Byron Bay is a popular beachside town in Australia which is located in New South Wales. Byron bay airport transfers, this town lies around 772 kilometres away from Sydney and 165 kilometres away from Brisbane. Cap Byron is the easternmost point of mainland Australia and is a headland lying next to the town. The town has a population of approximately 4, 959 and is a popular nucleus for Byron Shire. The aboriginal people call the area Cavvanbah which translates into meeting place. The place was named after naval officer John Byron by Lieutenant James cook. John Byron was the grandfather of the poet Lord Byron and a renowned circumnavigator of the world. Byron Bay witnessed the founding of a European settlement in the 1770s while the 1880s saw more permanent settlements and the naming of streets after English philosophers and writers. Cedar logging was the first major industry in the town along with timber. Timber industries witnessed a major boom here in the early years.
Gold mining of beaches was another popular industry which flourished next. There were several mining leases for Tallow Beach with a view towards extraction of gold from the black sands in the 1870s. Cattle were also a major industry along with dairy production, fishing, whaling and abattoirs while the sea port was a major hub of trade and commerce as well. The very first jetty was built in the year 1886 while the railway line was setup in the year 1894 and this boosted overall progress in the town. More and more land was cleared by dairy farmers and the Norco Cooperative was formed in the year 1895 with a view towards offering management services and cold storage facilities to the dairy industry. The advent of paspalum considerably enhanced overall production and butter was exported to other parts of the world from Byron Bay. The Norco Factory was one of the biggest in the entire southern hemisphere region and it expanded to dealing with processed meat and bacon as well.
The iconic Byron Bay lighthouse was constructed in the year 1901 at the easternmost point of the Australian mainland. The first meat works opened in the year 1930 and whale slaughter was a major hazard in the 1950s and 60s. Additionally, sand mining also proved to be a major cause of damage to the environment. However, these industries steadily declined between the two World Wars. The town witnessed the steady influx of long board surfers in the 1960s and they used natural breaks at Wategos, The Pass and Cosy Corner for their activities. This popularized Byron Bay as a holiday hotspot for tourists and the Aquarius Festival in 1973 proved to be a major turning point in this regard. Byron Bay houses a very old and ancient volcano named the Tweed-Volcano which had erupted only 23 million years earlier and was formed as a result of the movement of Indo-Australian platelets over East Australian hotspots.
The town is home to several reputed educational institutions and schools including the Byron Bay Public School, Byron Bay High School, Byron Bay Community School, St Finbarr's Primary School and the Cape Byron Rudolf Steiner School among several others. There are several facilities for early childhood including the Byron Bay Preschool and Periwinkle Preschool. Adult education institutions include the Lexis English Centres and the Byron Bay English Language School among others. The Byron Region community college and the SAE Institute Byron Bay are other noted institutions in the town.
There are multiple beaches available for surfers in Byron bay. Transport from Byron bay to Brisbane, this town attracts backpackers and several global and domestic tourists throughout the year. Skydivers also throng the town in droves every year. Wildlife is a major attraction in the year with whale watching contributing to the local economy quite significantly in its own right. An ocean way also runs to the Cape Byron lighthouse right from the heart of the town. Visitors can also cycle or walk to the lighthouse through this path if they wish. Tropical and temperate waters converge at Byron Bay and this makes it an ideal destination for snorkelling and scuba diving. Julian Rocks is a popular place for diving and is part of the Cape Byron Marine Park. The Main Beach also lies in close proximity to this park. Subtropical rainforests also lie near the town and there are several areas like the Minyon Falls and Nightcap National Park which can be easily accessed by tourists as well.
Popular heritage spots include the Cape Byron Light House, Julian Rocks Nature Reserve, Brunswick Heads Nature Reserve, Broken Head Nature Reserve and the Two Sisters Rocks located on Broken Head itself. These are listed on the Register of the National Estate as heritage destinations. There are several events held at the town round the year including spiritual gatherings, yoga retreats and music festivals like the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival during Easter and Splend or in the Grass. The Byron Bay Film Festival, Byron Bay Writers Festival, Byron Spirit Festival, Byron Bay Surf Festival and the Byron Bay Underwater Festival are all popular events in the town and are frequented by tourists and locals alike. The town has also produced musical legends like Parkway Drive, Blue King Brown and 50 Lions among other chart topping musical bands. The Byron Bay Triathlon is an immensely popular event held in May every year and there are about 1, 300 participants from various countries entering this event.
There are several markets in the town including the weekly farmers market held at the Butler Street Reserve. This market witnesses the selling of fresh produce by more than 70 local farmers. The Byron Community Market and Artisan Market are other attractions for locals and tourists in the area along with the uniquely themed Beachside Markets which are held in September, Easter and January. Byron Bay is one of the most soothing and vibrant places to visit in Australia and is steadily catching the attention of global tourists. The whale watching industry definitely has a role to play in scaling up the popularity of this destination.