Barefoot in Byron

WITH its laid-back way of life, Byron Bay is a tourist hotspot for sun, sand and sea lovers but despite the crowds, the township retains its charm.

Laid-back ... despite the crush of tourists, Byron Bay retains its sense of seclusion and calm / Alex Coppel

TAKE A stroll through the centre of picturesque Byron Bay township and it's plain to see how local outcry keeps those who would promote serious development in a perpetual state of uncertainty.

Byron Bay keeps a firm grip on its reputation as an ideal Australian holiday destination – laid-back and smothered in sunshine, but without the towering apartment blocks and global brand names of many other prime coastal getaways.

Cape Byron was originally Walgun (The Shoulder) to the custodian Arakwal people. For at least 22,000 years, plentiful conditions made it a refuge for Aborigines.

Today, a continuous stream of tourists files into Byron Bay to sample its way of life and bask in its playground atmosphere.

Despite the crush of pleasure seekers, Byron has retained its sense of seclusion, while many other idyllic waterfront locales struggle with thriving tourism amid rampant development.

Sheltered by Australia's most easterly outcrop in the north of NSW, Byron's beaches are lapped by calm waters that are ideal for surfing, snorkelling or just lazing and frolicking in the sun.

The routine daily diet of sun, sand and surf soothe the soul and soon erase memories of the daily grind of city life.

And if that mix still leaves you with cares and woes, there's a plethora of alternate therapies in and around town to throw your nerves into neutral.

When it's time to snap out of the slumber, Byron swings into party mode and hosts countless thrillseeker activities, including hang gliding above the town and swimming with the sea turtles under its clear, temperate waters.

Julian Rocks Marine Reserve, a refuge for myriad fish species and magnet for scuba enthusiasts, is less than three kilometres off the coast and recognised as one of Australia's best diving destinations.

Cape Byron Headland Reserve, lying under the watchful eye of a prominent lighthouse, marks the most easterly point of landmass in our nation. With various bush walks through sub-tropical hinterland, it offers outstanding vantage points to watch dolphins and whales below its rugged cliff face.

Dolphins are often seen skimming playfully under a surfer's board on an otherwise clean wave.

And the humpback and other whale species have gradually returned in increasing numbers to put on a show during their north-south migration.

Back up a little, into the surrounding lush hinterland, and fossick at Byron's monthly community market in the sleepy nook known as The Channon. There's locally grown produce, the aroma of homemade falafels, hand-made artefacts and the children's laughter keeping time with buskers' tunes.

The markets – held on the second Sunday of every month – make the ideal outing to experience the personality and spirit of the locals. Creativity and freedom are on display from a community that lives in harmony with its surrounding physical landscape.

The Channon Market provides a cultural and social focal point for neighbouring hinterland communities – many of them born out of the steady influx of free-spirited emigres from southern cities in the early '70s.

In 1973, the 10-day community Aquarius Festival spawned a proliferation of people seeking radical lifestyle change and laid the foundations for a scattered rural population. Together they formed what is now known as the Rainbow Region of NSW.

With the pioneer sea-changers came the unwanted tag of Australia's highest unemployment area, but Byron has worked its way out of that rut.

Today Byron struggles, yet thrives, under the weight of the latest sea-changers – this time a well-heeled exodus from the cities looking for a better balance of work and play.

Australians have always been drawn to the lure of sun, sand and sea – and where they flock, a wave of development invariably follows.

Byron has so far successfully held back that wave. And the townsfolk have managed to convince those looking for a life of glitz and glamour in a high-rise by the seaside that they should keep driving north to Surfers Paradise.

Byron Bay is still a holiday destination without overpriced conspicuous consumption and where free visible space has not been overwhelmed by invasive advertising.

Snorkelling along shipwreck coastlines, baking on a sunlit beach, whetting the palate or simply letting your hair down, it's like a breath of fresh air.

Thankfully, nothing is on the drawing boards to dramatically change the place or its pristine surrounds.

At Byron, tomorrow can wait.

Sunday Herald Sun