Byron babes
There’s something about Byron Bay that keeps drawing back. Could this be her most memorable holiday there yet?
The sky has started to clear after a few days of solid rain. Blue can be seen between dissipating clouds and a rainbow has appeared, arching over Byron Bay’s eminent lighthouse, from the ocean to the lush coastal heath that fringes town.
Our two sons – aged five and two – are playing chase with the gentle waves of Main Beach, shrieking with giddiness as the water rushes them back onto soft white sand. As if this scene isn’t idyllic enough, there’s a flutter of white butterflies.
This is not our first foray to Byron Bay, a popular tourist town on the NSW north coast. But it is our first in our New Age caravan and we have scored a last-minute site at First Sun Holiday Park.
The best location
When we talk about being smack-bang in the middle of town, we really mean it. First Sun is right on the beach and a 50-metre walk to shopping-and-dining mecca Jonson Street, where we can choose from an array of global menus.
Less than an hour after we park our 'van on our powered site, we are dining at the always-delicious Thai Lucy, a casual eatery tucked away in nearby Bay Lane. Each morning we grab a coee from Byron Bay Canteen, a silver Airstream doubling as a takeaway café near the entrance of the park. It’s the best locale we’ve stayed in on our many trips to Byron.
From beach days to inside plays
The holiday park overlooks and has direct access to The Wreck, a surf spot that got its name from the shipwreck jutting from its waters. We toddle down on our first morning, via a staircase and rocky path dotted with pandanus palms. The location is close enough for us to go between if (nay, when) we forget something.
After a good dose of sun, sand and sea, we enjoy a wholesome lunch at The Hum, whose menu features smoothies, salads and acai bowls. We balance it out with a stop at Frankies Gelato Naturale, where all-natural gelato is churned on site. Delicious flavours include banoee shortbread and sticky chai. Ominous clouds in the afternoon turn to torrential rain that lasts two days (blame La Niña). Thankfully, Circus Arts – in the industrial park less than a 10-minute drive from town – provides a dry haven for the kids to expend their energy. We sign up for a casual Tiny Circus class, where children aged one to five can jump, tumble and balance. We also catch a flick at the newly built Palace Cinemas.
Exploring by foot and wheels
When the weather makes nice, we head to the beachfront playground at Apex Park. From there, the kids hop on their scooters and we follow the flat path that leads to