> > by Craig Tansley
A lot has happened to the cute little hippie village by the sea of my childhood. Byron Bay is now an ultra - chic resort town on the radar of everyone from the backpackers who made the town famous in the first place, to the uber - rich. These days it's more unusual not to spot a celebrity in town. But it still rates as one of the world's great romantic seaside getaways. There may be crowds at holiday time, and rowdy Schoolies, but it's not hard to find a piece of paradise for yourselves. Consider this: there are over 15 different beaches in Byron Bay, most travellers flock to the three most famous ones, your job is to find the other 12. Grab a car and go exploring, the hinterland is even better than the town itself. But it's the beaches here that exceed all expectation.
You can still walk through virgin rainforest to deserted beaches near Broken Head to the south of Byron, while a walk through town with its sun-induced celebration, its eccentric 'locals'(who probably only arrived yesterday), the hippies in the park, the cafes teeming with patrons and the infamous Beach Hotel built by Hoges' mate Strop, always warms the heart. There's a hundred lonely sunset beach wanders to be had and when the lights come on, Byron's restaurants and bars get ready to play. Do: Take a walk to the lighthouse, don't drive there. Walk all the way along Main Beach to the Pass and over to Wategos Beach and up Cape Byron to the lighthouse, then walk around the corner to the hang gliding platform for the best view on the east coast. Don't: Linger too long in Byron Bay's main parks, the Railway Park and the Apex Park - later at night. An unfortunate side-affect of tourism booms is the shady element, and even some street savvy locals have been robbed for quick cash.