Travel Guides and Stories

Byron Bay is a seaside town located at the northeastern tip of New South Wales, less than a 3-hour drive from Brisbane. Famous for its beaches and lighthouse, Cape Byron is known as the easternmost point of Australia and the first place on the mainland to greet the sunrise. This makes it a romantic destination for couples hoping to watch the sunrise together. Even though we've tried many times to catch the sunrise and usually failed, we still set out with excitement to see the first sunrise at Byron Bay. Maybe no one else has come to watch the sunrise with such a big group – there were 13 of us!

We set off in the middle of the night and, taking it slow, arrived in just over 2 hours. It was so early that we played a game of Mafia in the car while we waited. Around 4 am, more cars started arriving, and lots of people had brought serious camera gear—fully prepared! As the sky began to lighten, we joined the scattered crowd heading up to the “summit.”

The weather wasn’t great, with lots of clouds, and just as we were about to leave, the sun rose in the distance.

The easternmost point of Australia really lives up to its reputation. Even with cloudy skies and lots of clouds, the sunrise was stunning—fiery red and dazzling.

As soon as the sun was up, there were already people surfing and jogging along the beach.

After sunrise and a stroll along the beach, we headed into the town center to find breakfast. There are plenty of great breakfast spots in Byron Bay. Outside a coffee shop, we spotted a really cool car (see below).

After breakfast, we drove to a large national park to see the legendary “grass mud horse” (alpaca). It’s been so long that I can’t remember the name of the park, but you can ask around in town or check the information center for a map.

After getting up close with the alpacas, we started a classic Aussie activity—bushwalking! Surrounded by all kinds of strange flowers and trees, listening to birds and insects, we hiked through the forest. There was one especially tall tree you could actually climb, and from the top you could look out over everything. It was both thrilling and a little scary. My curiosity got the better of me, so I shakily climbed to the top—my eyes were tearing up from the fear! Coming down was just as intense, but the adrenaline was worth it. Here’s a photo of a friend climbing the tree (it took four levels to reach the top—I still don’t know how I managed to get up and down, it was pure impulse!).

Dizzy yet? It felt like climbing a ladder to the clouds for thousands of meters! Byron Bay, the easternmost point of mainland Australia—on a good day, I’ll definitely return to watch the sunrise again. There’s nothing like watching the sun rise slowly over the horizon.