Byron Bay family-friendly travel guide

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About Byron Bay

Byron Bay‘s popularity is timeless, a long time favourite for travellers searching for the ultimate beach getaway. Its quirky cafes, shops and locals have become something of an Australian icon, and the surf – well, we probably don’t need to tell you.

For families, Byron has heaps of options when it comes to kid-friendly accommodation, and its perfect weather practically year-round will guarantee you a great bonding experience filled with fresh air and outdoor activities. So don your best tie-dye, grab some sunscreen and sunnies and get ready for a fab family vacation.

Byron Bay facts

State

NSW

Population

5521 (2016)

Time zone

GMT+10

Landmass

567 km²

Currency

Australian dollar

Emergency number

000

Helpful information

Where to go

Beaches... we can't pick just one!

There are so many great beaches in Byron Bay, we couldn’t pick just one. Heaps of them are dog-friendly, too, so if your fur baby is tagging along, no problem!

Belongil Beach stretches all the way from Byron Bay towards Brunswick Heads, and is dog-friendly in spots. There’s a car park at the top of Johnson Street, from which you should turn left onto the beach. The shipwreck here makes for amazing snorkelling, so pack a mask! Conservative families be warned, clothing is optional in the area north of Belongil Creek.

In the middle of town you’ll find Main Beach, which is often buzzing with picnics, buskers and sun-soaking families. It can be hard to find a park here, but it’s worth figuring out because this spot is often (rightly) hailed as one of Australia’s most beautiful beaches.

Arakwal National Park

Just two kilometres from the town centre, this gorgeous park makes for the perfect family picnic spot. A wander through will reveal hidden, secluded beaches and some great bird-spotting opportunities. Much of the year, whales can be seen migrating from the sandy coastline, and the iconic Cape Byron Lighthouse is just waiting for that perfect Insta snap from this vantage point.

Take a family surf lesson

You can’t become a Byron local until you’ve hit the surf. With individual, private family and group lessons available, Let’s Go Surfing can help the whole family catch their first wave. Lessons will cover basic surf conditions, signals to communicate from the water, paddling out into the waves and, of course, how to stand up and ride a wave back to the beach.

Macadamia Castle

A little drive from Byron through the surrounding countryside will bring you to Macadamia Castle. This attraction is home to an Animal Fun Park featuring over 150 native and farmyard creatures. There is also an 18-hole mini-golf course, cafe and over 200 locally made products on sale in its fine food section.

Best time to go to Byron Bay

Byron Bay is lucky to have pretty fab weather most of the year, but there’s no doubt that to get the most out of the beach life, you’ll want to skip a winter visit. Although, if beaches aren’t really your thing, then you’ll get much better prices on just about everything outside of peak season.

Summer

December to February, with average high temperatures of 27 degrees Celsius and rain 10 days/month.

Autumn

March to May, with average high temperatures of around 23 degrees Celsius and rain 10 days/month.

Winter

June to August, with average high temperatures of around 19 degrees Celsius and rain about eight days a month.

Spring

September to November, with average high temperatures of 23 degrees Celsius and rainfall about seven days a month.

Getting in and around for families

Getting to Byron Bay by plane

There are three airports within a two-hour drive of Byron Bay:

Ballina Airport is served by Virgin Blue, Regional Express and Jetstar. Various shuttle buses will get you to Byron Bay in around 35 minutes.
Gold Coast Airport is on the border of NSW/QLD, around 40 minutes from Byron Bay. Several airlines service this airport, including over 30 flights a day from Sydney. You can catch a shuttle bus from here to Byron Bay.
Brisbane International and Domestic Airport is about two hours from Byron Bay, and is serviced by all domestic and most international carriers. There are direct shuttles from here to Byron Bay.

Driving to Byron Bay

If you’re travelling by car, Byron Bay is six kilometres off the Pacific Highway. If you’re heading south, you’ll see the turn off on your left about 40 minutes past the Queensland/New South Wales border. Heading north, take the same turnoff, or you can follow the coast road up from Ballina to stop through Lennox Head, Broken Head and Suffolk Park along the way.

Byron Bay is approximately a two-hour drive from Brisbane and a eight-hour drive from Sydney.

Getting around

Byron Bay is serviced by buses, or you can hire a car if you’d prefer. You can find bus route information here, or explore car rental options here.

Food and drinks that kids will love

Byron Bay is a foodie’s haven, especially for families embracing meat-free days on their environmental crusade! The city centre is filled with quirky cafes, restaurants and family-friendly pubs, many of them hosting live music to boot.

Elixiba is in the centre of town offering food so delicious you wouldn’t believe it could be healthy, too. Plus, kids will love the adorable tree-house vibe of its interior – it doesn’t get any more Byron than this.

Directly opposite main beach you’ll find Beach Hotel Byron Bay, whose casual outdoor dining set up overlooks the water making for an amazing sunset view. Although offering lots of classic hearty pub meals, they also embrace the Byron lifestyle of healthy options and locally sourced produce, sure to please everybody.

Shopping

The Byron Community Market is held on the first Sunday of every month and will keep mum enthralled for at least half a day. There are over a hundred stalls during the peak months with many locally made craft and clothing items available.

Throughout town, a whole range of surf shops, quirky crystal shops and good ol’ hippie knick knacks are abundant. You could easily spend hours trawling through Byron’s fashion world, and the trendy locals will certainly be offering a lot of inspiration!

Customs

Tipping

Tipping is appreciated, but not expected in Australia.

What to wear

Whatever goes in Byron. Just make sure you pack hats, sunscreen and sunglasses! And maybe a few of those extra colourful clothes you’re not usually brave enough to wear in Sydney or Melbourne.

Electricity

Mains voltage in Australia is 230V AC, 50Hz. Use a two-pin (shaped like a “V”) or three-pin adaptor (different to British three-pin adaptors).

Safety and health precautions

Health precautions

No special immunisations or vaccinations are required to visit Australia unless you have come from, or have visited, a yellow fever infected country within six days of your arrival. However, regulations and medical advice can change at short notice, so check with your doctor and the Australian Department of Health before you leave home.

Tap water is generally safe to drink in Australian cities.

Safety

By and large, Byron Bay is considered a safe destination, although still exercise regular safety precautions as you would at home.

Be sure to stay vigilant around the beaches, not only with sunscreen but also watching your kids while they’re in the water. Educate your little ones about rips, and remember that lifeguards are doing their best to watch everybody, but the beaches can be extremely crowded and you should never consider them your child’s babysitter!

Most photographed places

Cape Byron Lighthouse

A must-visit is the Cape Byron Lighthouse, standing on the most easterly point of mainland Australia. The views are amazing in all directions, so take your camera along, as well as booking in for the full tour which includes a visit to the maritime museum on site.

Cosy Corner Beach

This is a hidden gem of Byron Bay, a little pocket-sized beach at the very northern end of Tallow Beach which makes for a super cute picture without the crowds. Bonus is that the headland will protect you from those northerly winds!

Main Street

Even the Main Street of Byron is Insta-worthy, filled with colourful shopfronts oozing boho chic. Keep your camera at hand all through town for those adorable pictures of the unique culture you can’t find anywhere but Byron.