The best times to visit Byron Bay

Byron Bay’s immense natural beauty has long been a drawcard for surfers, celebrities and creative types, leading to an eclectic calendar of annual events. While some – like Bluesfest and Splendour in the Grass – need little introduction, there are loads of other lesser-known festivals throughout the region that are worth checking out. Its temperate subtropical climate means there’s never a bad time to visit, with hot summers ideal for beach-going and mild, dry winters, when humpback whales are regularly spotted on their annual migration.

Julian Rocks, seen in the distance, is a diving hotspot.Credit: Destination NSW

SUMMER

There’s a certain vibe in Byron Bay in summer. It’s when Byron feels the most, well, Byron, with salty haired surfers carrying their boards around town, sand artists drawing mandalas on Main Beach and brightly painted backpackers’ kombis lining the car park. Holidaymakers wander through town licking ice-creams as they peruse the surf shops and boho boutiques, sip cold beer at the Beach Hotel and eat fish and chips on the grass as they watch the sunset light up the sky behind Cape Byron Lighthouse. With temperatures reaching up to 28°C – and often as warm in the water as it is out – it’s great for swimming. But it’s also the windiest time of year, so it’s best to hit the beach early in the day before it picks up. This is also when you are most likely to see leopard sharks and manta rays while snorkelling or diving at Nguthungulli – the rocky island around two kilometres off the coast of Byron also known as Julian Rocks. Out of the Blue Adventures also offers sunset cruises on the Brunswick River from Brunswick Heads from December to April, where you can sip local Brookies Gin as you look out for kingfishers, eagles and other birdlife along the waterway.

How’s the serenity? A sunset cruise on the Brunswick River.Credit: Tourism Australia

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Surfers began flocking to Byron Bay in the 1960s and ’70s, enticed by the crystal-clear turquoise waters, great waves, and alternative lifestyle. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, summer is the prime time to learn to surf as the waves are generally smaller. And there’s no shortage of surf schools ready to teach you how to hang ten, including Lets Go Surfing, Byron Bay Surf School and Soul Surf School.

Learn from the pros at Byron Bay Surf School.Credit: Tourism Australia

Key events

Christmas is a magical time to be in Byron, with twinkling lights illuminating the shops in the main street and a buzzing vibe at the weekly Saturday night Twilight Market. A Christmas produce market is also held as part of North Byron Hotel’s Christmas Bazaar, along with reindeer rides, face painting and a visit from Santa. The man in red also makes an appearance at Bangalow Showground for the town’s annual Christmas Eve Carnival, usually arriving in a fire truck armed with lollies for the kids. Byron Bay’s New Year’s Eve festivities – known as Soul Street – are also super family-friendly, with roving performers and food trucks.

AUTUMN

As the summer crowds disappear, autumn is a much more chilled time to be in Byron. It’s still pretty warm in March, with temperatures around 20°C to 26°C, but it’s also the wettest month, with around 200 millimetres of rain on average. The mercury drops to around 15°C to 22°C by May, when humpback whales also start arriving on their annual migration along Australia’s east coast.

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Bluesfest is one of Australia’s best-known music festivals, with everyone from Bob Dylan to BB King taking to the stage over the years. Held over the Easter long weekend, the event celebrates the best of the blues and roots at the North Byron Parklands festival site, around 20 minutes’ north of town, with artists like Elvis Costello, Jack Johnson, Ian Moss, Tommy Emmanuel and Tom Jones in the line-up. The region’s top chefs, brewers and distillers also put their best foot forward with some super fun events – from food over fire experiences to tiki parties – during the 10-day Caper Festival, held at North Byron Hotel and other venues throughout the Shire.

Bluesfest draws music lovers from across the country.Credit: Natalie Grono

Key events

When it comes to good old-fashioned fun, the Bangalow Billy Cart Derby is hard to beat. The main street of the town, around 15 minutes’ drive inland from Byron Bay, is blocked off with hay bales for the day as mums, dads and kids race homemade billy carts down the hill past the heritage shopfronts. The day’s highlight is the celebrity race, which has featured local musicians Tex Perkins and Pete Murray and actor Damon Gameau of That Sugar Film fame. You might also see the odd famous face, like Hollywood star Simon Baker, at the nine-day Bangalow Film Festival, which features a range of thought-provoking feature films, documentaries and cult classics. Local comedians such as Mandy Nolan and Akmal also join household names like Wil Anderson and Glenn Robbins for the four-day Byron Comedy Festival.

You can also jump in a kayak, canoe, dragon boat or inflatable raft for the highly entertaining Mullum2Bruns Paddle in May, which follows the Brunswick River for 10 kilometres from Mullumbimby to Brunswick Heads. Also in May, the Byron Bay Triathlon includes everything from a fun run to the lighthouse and a kids’ tri through to a challenging 1500-kilometre swim, 40-kilometre cycle and 10-kilometre run.

WINTER

With the highest number of sunny days and less tourists around, it’s little wonder winter is many a local’s favourite time in Byron Bay. While it can be quite cool overnight, with temperatures as low as 12°C, they hover around the 20°C mark during the day. Favourable offshore winds and consistent swells are also good news for surfers.

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The cooler months see a spike in humpback whale sightings.Credit: Wild Byron Sea Safaris

Whales are a common sight from headlands around Byron Bay at this time of year, with around 40,000 humpbacks cruising past on their annual migration. If you want to get a bit closer, you can do a whale watching cruise from Brunswick Heads with Wild Byron Sea Safaris or – better yet – book a tour to swim with the gentle giants in August or September, when adolescents on their way back south appear to be the most curious.

Key events

Winter is a great time for music lovers in this part of the world. The family-friendly Byron Music Festival is held right by the beach at Dening Park, while a mix of big-name acts like Mumford and Sons, Flume and Lizzo hit the stage alongside emerging artists at Splendour in the Grass at North Byron Parklands. You can also see Japanese drummers perform as you nibble on sushi at the free Matsuri Byron Bay, and catch live music, surf movies and big-name surfers in action at the Byron Bay Surf Festival. Australian and international authors and journalists also gather under marquees at Bangalow Showground to share their thoughts at the Byron Writers Festival.

SPRING

Moderate temperatures and minimal rainfall make spring a pleasant time to be in Byron. It’s the perfect to tackle the at times steep trail to Cape Byron Lighthouse and other coastal tracks, like the Three Sisters Walking Track at Broken Head, or to go hiking through the rainforest to places like Minyon Falls in Nightcap National Park. Temperatures range from 14°C to 22°C in September before heating up to around 18°C to 25°C in November.

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The Northern Rivers has become increasingly known for its food scene in recent years, with scores of acclaimed chefs who want to be closer to where the produce they use comes from migrating to the region. Many of them come together for the Sample Food Festival at Bangalow Showground each September, with tempting tasting plates, artisan market stalls, cook offs and masterclasses on offer.

Acrobats perform at the National Circus Festival in Mullumbimby.Credit: Hamish McCormick/Carnival Cinema

Key events

Running since 1897, the Bangalow Show is a bona fide Australian agricultural extravaganza, with pickle and preserve competitions, poultry contests, rodeo musical chairs, bush poetry and working dog trials, as well as some quirky events, including a gumboot throwing competition and a ride-on lawnmower race.

Movie buffs and Aussie actors like Jack Thompson also descend for the Byron Bay International Film Festival, which is held throughout venues in Byron Bay, Lennox Head and Murwillumbah in October. You can also see trapeze artists, jugglers and clowns at the National Circus Festival at Mullumbimby Showground in October, while members of the Spaghetti Circus also showcase their skills at the Mullumbimby Show in November. There are also some pretty impressive big trucks on display, events like show jumping and motorbike barrel racing, plus rides, showbags and a fireworks show.