes turtles, dolphins, whales, manta rays, grey nurse sharks, wobbegong sharks, pufferfish and more. There have been a few large scary sharks sighted recently, but it's their ocean too and great to see that we can share this world with them! Snakes, bush turkeys and water dragons also frequent my back garden.

Spotted my first ever whale!

These guys greet me every morning.

14. Food - pretty much my favourite thing ever because I love to eat. Byron accommodates every different diet and specialises in vegan, vegetarian, organic and healthy! You can still get a burrito or a fat-off steak if you're not so fussy.

15. Byron Bay Film Festival - held in September over 10 days, the festival showcases the work of indie filmmakers sure to make you laugh, cry and feel inspired.

16. East Coast Roots & Blues Fest - music festival of the year welcoming some big names such as UB40, Joe Bonamassa, Mary J Blige, The Lumineers and more! Unfortunately I won't be here for that!

17. Art - galleries, street artists, weekly artisan market... there's even a park dedicated to art, decorated with paint, colourful stones and beautiful words. Grafitti art brightens up the town, anything that can be painted, will be painted.

18. Music - a plethora of sounds soothe your ears as you walk down the street as buskers come in every form. Young talented children playing ukeleles and saxophones. Musicians playing allsorts from didgeridoos to flutes, japanese guitar to bongo drums. There is often a band or solo guitarist/singer performing on the grassy beachfront banks and creates an awesome atmosphere.

19. Coconuts - You don't drink drinks in Byron Bay, you drink coconuts. There's a guy with a cow bell selling them ice cold on the beach every day.

Drinking a coconut on the beach

20. Shopping - looking for a new look that you can't find on the high street? Byron's shops and markets are great for any kind of looks from retro, vintage, hippy and chic.

21. No shoes needed - you may have just found your perfect outfit, but don't worry about wearing shoes with it. No-one else does!

22. Diverse city - You can find just about every type of person in Byron Bay and it adds to that "loving" vibe. Young, Old, Aussie, Pom, French, Korean, Straight, Gay, Transexual. Like no matter what hatred is going on in the world right now, there's at least one place you can all come together and it's right here.

23. Byron is not too big - personally, I'm not much of a big city person. But Byron is the perfect compromise of being big enough to keep you entertained but small enough to not feel intimidated.

24. Chug! Chug! Chug! - and then at the end of the day, chillout with a drink. There are bountiful bars to drench yourself in. "The Beachy" on the beachfront often has live bands on and "The Sticky Wicket" is usually showing some kind of sport on the screens. Or chillout on "The Balcony" or at "The Railway". If you're night reaches new depths of debauchery, try "Cheeky Monkeys". I haven't been there yet myself, but the vibe I get from the place definitely suggests it's the kind of place you go to drink yourself stupid and probably take a stranger home with you. So, have fun!

Where's your heaven on earth? Share with me your experiences of paradise!