The Power Of Byron Bay

Whether you’re on a quest for some chakra realignment or simply want to get away from it all,this beachside retreat may be the answer to your prayers.

As far as Australian beachside towns go, it doesn’t get more hyped than Byron Bay, the most easterly point in Australia located at the top end of NSW and under an hour’s drive south from the Gold Coast.

This is where hippy dropouts once lived in abundance in the ’60s and ’70s and where today’s world travellers and cashed-up celebrities have adopted as their destination of choice. It’s the mix of hippy shakedown and beachside luxury reimagined that’s given Byron Bay a new lease of life in the modern era of travel in a bid to lure stressed-out city folk to its calm state of mind and place.

Byron Bay is the place you go for a wellness getaway to realign your chakra, drink single-origin coffee, swim all year round and where mindfulness has always been part of its DNA. This is where tea leaves are brewed for yin and yang’s sake and yoga on the beach is a real thing.

Hollywood actors like Chris Hemsworth and Matt Damon have purchased homes in the area— some reports are even calling it the Hemsworth effect with rumours that his brother Liam is also in the market to buy a home there.

Actresses Margot Robbie and Isabel Lucas, Aussie documentary filmmaker Damon Gameau and international supermodels Jordan Barrett and Gemma Ward all have ties to the popular holiday spot.

Byron is where you can watch whales at the right time of year—they migrate south between May and November—and climb to the top of the famous lighthouse for the most easterly breathtaking coastline view.

Those who want to shop local can head to the organic markets as they weave from spots in Byron Bay to Bangalow, another gorgeous hideout tucked in the hills of the Northern Rivers.

It’s also the home of the annual Byron Bay Bluesfest, which is held every year over the Easter weekend. This year, Lenny Kravitz, the Dave Matthews Band and George Benson will headline the bill.