If surfing is your thing, then you must check out Bryon 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.