Byron Bay Travel Guide

Located on Australia's most easterly point, Byron Bay is a mecca for surfers, hippies, artists, movie stars and international travellers.

In the last 20 years, Byron Bay has morphed from a sleepy seaside town into one of Australia's premier tourist destinations.  Despite the seasonal influxes of tourists, the locals fiercely oppose the introduction of any large scale tourist facilities.  So the result is a low rise, laid back town that is nestled in the dunes behind some of Australia's most beautiful beaches.

Byron Bay was traditionally inhabited by the Bundjalung aboriginal people and was named "Cavvanba", a Minjungbal word for "Meeting Place".  

After it was discovered by early white settlers, it was named Byron Bay by James Cook, who named it after John Byron, the grandfather of the famous poet Lord Byron.

Byron Bay has experienced several different makeovers since its discovery by white people.  It was first established by the logging industry, for a while it was a major whaling station, then it became a large abattoir and finally it settled on tourism.

Today the town is visited by throngs of people seeking the coolest vibes and organic, home grown culture that now makes Byron Bay famous.