Top Towns for 2022: Head to Byron Bay for a beachside nightcap

By Carla Grossetti
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The coastal town that almost needs no introduction, this perennial favourite on the NSW North Coast is a place of big skies and big ideas – and new and noteworthy bars to drink to them in. Discover what makes Byron Bay striking enough to land it at no. 15 on your list of Top 50 Aussie towns.

Find the complete list of the Top 50 Aussie Towns here.

It’s easy to make friends in Byron Bay. It’s full of people from elsewhere with infectious energy and impulses. It’s a holiday town, where every day is a shindig and tourists extend their stay so long they become accidental locals.

emerald blue waters at Byron Bay

A breathtaking aerial shot of Byron Bay’s main beach.

Head to the northern car park at dawn or dusk each day and you’ll find people walking barefoot along the beach, surfers dusting the sand off their feet, and van lifers sipping from steaming keep cups of coffee. 

Your timezone-friendly destination

Travellers fly here from different time zones. Friends drive down from Cairns and up from Sydney for the music festivals. It’s a world of big skies and digital nomads carving out niches. It’s where you will encounter whales and pods of dolphins, see sunsets the colour of molten gold and rockpools teeming with fish.  

It’s where your best ideas will come to you. But unless you can afford to buy property here, you will have to face the fact the time will come to leave. Until then, maximise every moment with our guide on new and noteworthy spots to take your Byron bae for a bevvy. 

A few of the best bars in Byron  

Lovers Lane is one of the hottest new spots to linger in Byron. It’s a grungy yet glam bar and restaurant serving natural wines and crazy-good cocktails inspired by botanicals from the Byron region. It’s got a bit of a disco vibe with caramel lounges and mottled lamps and posters of ’80s-era Ford Falcons.  

cocktails and bar bites at Lovers Lane

Linger over cocktails and bar bites at Lovers Lane.

Expect soundtracks that range from hip-hop to house and considered bar bites from executive chef Tyler Preston (Bang Bang, Chin Chin) such as beef tartare and barbecued king prawns.

friends hanging out at Bar Heather

Hang with the cool crowds at Bar Heather. (Image: Jess Kearney)

Bar Heather is a refined Parisian-inspired place to put on your radar when you’re in the Northern Rivers region.  

A rotating roster of vintage collection

Brought to you by the team behind Byron’s best bottlo, Luna Wine Store, and chef Ollie Wong-Hee (ex-Sixpenny, Ester and Franklin), the menu is designed to work with a rotating roster of back vintages from producers such as Matassa and Gut Oggau.

Bunker down in one of the aged green leather banquettes in this sophisticated dark, loud and fun 60-seater bar for lively snacks such as mulloway skewers with tare and cumquat paired with 2018 Maria & Sepp Muster ‘Erde’ skin-contact sauvignon blanc.

glam spot in one of Byron Bay's bars

This hot new spot with caramel lounges and a disco vibe is grungy yet glam.

The perfect spot to spend your laid-back afternoons 

Light Years Asian Bar & Diner is one of the best bars to visit in Byron Bay when you’re dreaming of ways to spend a long, lost afternoon. The laid-back cocktail hangout is tucked away behind Main Beach and it’s caught our eye thanks to the pops of pink, thumping beats and Asian-inspired eats. It’s not new, but it is noteworthy and a very cool find.

It’s also such a successful format that it’s rolled out in Noosa, Burleigh Heads and Newcastle. Head here for miso caramel eggplant, chilli caramel pork and a few pineapple margaritas. 

Explore more of Byron Bay in our travel guide or find out which other towns made it into your Top 50.
Carla Grossetti avoided accruing a HECS debt by accepting a cadetship with News Corp. at the age of 18. After completing her cadetship at The Cairns Post Carla moved south to accept a position at The Canberra Times before heading off on a jaunt around Canada, the US, Mexico and Central America. During her career as a journalist, Carla has successfully combined her two loves – of writing and travel – and has more than two decades experience switch-footing between digital and print media. Carla’s CV also includes stints at delicious., The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, where she specialises in food and travel. Carla also based herself in the UK where she worked at Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times’ Travel section before accepting a fulltime role as part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK. Carla and has been freelancing for Australian Traveller for more than a decade, where she works as both a writer and a sub editor.
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Just in: Drive the world’s first solar-powered train through scenic Byron Bay

    By Rachael Thompson
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    Enjoy carbon-positive, historic travel and scenic views aboard the world’s first solar-powered train.

    For most of us, catching the train to work is just another routine – but how many can say they’ve actually driven one? Now, Byron Bay Railroad Company is shaking things up by giving guests the rare chance to get behind the wheel of its historic, fully solar-powered locomotive – Byron Bay Train.

    Launched in 2017 by not-for-profit company Byron Bay Railroad Company, the world’s first full solar-powered train was built using restored 1949 carriages, resulting in a charming and nostalgic bright red vessel. Prior to this, the two-car heritage carriages had been out of service for decades, but they remain a rare piece of Australian rail history. 

    A historic red train crossing a bridge over water

    The scenic journey runs along three kilometres of restored track.

    On a normal day, travellers can ride in style either in First Class on vintage lounge seats or in the liveliness of coach class, enjoying the peaceful Byron Bay views and retro design. The scenic journey runs along three kilometres of restored track – part of the historic 132-kilometre Casino to Murwillumbah line – including a refurbished bridge, all repaired by the Byron Bay Railroad Company.

    The journey passes through littoral rainforest, endangered coastal wetlands and Tea Tree Belongil Creek in Cape Byron Marine Park. Travel time is ten minutes one way or 25 minutes return from North Beach Station, with the return service running 364 days a year for up to 92 seated passengers.

    A historic train passing tracks near the beach

    The Byron Bay Train is the world’s first full solar-powered train.

    For those wanting a new adventure and the chance to take the driver’s seat, the “Drive the World’s First Solar Train” experience offers a unique opportunity to actually drive a train. Packages include a half-day training session, which includes a certificate, cap and badge, or a full-day training session with lunch. General Manager Robert Jarvis shared his enthusiasm for the new experience, stating: “If there’s one thing we hear from passengers day in and day out, it’s that they have always wanted to be a train driver.” 

    The only other solar train in the world currently operates in Argentina, making this a one-of-a-kind experience to enjoy cutting-edge sustainable travel, nostalgia and coastal charm in Byron Bay.

    A historic red train crossing a bridge over water on a clear day

    The train passes over Tea Tree Belongil Creek.

    Prefer to sit back and enjoy the ride? There’s also a $35 lunch deal that includes a return adult train ticket and lunch at the North Byron Hotel.

    Half-day lessons: $550

    Full-day lessons: $960