Byron Bay - The Surfing Capital Of Australia :: AustraliAccommodation

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The Surfing Capital Of Australia

By Kadence Buchanan

If surfing is your thing, then you must check out Byron Bay, the Mecca of surfing in Australia. There you will find a place where surfing is not just a sport or favorite past-time but a lifestyle and local obsession.

Set against a back-drop of warm weather year-round and spectacular beaches, Byron Bay is an inviting venue that promises a laid-back lifestyle. Why, you can even go native and be part of a teeming “alternative” community whose ranks are constantly being bolstered by an increasing number of writers, artists and filmmakers.

Byron Bay is nestled at the North Coast of New South Wales in Australia. It boasts of four main beaches. Byron Main, the most popular of the four, is perfect for surfing newcomers because of its smaller swell that usually breaks close to the shore. It has non-stop breaks and is great for swimming.

The Pass is the next most popular beach in Byron Bay just south of Byron Main. It is a favorite of long boarders who comb the beach in droves during summer.

Watego Beach is hidden from view and, as such, is ideal for surfers who want to avoid the crowds. The challenges it offers are more difficult for surfers, which is why the most advanced surfers prefer Watego Beach.

Finally, there is also Tallow’s Beach, the most isolated of Byron Bay’s four beaches. Most tourists have not discovered it yet especially since it is only visible from Byron Bay’s headland. It is rare to find outsiders wandering around Tallow’s Beach but the locals just love it.

Aside from surfing, Byron Bay is also a great scuba diving venue and one of these rare places where you can sit back and occasionally catch a whale or two passing by. At night, dolphins come out to play and it is not unusual to see these friendly creatures swimming side by side with people.

There’s also an excellent fine dining restaurant on Byron Bay called Fins which offers succulent seafood and an impressive wine list. Fins is one of Australia’s best restaurants.

Fine Dining

Fins Restaurant

Fins Restaurant offers fresh local seafood spiced with local herbs and supplemented by an attractive wine list. The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide has awarded FINS with two chef’s hats every year since 1998. Fins also received a Restaurant and Catering Award of Excellence as "Best Seafood Restaurant All Regional NSW" in 2005 as well as the award for "Best Seafood Restaurant in Australia" in 2004.

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- About the Author:

Kadence Buchanan writes articles for thetravelinglifestyle.com - In addition, Kadence also writes articles for theoutdoorslifestyle.com and recreationsource.net.

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About Surfing / Bodyboarding
Surfing / Bodyboarding

All You Need to Know, You Can Learn from Surfing
Posted on 9 Mar 2010 at 9:18pm

Sure you can learn to save the environment and to avoid dropping in on locals, but the most important surf-related life lesson would have to be to just "Go for It"...no hesitation...no pulling back. That goes for all aspects of surfing whether you are dropping into a bomb, punting a fat air, or committing to a sickening roundhouse cutty. But it also applies to life. Hesitation leads to stagnation and missed opportunities. Hesitation has no place in surfing and no place in life.

Okay, that said, maybe it teaches us not to stereotype. Todd Prodonovich writes that "without even realizing it, we (surfers) exude something that is a dead giveaway to teachers, bosses and girlfriends' parents that we live for surfing, and this might be at the cost of things like schoolwork, jobs and quality time with the special lady." Do we fall into the world's view of surfers? Red eyes, messy hair, and innate mellow-ness? Doubt it...If you ever really get to know girls and guys at who surf your local beach, you'll find that beyond the passion for waveriding there lies depth and personality just like the rest of you. Sounds like a life lesson to me.

Best lesson of all? Stay Stoked!

All You Need to Know, You Can Learn from Surfing originally appeared on About.com Surfing / Bodyboarding on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 21:18:33.

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Tsunami to (not) Hit Hawaii
Posted on 27 Feb 2010 at 3:37pm

No tsunami in Hawaii. Awesome...now surfers can go back to worrying about ride-able waves. Although Eduardo Arena claims to have surfed a tsunami off Chile, it's not a worthy gamble. Locals are huffing and puffing about missing out on a good Saturday of 8-12 surf (I'm sure there were several guys still grabbing waves at Pipe as the sirens sounded), but most folks did the right thing, getting to higher ground and waiting for the impending mayhem from above. And instead of a deluge of rage, Mother Nature exhaled with a whimper and the state of Hawaii sighed with relief. Meanwhile, the Quiksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks, Australia was held off for the day in case a tsunami should ruin their day at the beach. Ironic, a surf contest called off for possible waves. Bottom line, the boring images transmitted all day of the Pacific rising and falling in gentle rhythm were infinitely more pleasing than the ones that came out of Thailand back in 2004. The Islands dodged a bullet today, and all eyes are on Chile.

If you still need some tsunami after all this big wave media overload, here are some links for further information:

NOAA - Tsunami Warning

Local Hawaiian News and Tsunami information

Basic Tsunami Information - What is a Tsunami?

Why you can't Surf a Tsunami

Tsunami to (not) Hit Hawaii originally appeared on About.com Surfing / Bodyboarding on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at 15:37:09.

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Surfing and the Irony of it all
Posted on 21 Feb 2010 at 8:28am

The weekend...a holiday...a day off work and it's flat. Is that some kid of a joke? A full 24 hours of navigating a world without waves. Is that some kind of ironic slap in the face or Mother Nature's response to our nonsensical pandering to an artificial schedule of days and labor. No matter how you slice it, a day off is an excuse to go surfing, but it's flat. So what now?

Maybe you are checking the beach today in New York. Maybe you're waking up in Hawaii, or checking the buoys for tomorrow's session in Bali. Oooh! You Aussies have no idea how lucky you are to live Down Under. That's the crazy thing; surfers sometimes have no idea how lucky they are just to be surfers. Heck, I owe my life to surfing. I wouldn't have traveled to all the interesting places and met all the awesome folks around the world (or my wife for that matter). Every session has made up my collective self and who I am as a human.

Maybe there is some real reason why it's flat on the day you have off. It's the day for guys and girls who take surfing for granted to think about how lucky they are...just to be surfers. Go pick up some trash at your local beach. Give your shaper a hug. Join the Surfrider Foundation. Think about what life would be like without surfing, and then most of all stay healthy so that you can surf when the moment arises (sounds like a Viagra commercial). And when that next swell hits, ride every wave with a smile and dig life for the happiness it brings.

Surfing and the Irony of it all originally appeared on About.com Surfing / Bodyboarding on Sunday, February 21st, 2010 at 08:28:07.

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Innovation is Perspective
Posted on 14 Feb 2010 at 7:56am

This article is interesting in that Dogman lists the ten most significant surfing equipment innovations. Now I don't necessarily agree with all his entries. For one, I don't see photographic innovations as part of the forward momentum of surfing. Although that stuff that Quiksilver is doing with those Cypher videoes is sick. Also, the Internet has changed the way we exchange surfing information and communicate with other surfers while cams and forecasts have made things easier but not necessarily pushed the art or sport of surfing. It has, however, changed surf culture, but the Internet has changed our culture itself, so maybe that goes without saying. The leash definitely enabled more people to ride waves more safely but I don't feel it pushed the parameters of overall surfing skill levels. In fact, riding without a leash takes even more confidence and waterman skills. Now I thought that I was the only guy who realized the enormous effect of removable fins on surfboard travel and versatility. And, heck yeah, the wetsuit has changed the way we surf in spots outside the tropics. Seasons and locations that were previously unsurfable are now open for exploration and shredding. But if we are going to mention the thruster as a significant innovation, we can't leave out the introduction of fiberglass in the 1940's. Say hello to light, strong surfboards that allowed surfers to soar into more artistic lines on the waves. Overall, Dogman is on the money with the PWC. I'd say the PWC is like the Internet of surfing, making all things unthinkable suddenly commonplace.

Innovation is Perspective originally appeared on About.com Surfing / Bodyboarding on Sunday, February 14th, 2010 at 07:56:33.

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Remembering Steve Schafer
Posted on 6 Feb 2010 at 8:26am

Steve Schafer died doing what he loved. That's the spin. There is no other way to look at it. We can call it tragic and unfortunate and horrendous or just plain bizarre that he would be killed by a shark off a beach that has never seen an attack fatality...ever. But Steve loved the ocean and loved to surf, so to go out while in the water and among the waves and wind has to count for something.

Why does it matter to me? I knew Steve pretty well some years back. We surfed together and competed against each other for years as groms during the Eastern Surfing Association days. He was a small kid then but fast and fluid on the wave. Always smiling and always stoked no matter the conditions. And man did we wallow in some bad conditions! But Steve ripped it. You couldn't count him out in a heat because he was always good for a high score in the dying moments. Just when I thought I had him, here goes Steve flying by on a killer little right throwing buckets all over the place. I was angry then but look back with a smile now. Years later we would see each other out in the water any time Stuart Rocks was bombing. I could always count on seeing Steve out in the water early, always greeting me with a big smile and good conversation in the lineup. His roots run deep down in Stuart, Florida, and I know the surf community is devastated.

I was pretty screwed up in the days after hearing about his attack. The loss hit me first in the heart, but later it hit me in the head. I started trying to make sense of the randomness and the situation (what he must have felt) and images of my own son paddling out through the lineup for a session. The only way to make Steve's death compute is to wax poetic and think that he was in the ocean when it happened. It was a place he wanted to be. He wasn't on his way to work. Or on line at the bank. He was in the ocean. On the other side, that has to count for something. I know it does for me. I'm happy to have known you, Steve.

Remembering Steve Schafer originally appeared on About.com Surfing / Bodyboarding on Saturday, February 6th, 2010 at 08:26:47.

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Keep your Surfing Alive in the Dead of Winter
Posted on 30 Jan 2010 at 8:54am

Maybe it's post-holiday gobbling regret setting in or the physical demands of the ocean in winter, but strangely, I've been receiving many inquiries of late about nutrition and fitness in regards to surfing. Now I am no licensed sports doc, but I have been surfing for some 25 years and have cycled through every facet of diet and training to insure I continue optimal surf performance as I grow longer and longer in the tooth. While there's no activity on the planet that can build your surfing muscles and endurance like a couple sessions a day...everyday, not everyone lives in an endlessly wave-rich locale or can make it to the beach on a daily basis, so here's a basic and easy approach to stay in tip-top ripping condition:

Grind down on plenty of fruits and vegetables. Nothing specific, just make sure the amount of green and red stuff outweighs the brown and white stuff in your daily diet. Then, try to do something physical each day that touches those elusive surf-specific muscles. The areas you are looking to strengthen and stretch: shoulders, knees and back. Try to keep those core muscles solid. Some good combo activities might include push-ups followed by jumping rope or a bike ride after doing laps in the pool. Ride your skateboard to the local park and bust out some pull-ups on the monkey bars. Wakeboarding and mountain biking are great cross-training activities as well. Try to find activities that bring together the endurance and balance essential to surfing. Hitting the gym is great, but make sure that you aren't going for bulk. Instead, your goal should be flexibility and endurance. Medium weight with higher reps works well for that.

There are lots of surf-specific training regimes and nutritional programs which will keep you loose and ready to surf as well, but a simple and varied program including the activities above will suffice during prolonged flat spells. Be sure to watch surf videos or get tricky at the skate park to stoke that subconscious and artistic fire as well. Most Johnny-come-lately types might not take surfing serious enough to actually train for it, but if riding waves is your passion then you want to be ready the moment the ocean calls.

Keep your Surfing Alive in the Dead of Winter originally appeared on About.com Surfing / Bodyboarding on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 at 08:54:00.

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Surf Community Love and Surfing Contest Strategies
Posted on 19 Jan 2010 at 9:34pm

As the surf just went flat in my part of the world, I'm sure it is building somewhere else. Maybe you are about to get a giant swell tomorrow. Let's hear about it. As surfers, we are always raving about something. Maybe you just got in from the session of your life or just saw a big shark in the lineup or maybe you want to vent because some big kook dropped in on you this morning or maybe you stood up for the first time or are suffering from some gnarly stomach rash or you found that magic board that works perfectly. Maybe you want to know how to pick that magic board or need some advice on where to take your fist surf trip or even if you can't quite pull of that roundhouse cutback...You can find it ALL right here. Post a question or comment below or slide over to the forums to post your question or share a session or idea. Heck, even chime in on the issue of mass produced surfboards or decide who's the best surfer in the world.

Send photos and stories and I'll post them for your buddies to enjoy. You can send them to surfing.guide@about.com and maybe become famous. So grab a cup of Joe and join the community. But don't lose your priorities...go surfing first and then log on.

How about this? Being part of the amateuer surf scene means pitching in every so often to judge a few heats. To do it well, there are some easy tips and strategies that will make your judging performance a little more consistent and accurate. Oooooh...I have another idea. It might even help to know how the judges are assessing your surfing as a competitor too. In fact, check out this helpful little article that explains how to surf smarter and more successfully in a contest heat. Have fun.

Surf Community Love and Surfing Contest Strategies originally appeared on About.com Surfing / Bodyboarding on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 at 21:34:56.

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Rubber Soul Falsities Versus Truth in Wave Riding
Posted on 12 Jan 2010 at 12:45pm

Ya know, the retro soul vibe gig that has the surf world in a strangle hold of late initially comes off as disingenuous at best, with surfers lugging any bit of flotsom down to the water's edge, or worse, pulling up to the car park with a fishy 5-finner still hot from the Chinese machine that popped it out.

If you're skeptical of the falsities of goofballs in rubber soul costumes like me, try watching one of Andrew Kidman's neo-retro soul extravaganzas like Believe or Glass Love. You might just fall prey to the charms of riding something new, getting involved in the artistry of your surfboard or seeing what surfing really is: a magical way to grab the essence of natural creation itself.

Yeah, just think about what you do as a surfer. Appreciate the curves of the wave face and the breeze rolling over miles of ocean and the post-ride smile stretched across your face. That's the truth. Even the jittery fear of submerged rocks in shadowy water and shark attacks make you happy on the inside. Happiness is that sense that you are truly alive and truly a surfer.

Rubber Soul Falsities Versus Truth in Wave Riding originally appeared on About.com Surfing / Bodyboarding on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 12:45:20.

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Freezing Temps Make for Exciting Sessions
Posted on 1 Jan 2010 at 10:02pm

50 degree water and 40 degree offshores may not sound extreme to those Nor'eastern (or Nor'western for that matter) surfers, but down in Florida, that's hardcore baby. Fullsuits and car heaters are essential

But upon reading this NY Times article, I began to think back to Baja and North Carolina sessions (I'm sure the Great Lakes innovators and Canadian explorers are laughing) and the shock I felt when I hit the water. But the article really nails the culture surrounding surfing in the cold, and there's something satisfying about coming from a frigid surf, like you conquered something raw and captured the natural essence of surfing's exhilaration before you even caught your first wave. It's like adrenaline explodes from the moment you touch the water. With that first deep breath and stiffening muscle, you know you are alive.

I'm not pretending that a toasty, tropical pointbreak down in Mex isn't much more inviting than a chilly Peruvian headland, but there is something powerful and foreboding and adventurous about the cold, something pure. After all, cold inhibits mold growth and rotting in general, so it must be a power for good. And almost all the surfers from icy origins I've met over the years exhibited a certain internal waveriding compass and an eternal lightness of surfing in which they realized how special and free tropical surfing really is and how lucky we are to be experiencing it.

Even with all my changing verb tense and switching topics, I think you get the point. While surfing is an adventure in each session, old man winter ups the stakes with low temps that increase that adventure exponentially. Add in some Great Whites, and you are really living.

Freezing Temps Make for Exciting Sessions originally appeared on About.com Surfing / Bodyboarding on Friday, January 1st, 2010 at 22:02:23.

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Hawaiian Surfing Season Ends: let the real surfing begin
Posted on 23 Dec 2009 at 10:07am

Thousands of surfers, photogs, movie makers, groupies, industry muckety mucks, and assorted ripe smelling transients have come and gone from Hawaii's North Shore as the "Surf Season" officially closes. The Triple Crown is done. Joel Parkinson took that title as a consolation prize (along with 50 grand) after being hornswoggled out of the world title by his mate Mick Fanning. Taj Burrow finally plugged a feather in his cap with a win against Kelly Slater in the Pipeline Masters and made it an Aussie trifecta.

But for the Hawaiian locals, this is just time to tolerate the circus. Their goal is to make it through Christmas vacation and one last push through the sometimes stormy road of January. Once the hoopla dies, the lineups begin gaining elbow room and lesser known venues can become downright uncrowded. The deep winter swells of December and January that can often appear more like windblown skyscrapers will begin to groom and calm, becoming oh so inviting as the trades mellow under radiating sun.

Sure, you still have plenty of "visitors" scratching for their share, but the North Shore air is pleasant and unhurried as folks take time to talk story as the swells gradually subside heading into summer. Maybe it's too early to think about eight foot west swells in February washing over clean reef and clear water, sparkling secret spots peeling with just a few bros catching it just right. A moment in time frozen forever. Maybe some relish those stormy days of January that can often catch you off guard with deceivingly clean faces and wide open barrels or maybe you love the contest spectacle of the competition season. Either way, Hawaii is a one of a kind treasure for surfers, regardless of your wave riding or wave observing perspective. It literally has it all.

Hawaiian Surfing Season Ends: let the real surfing begin originally appeared on About.com Surfing / Bodyboarding on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 at 10:07:16.

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