A while back I did a trip with my Partner in Foodie Road Trippin’ Crime Marija Ivkovic. She takes the pictures in the equation. It’s become Something That We Do Together Now. We both love eating, “unplanning things”, stepping sideways to meet random characters and just Heading Off To See What Happens. That’s what a road trip should be about, I think.
This route is a well travelled one by many who head to Byron for whatever reason. But most people fling through in one hit (Sydney-Byron takes 8-10 hours) or stop in one of the well-versed towns. But there’s a better way. Let me tell you about it…
Some things to know and bear in mind:
* Best time to do it? Any time is great. But winter is a wonderful time to be checking out some of the food on offer in the areas (mushrooms! wine! beetroot!). Also, the water is warm up north and Byron, once you get there, is wonderful from June-September.
* Inland or coastal? Try a combination. Most people do the coastal route up the Pacific Highway. There are some great bushwalks and towns to visit that I’m betting you’ve never heard of…and some of the most beautiful remote beaches…read on below. But with just a little skip to the left, inland, are some very rustic areas that are a boon to explore: The Hunter, The Manning Valley, the Bellingen area.