Main Beach - Byron Bay
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Byron Bay

Byron Bay (excert from Wikipedia) is a town in the state of New South Wales on the eastern most point of the mainland of Australia. The town is the nucleus of Byron Shire, which has in excess of 30,000 people (ABS est. 2003). Captain James Cook named Cape Byron after circumnavigator John Byron, grandfather of English poet Lord Byron.

Location

Byron Bay is about 800 km north of Sydney and 200 km south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headland adjacent to the town, is the eastern-most point of the continent of Australia. The Cape Byron lighthouse was opened in 1901, and has the most powerful beacon in Australia (2,200,000 cd, visible to a range of 27 nm).

Tourism

The town has several beautiful beaches with fantastic surf and it is a resort popular with both domestic and international tourists, including backpackers, who travel along the Australian coast and the magnificent scenery attracts sky divers. The area is also noted for its wildlife, with the whale watching industry a significant contributor to the local economy.

The town is popular with visitors and residents from all socio-economic backgrounds and walks of life. It is famous for its laid back and alternative lifestyle, but also has a higher proportion of Baby Boomers (27%) than any other town in Australia.

Origin

Byron Bay is a remnant of an ancient shield volcano, the Tweed Volcano, which erupted 23 million years ago. It formed as a result of the Indo-Australian Plate moving over the East Australia hotspot 23 million years ago, and is now part of the giant shield volcano's eroded caldera.

Events

Events such as yoga retreats, pagan gatherings and music festivals, including the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival and Splendour in the Grass, are based in Byron Bay.

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