Sydney to Byron Bay | Australia
The East Coast of Australia seems to be the quintessential stomping ground of every backpacker visiting the country. Or at least, every backpacker I met in the many hostels I stayed in. Side note: I’m so over staying in hostels and I don’t have the social battery, but Australia and New Zealand are too expensive for private rooms and the length of time I’m travelling. Anyway, my journey up the East Coast would take me from Sydney to Brisbane first, then later up to Cairns after a detour to the Red Centre. Starting with the New South Wales portion, I journeyed from Sydney to Byron Bay, first by hiring a car to drive via some stops as far as Port Macquarie. After a week working there, I continued by Greyhound bus to Byron Bay for the following weekend, before crossing into Queensland.
Sydney to Port Macquarie Road Trip
I’ve already covered my busy week of Sydney sightseeing in a separate post. So we’re focusing on New South Wales’s coast north of Sydney for now. I was determined to do my Australia trip with as much overland travel and as few flights as possible. And without paying a fortune for car rental! There were a couple of legs of the trip I’d hoped to do by car to be able to make stops along the way but the price was just too prohibitive. Dorrigo and Springbrook National Parks were both sacrificed for this reason!
However, the 1-day, 1-way rental from Sydney to Port Macquarie was a decent price so I collected the car from Sydney airport first thing and began the drive north. Starting with a drive over the actual Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was wild! It would take about 4.5 hours direct, so I had extra time to make stops. Unfortunately, I perhaps didn’t take into account the extra drive time to detour to the stops. After spending a bit longer in Terrigal than I probably needed to, I only had time for Crowdy Bay after that. I’d looked into Myall Lakes and Bouddi National Parks but there’s just not enough time for everything!
Terrigal
The seaside town of Terrigal sits in the Central Coast region, about a 1.5-hour drive north of Sydney. It’s your quintessential Aussie coastal town, with a wide, sandy beach full of swimmers, surfers and lifeguards, lined with a promenade of shops and cafes. It’s not particularly noteworthy on its own, but it’s a great location to break up a road trip drive. I picked up a coffee and pastry from one of the beachfront cafes and sat on the wall above the sand to tuck in. I wasn’t stopping long enough for any beach sunbathing, but there were plenty of people laid out on the sand, clearly making a Sunday of it. As mentioned above, I probably spent a bit longer here than I needed, just relaxing and people-watching. It was time to push onwards after that!
Crowdy Bay National Park
My next stint of driving was a lot longer, since I was bypassing the other stops I’d considered. Crowdy Bay National Park isn’t that far from Port Macquarie. You could probably make a day trip to the bay from town, but I was returning the rental car so could only go today! What I wasn’t prepared for was the road after leaving the motorway. As soon as you approach the national park, the tarmac gives way to a bumpy dirt track. I’ve driven similar before but it all felt a bit remote and isolated for my liking…
I was indeed on the correct road though and slowly picked my way towards Diamond Head Campground – other people, hooray! Parking is free for day visitors and this is one of the closest spots to the actual coast. I meandered down to the beach with my picnic lunch. Despite the other people around from the campsite, it truly felt like I’d stumbled into a very distant corner of Australia! There are no other facilities beyond the campsite and the beach is a vast length of sand, meeting the wild waves of the Tasman Sea.
After I’d eaten, I ventured along the Diamond Head Loop walk. I only did an short out-and-back section of it, lacking enough time for the full loop. Was I worried about stumbling upon a poisonous snake on my own in the bush? Maybe. I scaled the clifftop to the viewpoint overlooking the beach I’d just come from, admiring the dazzling blue of the ocean and the vast green hills stood alongside it. It’s definitely a beautiful spot, though with hindsight, I might have skipped it for the sake of avoiding that remote, dusty road…
Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie was my halfway point from Sydney to Byron Bay, where I was hunkered down to work all week. It’s a small town and most other road-trippers only stay a night here to break up the drive. But after a busy few weeks in the big cities of Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, I was ready to slow down. It also rained a few times, so I spent those evenings huddled in the lounge on calls back home or planning more travel.
Port Macquarie is a cute town though, with a few walking trail options (below) and independent shops to browse. Roadworks outside the hostel meant there was no power one day, so I spent it in the library using their WiFi for work instead. The only disappointment of the week was that the Koala Hospital closes early so I couldn’t visit after work!
Coastal Walk
Port Macquarie has an abundance of coastline to choose from. Beaches, town-side esplanades and clifftop trails. All combined, they make the the Port Macquarie Coastal Walk, a 9km trail that will take around 3-4 hours to reach Tacking Point Lighthouse. This was a bit far for me to go there and back after work! So I started from the William Street Bridge and went as far as Flynn’s Point then back again. The weather was perfect for it, giving me rich blue ocean views along the way. The first half took me along the town’s esplanade, dotted with food & drink options and stretches of grassy park. The sea wall is made of large rocks which have been painted by the town residents, created a colourful mural of sorts!
I rounded the corner to Town Beach, a wide bay of golden sand filled with people sunbathing and swimming. From there, the trail ascended along the clifftops that stretch down the east coast. Naturally, the height means glorious views of the bays and beaches dotted between the headlands! It’s a pretty easy trail too, in terms of the gradient and track condition, popular with tourists and locals alike. You can also see humpback whales migrating along the coast if you’re here at the right time of year! I think I glimpsed the blow of one, but it was too far away and too quick to be entirely sure.
Kooloonbung Creek Nature Reserve
The other walking trail I explored took me inland, following the banks of Kooloonbung Creek. Much of said banks is actually mangroves, so there are wooden boardwalks you can follow through it. It was certainly a change of scenery to the coast! Tall trees towered above me, while their thick roots twisted and tangled in the water. And a large portion of the mangrove is also home to a flying fox colony! I’d seen some before in Adelaide, but I think this colony is even larger. There were thousands of them waking up for the night, squeaking and clicking above me. I walked for ages and was still surrounded by them!
Eventually both the flying foxes and mangroves gave way to a drier forest and a small bridge took me across the creek. It was a peaceful stroll through the forest, keeping an eye and ear out for birds mainly along the way. While the coastline was beautiful, I really enjoyed this walk as well for a different kind of scenery. Port Macquarie was certainly a peaceful place to work for the week, and catch my breath a little on this long trip!
Byron Bay
My journey from Sydney to Byron Bay continued through the night. The Greyhound buses only run 1-2 times per day and the other option clashed with work. So, I was on the overnight bus that departed Port Macquarie around 1am and arrived in Byron Bay at 8am. That distance is a lot quicker if you drive, but the bus makes a few service station rest stops. I managed to doze through most of it. But on the plus side, the early arrival meant I had the entire weekend in Byron Bay, two full days to explore.
Byron Bay is a haven for surfers with one of the best waves in the world off its beach. It’s also popular with creatives, with an abundance of small boutiques and businesses. I had plenty of free time to wander around, so I lay on the beach in the sun and wandered along the water’s edge a few times. The surfers are found at the southern end of the beach, at The Pass. If the right wave comes along, you can ride it all the way to the other end of the beach! Lots of people take surf lessons here but I was happy to sit on the sand and watch them all.
I also roamed the streets, browsing many of the shops. There are lots of independent clothing and accessory boutiques, most with a fairly beachy style in general! I checked out the book shops and a couple of souvenir places, though didn’t buy anything in the end. And there are heaps of cafes and restaurants – I got a delicious deli-style lunch at the Byron Corner Store! It was a really lovely little town all round, with such a laidback, beachy, artsy vibe (even with all the backpackers!).
Cape Byron Walking Track
While the sun was out, I set off on a walk around Cape Byron, the headland at the end of the beach. I first passed Wategos Beach, lined with expensive mansions scattered down the hillside. Then I rounded the coast to reach the Easternmost point of mainland Australia. And I got a photo with the sign to prove it! The track is pretty easy to follow but there are a lot of stairs to get up to the top of the cliffs. Much of it is boardwalk though so easy enough underfoot. On the top of the headland, sits the bright, white tower of Cape Byron Lighthouse, one of the town’s most iconic sights. And next to the lighthouse there’s a little cafe where I got a much needed iced coffee pick-me-up!
Byron Bay is also a popular whale spotting location on the humpback migration path. From the lighthouse hilltop, there’s fantastic views out to sea, so it’s a great location to look for them. I saw a few blows with the help of other bystanders, like little clouds of steam bursting from the water. The second half of the walk had a great view of Tallow Beach stretching down the other side of the cape. Then the track turned inland, leading me down and through the trees. Until eventually linking back up to close the loop near The Pass once more. It was a lovely way to spend a couple of sunny hours enjoying the views!
Sea Kayaking
My second activity ended up a bit less sunny! I’d booked a sea kayaking excursion, with the hopes of some whale sightings there too. The weather ended up very grey and overcast, and really quite chilly out on the water! But that didn’t stop us, of course. As a solo traveller, I was paired up in a double kayak with one of the guides. Which meant he was steering and providing much of the driving power to paddle us along. I had it easy in comparison! We made our way past the surf break and out into the more open water, on the lookout for wildlife.
Now, I’ve been lucky enough to see humpbacks before – a few times actually! So I wasn’t too stressed if we didn’t see any but of course, I still had my fingers crossed. We paddled in the direction of Cape Byron, getting views of Wategos Beach from the ocean again. Our guides gave us breaks throughout, and told us various fun facts about Byron Bay and about the wildlife. Sometimes they see turtles or dolphins as well, though none were forthcoming for us today. But we did eventually spot a whale’s blow, and swiftly paddled off towards it! The waves were a bit too choppy for any decent pictures, but I saw it’s hump a few times. Followed by the tail when it eventually made a dive and vanished.
We rode the surf back to shore, trying not to capsize as it pulled us in – I was luckier than a few others in that respect! So maybe not the most picture-perfect sea kayaking experience, but still a good way to get out on the water if you don’t fancy surfing.
Sydney to Byron Bay
My journey from Sydney to Byron Bay definitely felt a bit more like the typical Australian backpacking experience. Though the fact that I work remotely still makes my experience different to most people’s. I’m also very much over staying in hostels! But anyways, while the drive from Sydney to Port Macquarie perhaps wasn’t the most memorable leg of my trip so far, I enjoyed my slower-paced week in Port Macquarie. And then I loved the whole vibe of Byron Bay, how laidback and beachy it is, right up my street. It was lovely to be in smaller, seaside towns for a while too, a welcome change from the big cities. Especially since I was heading back to a couple of them soon, as my journey north continued into Queensland.
