The only beachside resort in Byron, this new hotel fronts on to Belongil Beach. 103 private villas – split level, slate grey and white, filled with Appelles Apothecary treats – are dotted on the 22-hectares, surrounded by dense vegetation. One of its most appealing features is that it’s just 10 minutes out of the centre of town, just the right amount of distance. Relax in the lush surrounds with a plate of crab doughnuts from in-house restaurant Graze.

One of the best things to do in Byron is to explore beyond the Byron Bay township. Head to the small town Federal and to an outdoor Japanese-Australian fusion café, easily spotted by the long line of locals weaving out the door. This place is an absolute must: handmade nori rolls, fresh sashimi salad, crispy fried chicken sandwiches. Chickens wander between the weathered seating, begging for scraps. Doma Café was restored and opened in 2012 by two chefs, Takashi Yaguchi and Takayuki Kuramoto. The duo also sells their wares every Friday morning at The Japanese Kitchen stall at Mullumbimby Farmers Market.

Here, in an unpolished cottage that has a fire going all winter, on a rustic deck overlooking the corrugated roof of adjoining (excellent) Harvest Bakery and into the hinterland, is one of Australia’s best restaurants, definitely worth the drive from Byron Bay town. Harvest is unafraid to push the boundaries of modern fare, and that means plates that entice, excite and challenge. A meal at Harvest is like a discovery tour of local Australian ingredients – think paperbark smoked beetroot, kangaroo floss, clam butter and wattleseed custard. A wedge of sugarloaf cabbage is doused with charred kelp vinegar. It’s delicious food, and the tiny nook of a town that is Newrybar is worth exploring too.

This collective of creative locals has even the savviest designers overhauling their own interiors. A charming 1890s dwelling in the miniscule township of Newrybar, 15 minutes drive from the beaches of Byron Bay is a curated collection of household items. Think: Berber rugs from Tigmi Trading, knick-knacks by globetrotter and creative director Sibella Court, cards and so many covetable trinkets.

Explore Byron Bay’s farm-to-fork restaurant, shop, menagerie and gardens, spend a morning wandering through sunflower fields, vegetable patches, interacting with chickens and other livestock. Children and adults alike adore watching piglets muck about in mud, and exploring the extensive pathways through the farm. The restaurant ethos is paddock to plate, and chef Darren Robertson’s and the Three Blue Ducks’ menu spans crumbed pork terrine with gribiche and an herb and cornichon salad and Darling Downs porchetta with green chilli, smoked garlic, buttermilk braised leeks, radish and jus. The line for their on-site barbecue might be long, but it’s worth the wait. Pro tip: Pick up a few snacks in the adjoining food shop.

Take a hike in Minyon Falls wihtin Nightcap National Park. It takes between three and four hours return to do the 7.5 kilometres, but your reward is the breathtaking views and refreshing splashes courtesy of the 100 metre drop for the waterfall into a gorge at the end. Winding through Nightcap escarpment, the forest track climbs over river beds and at the end there’s space to picnic and even light a barbecue, weather permitting.