Good vibrations ... the five-star resort Byron at Byron.
At a Byron Bay retreat, Robert Upe contemplates his prospects from yoga mat, tarot cards and surfboard.
I am in a rainforest and my life is being laid out before me. It's looking good. The Wheel of Fortune tarot card comes up, followed by the Star; symbols of renewal and effortless success.
I had been hoping for some renewal during a three-day break in Byron Bay - and the old hippie enclave is not letting me down, even though I'm staying a bit out of town at the 18-hectare resort The Byron at Byron. Owned by retailer Gerry Harvey, the Byron has 92 one-bedroom villas spread through the jungle-like subtropical greenery. I hear frogs, bush hens in the scrub and the sound of crashing surf from nearby Tallow beach.
Renewal comes with peaceful strolls along boardwalks that squeeze between palms, ferns and paperbark and skirt ponds thick with water lilies. There are pagoda-style structures and seats along the way where guests can rest and contemplate written signs of wisdom, such as Buddha's proverb: "Life can only take place in the present moment. If we lose the present moment, we lose life."
Renewal also comes with green tea, yoga, massage and the tarot session with a visiting mystic at my five-star villa, which is filled with earthly pleasures such as a deep bath, Japanese-style doors, polished floorboards and original indigenous art. In this serene environment, life's mysteries are being revealed on the kitchen table and, thankfully, the cards being flipped over are kind. For sure, they are better than any poker hand I have held.
The resort's yogi, Sheldon Grant Leon, is also ever so kind. At his daily morning sessions, he eyes me from the front of his class and encourages with murmurs of "good job, good job". My classmates steal jealous glances to see where this effortless success is coming from but quickly realise I am the struggler unable to get in a proper lotus pose, let alone master the downward-facing dog. Leon's yoga is one of the most talked-about features of this resort and the yoga mats fill quickly for the free 90-minute sessions, which draw on Hatha, Iyengar and Vinyasa traditions.
Yet no matter how meditative I try to be, there are distractions. To the left of the yoga mats is a 25-metre infinity pool surrounded by rainforest and flanked by lounges. To the rear is a six-metre deck with cushioned cane chairs, ideal for an afternoon of gin and tonics, tapas plates and conversation. Beyond the deck is the resort restaurant, where tomato juice and eggs (sunny side up) are served at outdoor tables.
With all this, I miss a wild car chase taking place in town that could have come from the script of Division 4, the old TV police drama starring Gerard Kennedy as the tough Detective Frank Banner. A breathless shop assistant at a Byron surf boutique filled with finely shaped longboards and framed surfing memorabilia later tells me the villain was subdued with capsicum spray after crashing. I figure Detective Banner would have pounded him into submission with a pistol whipping rather than spray.
Hot pursuits do not accurately depict Byron Bay; a more telling hint of its vibe is seeing a young man dancing to bongo drums on the Main beach foreshore. He is dressed not unlike the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz and the spectators seem as bewildered as the dancer. But it feels good to be among the gypsy-like gathering.
There are hippies on skateboards with guitars slung on their backs and locals mingling in cafes who look as if they might be artists or writers. Byron Bay has a reputation for its blues and literary festivals and this cafe set must provide at least some of the inspiration.
I also see shopfronts with more tarot readers, psychics, art galleries and T-shirts (two for $10).
The free newspaper The Nimbin Good Times is on newsstands for the taking and its front page announces that it's the "Cannabis Edition".
The region attracts about 2 million tourists a year and a good portion go to the Cape Byron lighthouse, which marks Australia's most easterly point. Its headland offers 360-degree views - look one way and there is ocean as far as you can see; look the other and there is lush hinterland. From this vantage, where you can buy ice-cream and coffee and peer through coin-operated telescopes, humpback whales can sometimes be seen between June and November.
Look down, however, and you will see the Pass, a right-hand point break that attracts surfers from around Australia. Later, I paddle out on a hired board, accompanied by a guide. Surfers enter the water at the point and quickly catch a wave, lest they get swept down the beachfront and are faced with a long walk back. But every time I try to take off, there's already a youngster from a high-performance surf academy on the wave. These grommets are doing it with effortless success but, hey, that should be me, according to the cards.
Robert Upe travelled courtesy of The Byron at Byron.
FAST FACTS
Getting there
Byron Bay is about 800 kilometres or a nine-hour drive north of Sydney. Virgin Blue and Jetstar fly from Sydney to Ballina airport (about 1hr 20min); Virgin Australia flies from Melbourne to Ballina via Sydney (about 3hr 30min); Jetstar flies from Melbourne to Ballina direct (2hr 10min). Ballina is a 30-minute drive south of Byron Bay.
See virginaustralia.com.au, jetstar.com. Both airlines fly from Sydney and Melbourne to Gold Coast Airport, an hour's drive north of Byron Bay. Transfers are available from either airport; see byronbayshuttle.com.au. Trains from Melbourne via Sydney travel to Casino in northern NSW and connect with buses to Byron Bay; see countrylink.info.
Staying there
A standard suite at The Byron at Byron costs $300 a night, twin share, until December 23. Tarot-card readings at the resort cost $140 for an hour; a one-hour massage costs from $135. The resort has three free shuttles to Byron Bay return daily. Phone 1300 554 362; see thebyronatbyron.com.au.
Eating there
Beer-battered flathead fillets, burgers and mussels in Thai broth with sweet chilli make the Byron Beach Cafe a lunch spot not to miss. It is a bit out of town (a 10-minute stroll from Main beach) and is perched in sand dunes overlooking Clarkes beach. You can't get more beachfront than this. It is also popular for breakfast and does dinner during summer. Phone 6685 8400; see byronbeachcafe.com.au.
Fishheads at Main Beach trades on its fresh seafood. Phone 6680 7632; see fishheadsbyron.com.au.
For good coffee, try the Byronian Cafe at 58A Jonson Street. It is full of local characters and everyone seems to be working on a novel. Phone 6685 6754.
Surfing there
Black Dog Surfing has 3½-hour group lessons from $60; private 2½-hour lessons from $120. Includes board and wetsuit or vest hire. Phone 6680 9828; see blackdogsurfing.com.
Don't miss
The Byron Bay community market is on the first Sunday of each month; see byronbaycommunitymarket.com.
The Beach Hotel is a hub of live music and entertainment; see beachhotel.com.au.
Kayak with dolphins, whales and turtles; see capebyronkayaks.com and goseakayakbyronbay.com.au.
Out of town
The Harvest Cafe in the hinterland village of Newrybar is worth the 15-minute drive The cafe is housed in a renovated 1900s-built cottage, with a verandah and open fires. Much of the food is sourced locally and the menu includes spanner crab gyoza and organic Bangalow duck. Phone 6687 2644; see harvestcafe.com.au.
Bangalow, a small town 20 minutes' drive from Byron Bay, has a streetscape of historic buildings with verandahs, shady trees, some cafes and eclectic shops with collectables. A community market is held on the fourth Sunday of each month.
Jim's Alternative Tours runs a market shuttle from Byron Bay and day trips to Nimbin. Phone 6685 7720; see jimsalternativetours.com.
More information
Phone the Byron Visitor Centre on 6680 8558; see visitbyronbay.com.
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