BUSTLING Byron

The emerald-green hills and valleys of the Far North Coast are watched over by the ancient volcanic caldera of Mount Warning, one of the most distinctive mountains in Australia.

It’s a truly magnificent region, with the sparkling beaches of Byron Bay and Ballina giving way to a hinterland of villages, cane fields and the occasional hippie adding colour and movement.

Luxury accommodation & cottages in Far North Coast, NSW

Towns like Bangalow have a quiet sense of community pride, offer good cafes and restaurants, hold markets, and put on music festivals and agricultural shows to keep their villages alive.

Bangalow’s market is on the fourth Sunday of the month and brings together artists, artisans, bakers, therapists, farmers and friends in a cheerful and multinational circumstance. You can find a market at one or other of the region’s towns on any weekend.

Nimbin is also well worth a visit for its counter-culture main street and colourful characters who’ve opted out of conventional lifestyles.