If you're considering taking cheap flights to Byron Bay for one of its festivals, book as far in advance as you can. This beautiful, laidback town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales is very popular, attracting almost two million visitors each year. During peak times, even nearby towns such as Lismore and Ballina will be booked out.
The Aboriginal people called this area "Cavvanba", meaning “meeting place", but when Captain James Cook sailed along in 1770 he named it after John Byron, circumnavigator of the world and, later on, grandfather of the poet, Lord Byron.
The (admittedly somewhat tenuous) literary connection lives on in Byron Bay's street names. When the town was set out in the 19th century, the streets were named after poets. There's Keats Street, Marvell Street, Milton Street, Dryden Street and Scott Street among others. Festivals have a literary bent (the Byron Bay Writers Festival), a musical focus (Splendour In The Grass and Bluesfest) and make the most of BB's proximity to the sea (Byron Underwater Festival). There's whale watching between June and November and dolphin watching all year round.
BB offers a range of accommodation options to suit all budgets, but it does have a definite ritzy side. However, one of the best things is free - that's taking to the Cape Byron Walking Track to see the sun rise. Cape Byron is the first part of Australia to feel the sun's rays each morning.
