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Byron Bay
KNOWLEDGE OF Byron Bay
Byron Bay (28°38′35.04″S, 153°36′54.47″E) is a town in the state of New South Wales on the eastern most point of the mainland of Australia. The population of the Byron Shire Local Government Area is in excess of 30,000 people (ABS estimate 2003).
Byron Bay is located about 800 km north of Sydney and 200 km south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headland adjacent to the town, is the eastern-most point of the continent of Australia, and is part of a giant volcanic crater. The Cape Byron Lighthouse was opened in 1901, and is one of the most powerful beacons in Australia. The town has several beautiful beaches and it is a resort popular with both domestic and international tourists and is a favourite town for backpackers who travel along the Australian coast.
The town has a laid back and friendly atmosphere where recreational drug use is accepted and a part of town life. There are many pubs and bars, and many alternative lifestyle events including yoga retreats, pagan gatherings and all night dance raves. At Easter it hosts the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival, the largest blues festival in Australia. During the winter months (June-August in the southern hemisphere), whales swim past Byron Bay making it a favourite destination for wildlife lovers. Most common are the Humpback whales but many other species are also to be found making their annual sojourn to the north.
Julian Rocks, only two kilometers off shore offers some of the best SCUBA Diving Australia has to offer. With tropical and temperate currents converging it is one of the top spots to dive with leopard sharks in summer and grey nurse sharks in winter. Three different species of sea turtles can be encountered on a single dive.
There is a very strong community feeling in Byron and resistance to major multinational corporations has been strong. An attempt to open a franchise of McDonalds failed. Other corporate chains such as Club Med which planned to build a resort north of the town also failed, although Becton may be developing the land instead.
Despite being publicly opposed to these large multinationals, as of September 20th 2005 Byron Bay now hosts not one, but two Subway fast food outlets and a Domino's Pizza.
Debate also continues in the town regarding the costs and benefits of tourism to Byron Bay. The council implemented a paid parking trial in an effort to alleviate the congestion but this trial was not extended after protests from local businesses and unhappy tourists who complained that the laid-back feel of the town had been compromised. In addition, the poorly maintained single-lane (in each direction) road that leads from the Pacific Highway 10 km west of Byron Bay into the town, has become a major bottleneck for tourists entering Byron Bay during peak holiday seasons.
In early 2005, the Byron Shire Council proposed a plan to charge an entry fee to the town in order to help pay for the growing costs of accommodating tourists. Although it does not have the power to implement this, many people have taken note of this gesture and will follow it keenly.
On 28 October 2005 an altercation between local teenagers and Victorian media personality Rex Hunt, his son Matthew, his wife and his son's girlfriend while they left a Byron Bay hotel led to media claims of growing tension between locals and tourists. The youths, who say they are Straight Edge (a group which advocates abstinence in relation to tobacco, alcohol and recreational drug use), told national media that Hunt was "extremely drunk", and that Rex Hunt's son threw the punch that started the brawl. Police Inspector Owen King said Hunt had not made a formal complaint to police, saying "People can draw their own conclusions".
Bay FM, Byron Bay's local community radio station is a hub of connectivity for anyone wishing to know more about the town and the greater area.
Byron Bay is located about 800 km north of Sydney and 200 km south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headland adjacent to the town, is the eastern-most point of the continent of Australia, and is part of a giant volcanic crater. The Cape Byron Lighthouse was opened in 1901, and is one of the most powerful beacons in Australia. The town has several beautiful beaches and it is a resort popular with both domestic and international tourists and is a favourite town for backpackers who travel along the Australian coast.
The town has a laid back and friendly atmosphere where recreational drug use is accepted and a part of town life. There are many pubs and bars, and many alternative lifestyle events including yoga retreats, pagan gatherings and all night dance raves. At Easter it hosts the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival, the largest blues festival in Australia. During the winter months (June-August in the southern hemisphere), whales swim past Byron Bay making it a favourite destination for wildlife lovers. Most common are the Humpback whales but many other species are also to be found making their annual sojourn to the north.
Julian Rocks, only two kilometers off shore offers some of the best SCUBA Diving Australia has to offer. With tropical and temperate currents converging it is one of the top spots to dive with leopard sharks in summer and grey nurse sharks in winter. Three different species of sea turtles can be encountered on a single dive.
There is a very strong community feeling in Byron and resistance to major multinational corporations has been strong. An attempt to open a franchise of McDonalds failed. Other corporate chains such as Club Med which planned to build a resort north of the town also failed, although Becton may be developing the land instead.
Despite being publicly opposed to these large multinationals, as of September 20th 2005 Byron Bay now hosts not one, but two Subway fast food outlets and a Domino's Pizza.
Debate also continues in the town regarding the costs and benefits of tourism to Byron Bay. The council implemented a paid parking trial in an effort to alleviate the congestion but this trial was not extended after protests from local businesses and unhappy tourists who complained that the laid-back feel of the town had been compromised. In addition, the poorly maintained single-lane (in each direction) road that leads from the Pacific Highway 10 km west of Byron Bay into the town, has become a major bottleneck for tourists entering Byron Bay during peak holiday seasons.
In early 2005, the Byron Shire Council proposed a plan to charge an entry fee to the town in order to help pay for the growing costs of accommodating tourists. Although it does not have the power to implement this, many people have taken note of this gesture and will follow it keenly.
On 28 October 2005 an altercation between local teenagers and Victorian media personality Rex Hunt, his son Matthew, his wife and his son's girlfriend while they left a Byron Bay hotel led to media claims of growing tension between locals and tourists. The youths, who say they are Straight Edge (a group which advocates abstinence in relation to tobacco, alcohol and recreational drug use), told national media that Hunt was "extremely drunk", and that Rex Hunt's son threw the punch that started the brawl. Police Inspector Owen King said Hunt had not made a formal complaint to police, saying "People can draw their own conclusions".
Bay FM, Byron Bay's local community radio station is a hub of connectivity for anyone wishing to know more about the town and the greater area.
Chapi