Town hopping on a rainy day in Byron Bay

Byron Bay is the ultimate Aussie beach ‘burb.

With its combination of naturally beautiful beaches, quirky hippie values, unique cafes and foodie experiences, and the laid-back surf culture there is so much to soak in.

Now, we ended up in Byron in the middle of winter, and sadly the weather wasn’t playing its part in the typical Aussie beach escape.

But never fear, we decided to go exploring and find some other must-see gems around Byron’s Hinterland that are easy to get to by car.

With the drizzle heavy and visibility pretty low, we rugged up and jumped in our brand new Holden Astra Sedan to see where the road would take us.

First stop: The Macadamia Castle, Knockrow
Like the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour, the Macadamia Castle is just one of the musts. It’s been there for 35 years and is only a 20-minute drive from Byron. Located on the Pacific Highway, the castle offers a great variety of activities including an animal park, café, retail store, mini golf, flying fox, adventure tree house playground and much more. Plus it makes for a quirky photo.

Second stop: Bangalow Farmer’s Markets
With morning tea on the cards we headed to the Bangalow Farmer’s Markets next. Bangalow is one of those country gems: a picturesque, largely nineteenth-century streetscape of tall buildings, verandas, shady trees and quiet parks. The markets are on every Saturday morning 8am-11am. Stock your pantry or your stomach, with fresh locally grown organic fruit, vegetables and homemade treats.

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Third stop: Crystal Castle, Mullumbimby
A short scenic journey into Byron's hinterland lies a faraway magical place - Crystal Castle and Shambhala Gardens. Whether you want to clear your head, learn a little about your spiritual side or just wonder at the biggest crystals ever, then this is the place for you. It was a little pricey to enter ($28 per adult). But we definitely felt the Zen once inside because this place is all about positive energy.

Fourth_stop: Brunswick Heads
Brunswick Heads is a little gem of a town that's long been overlooked for its bigger sister Bryon. But this was the perfect place to stop for the best pub lunch we’ve had in a while. Hotel Brunswick is one of the coolest old pubs – 75 years old to be exact – and we enjoyed a delicious chicken schnitty in the beautiful beer garden.

Next up we stopped by the Brunswick Picture House – an adorable 1950s style theatre/cinema that is a must-see. The building sat empty for 30 years before it was transformed to what it is now. Expect vintage décor, a tea garden, kiosk, food truck nights and regular showings of classics, comedy, circus and cabaret. Check their calendar online for a list of events.

Final stop: Cape Byron
With the sun finally peaking through by the late afternoon we headed back into Byron Bay to finish up a great day of road tripping with a walk to the lighthouse on Cape Byron. No visit to this beach haven is complete without spending a few minutes at the most easterly point of Australia. If you’re lucky you may even spot a humpback whale or two, as they journey past the cape between June-November.

And if you can, make sure to get back there for sunrise as well – which, as you can see in the video above, is spectacular!

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