We were planning an early start for the 455km drive past Brisbane to Byron Bay but in the event only managed an 08:00 start. We again shared the driving with me taking the section past Brisbane.
In the event we managed to get to Byron by mid afternoon and set about having a drive around to get our bearings.
The main landmark in the area is the lighthouse at Cape Byron. This point was named, as are so many others along this coast, by Captain Cook and is the most easterly point on the Australian mainland. We therefore made a beeline for this and then made our way back into town. After 10 minutes we had pretty much found our way around (it's not big) and we then set about trying to find some accommodation. Asking at a few places on spec it all looks pricy so we headed for the Tourist Information along with a significant number of other hopefuls.
Fortunately they came up trumps. Our pad (Burns at Byron) is bed & breakfast, located about 5 minutes walk from the centre and about 10 minutes from Main Beach. The whole house is very much in keeping with the tone of the area and full of features from the Budda under the tree, fantastically furnished rooms and it also boasts a shower in the garden! Hillary runs the house and made us instantly at home. Nicola is in her element!
Once we had moved our belongings in we headed for town and a restaurant recommended by Hilary - Fish Mongers. It does both take-away and eat-in and allows patrons to bring their own drink as it has no licence. We both opted for Barramundi and chips and it was exquisite.
I think we could easily grow accustomed to the Byron lifestyle, we can understand why Jack enjoyed it so much.