A star-studded line up, including Peking Duk, Kate Miller-Heidke, Spiderbait and more, is gearing up to embrace sun-soaked Northern NSW as part of New South Wales’ month-long music festival, Great Southern Nights (GSN), which is back in 2022 from 18 March to 10 April.
Live music will provide the cherry on top of an ocean-sprayed minibreak, so why not make a long weekend of it and hit the road on the ultimate musical GSN coastal road trip.
Great Southern Night GigsThe Beach Hotel is one of Byron Bay’s must-visit locations; catch indie rock trio Middle Kids (25 March) and electronic act Peking Duk & Friends (31 March) and bop the night away. Take your music appreciation tour northwards to the Tweed to rock out to Spiderbait (1 April) at the waterfront Kingscliff Beach Hotel, then take a country drive inland to recently transformed The Eltham Hotel for a set by Sydney singer-songwriter Ruby Fields (9 April).
Eat and Drink
Bang Bang, Byron Bay Bringing charged-up flavours to the table, this corner eatery pulses with energy come sundown. From chow mein to Korean popcorn chicken and roti canai, the menu criss-crosses from East to Southeast Asia and back again, throwing down the most popular classics of the region alongside a cocktail list equally attuned to good times.
This breezy diner in celebrated Halcyon House is within earshot of waves on Cabarita Beach. The menu is local, focused and finely executed. The bar is open to external guests from 3pm, so be sure to arrive with plenty of time to enjoy a pre-dinner primer.
Be transported to the picturesque Greek Islands at Taverna, and soak in the inviting ambiance of bright white walls and waterfront views overlooking Kingscliff Beach. Feast on contemporary takes of traditional dishes inspired by the co-owner and chef’s yiayia (grandmother), and feast on wholesome ingredients plucked fresh from Taverna’s very own kitchen garden.
Three Blue Ducks at The Farm, Byron Hinterland
The Byron outpost of Three Blue Ducks is set on a strollable 30-hectare farm where you can meet a farm animal or two (the pigs are always a hit) and watch your meal being prepared in the open kitchen. This spot is much-loved by families for the opportunity to let small ones loose but is just as adept at providing a refined but enjoyably low-key dining experience.
Just north of Byron Bay is the not-so-secret township of Brunswick Heads, which is where you’ll find Fleet - a restaurant small in size, but large in acclaim thanks to the imagination of its chef Josh Lewis. Be sure to book well, well in advance.
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Saddle up for a gentle ride from the forest to the beach with Zephyr Horses. Feel the salt spray revitalise your senses as you trot along the shoreline, or take a ride to the pub, saloon-style.
Explore a fishing and surfing villageIn Brunswick Heads the most popular activities are those centred around the water. Explore the Brunswick River on a kayak with Byron Bay Eco Cruises, or snap on a snorkel and go diving with Blue Bay Diving to explore below the surface of this holiday hotspot. Or if you feel like sitting back and taking in the views, book a trip with award winning eco-certified Brunswick River Cruises.
Husk Distillery, Tweed ShireAn excursion to the under-the-radar Tweed reveals sunlit cane fields, riverside landscapes and towns built upon stilts, and should culminate in a visit to Husk Distillery’s cellar door. Designate someone else to drive, sip the refreshing rum made from local cane sugar and book a table or spread out under an umbrella on the lawn and enjoy a lazy country afternoon.
Enjoy local shopping
As a destination, Byron and surrounds has multiple notches on its belt, from natural assets, to dining and nightlife, as well as enviable shopping from locally designed labels. Hit the boutiques in town and in the industrial estate to shop brands such as Spell, Hope & May, Zulu & Zephyr, Auguste the Label, St Agni and many more.
Explore
Beach hop across the NSW North Coast
As well as world-famous Byron Bay, the adjacent Tweed and Ballina shires are well-endowed with their fair share of glittering coastal gems lapping the shore. Northwards, in the Tweed, you’ll find the winner of Australia’s best beach in 2020, Cabarita Beach, as well as plenty of river-to-ocean creeks that are perfectly agreeable to paddleboarding, kids, and lolling in crystal waters. Southwards, Ballina and Lennox Head are fringed with vast beaches to surf and swim, as well as Lake Ainsworth, a tea tree-stained lake perfect for paddleboarding, kayaking and canoeing.
The most easterly point in Australia doesn’t disappoint with its oceanic vistas that are often interrupted by whales or pods of dolphins. Join the throng of joggers with a morning run with a view or take a more meditative pace and wander mindfully all the way to the very edge of Australia.
Stay
Elements of Byron Right on the beach and featuring the pool of your dreams, this breezy resort with its eco cabins encircled by lush landscaping is far enough from town to feel like a retreat, yet accessible enough to be a part of it all.
Peppers Salt Resort and Spa, KingscliffSurrounded by plunge pools, lagoon pools and tropical foliage, this Kingscliff iteration of Peppers is near to the beach and just a short drive to the centre of town.
Halcyon HouseA little bit of luxe is a balm for the soul. This revived surf motel has become a beacon of style since opening in 2015, spurring a whole generation of reinvigorated motels along the coast. It has yet to lose any of its lustre, thanks to its enduring design and idyllic beachside location.
You’ll be in easy walking distance to the Great Southern Nights gigs at the Beach Hotel if you bed down in this town centre abode. Bright and light in style with all the necessary amenities to furnish a laidback stay.
For more information on Great Southern Nights and to purchase tickets go to greatsouthernnights.com.au. Start planning your Great Southern Nights road trip and learn more about New South Wales’ diverse destinations and experiences at sydney.com and visitnsw.com.
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