Escaping winter in Yamba and Byron Bay - August, 2016
We loved Yamba – great beaches, food and lots to explore. We stayed at Clubyamba https://www.hotelscombined.com.au/Hotel/Clubyamba_Luxury_Holiday_Villas.htm, easy walk to town and excellent facilities. Where to eat - Beechwood Café of course (thanks Gaye and Bob) run by the wonderful Sevtap, it has Turkish inspired food, sourced locally and very tasty. http://www.beachwoodcafe.com.au/index.html
Lots of cafes to choose from, we also enjoyed Craig and Irons for breakfast and coffee, the Backpackers for coffee and the Yamba Hotel for good pub food overlooking the beach. The town fish shop and coop have local seafood (prawns and Balmain bugs)
Visit the local museum and find out that the first board riding happened in Yamba, not Bondi.
Take the ferry for a scenic trip to Iluka, feel like you’re in the 50’s – visit the tiny local museum, walk along the waterfront to the rather rundown looking Sedger's Reef Hotel for excellent fish and chips; take a walk through the rainforest and walk back to the ferry for the trip home.
Drive to Angourie for more beaches, apparently the best surfing and board riding area; and the beautiful coast walk.
On to Byron Bay where we stayed at Julian’s Apartments – a 10 minute walk into town and just below the lighthouse, a good spot. You can also walk along the path to Watego Beach and up to the Lighthouse. Again lots of restaurants and cafes – we enjoyed The Balcony Bar for dinner (½ price oysters before 6pm), The Rails for live music and good food; Top Café for breakfast (sardines were mouth-watering); Bayleaf for excellent breakfast and coffee; The Farm (just out of town) for a tasty breakfast and other food delights.
Visit Mullumbimby for hippy life; Bangalow for interesting shops and cafes and Zakay gallery for glass sculpture; Brunswick Heads for more fabulous beaches and eat at the art deco Brunswick Hotel (check out the toilets).
Getting there – fly to the Gold Coast and hire a car – 30 mins to Byron and about 2 hours to Yamba.
