For most people, Byron Bay is synonymous with surfing and things to do when it is summer. But, there are also lots of things to do during winter and plenty of reasons that just because it’s winter in Byron Bay is not a good enough reason to head elsewhere.
Weather
Firstly the weather, contrary to what we may think, is not particularly bad: in fact there is less rain than the rest of the East Coast of Australia and the temperature is good: 22 degrees average. So if you are a little bit courageous, you can even swim in the ocean during winter without a problem.
Events
There are also events happening during the winter. For example, there is the Byron Bay writers festival for all of you who like creative writing or Splendour in The Grass, a massive music festival.
Whale Watching
In the winter months Byron Bay is one of Australia’s premier whale watching locations. The whales migrate up the East Coast of Australia so they come very close to the shore and can often be seen within a few hundred meters of Cape Byron. You might even spot Migaloo the albino whale!
At this time of the year it’s possible to book a whale watching tour where they even have microphones underwater in the hope that you’ll be able to hear the whales sing! If you don’t fancy a boat trip to see the whales then you can also book a plane ride to see these incredible animals from above. If you’re lucky you might even catch a glimpse of a mum and baby humpback whale on their way back home! If you don’t have the money to go on a boat tour, you might be lucky enough to spot whales from the Lighthouse.
Scuba Diving
Scuba diving is a very popular activity in Summer but you can also go scuba diving by Julian rocks in winter. Why would you want to get into the ocean at this time of year? Well, this is the ONLY TIME in the year that grey nurse sharks visit Byron Bay and use Julian rocks as their breeding area… quite often when you’re under the water these inquisitive sharks will swim right up to you to have a look! And although they might look ferocious with their BIG teeth they are really quite gentle and would rather swim on by! Most definitely worth jumping in the water for!!
Stay Indoors!
If all this still does not motivate you to go outside, just settle in the common room at The Arts Factory Lodge… we have pool tables, table football and loads of complete board games available at reception, and last but not least… you can jump into our hot tub any time of year to warm yourself up!