Masterchef alumni Bonny Porter has returned to Australia after a stint in London to open up Bounty in Brunswick Heads. Breezy mint and blonde wood interiors bring cool cabana vibes to this prominent corner spot that has two aspects of the river covered. True to Bruns’ casual core, Bounty is centred around laidback fare in the day before ramping up to more sophisticated plates as the sun sets.

Stop by chic coastal kitchen The Kingswood for a glass of natural and low intervention wine and a few share plates. You can order a picnic box to enjoy by the banks of the river, but if you’re fronting up to snare and outside table in peak season, we suggest making a booking.

Proving size is no obstacle to greatness, diminutive Fleet has attracted enormous praise and many accolades since opening thanks to chef Josh Lewis’s incredibly considered food and the deft attendance to Fleet’s diners by Astrid McCormack. Book far, very far, in advance to ensure a table.

If you’re part of the Fleet fan club, you’ll be delighted to hear the aforementioned duo are set to open a casual Mexican eatery this summer. With fresh local seafood and Oaxacan flavours, it’s sure to light a fuego under Bruns.

With everything selected in soothing, soft hues Sunshine Trader is a sweet curation of fashion, homewares, books, and kids stuff from brands such as Zulu & Zephyr and Halcyon Nights. We challenge you to leave without a purchase.

You’ll find everything you need here to get outfitted for a Byron lifestyle. From linen jumpsuits to leather slides and felt hats, Norfolk provides a concise edit for beachside, and of course, music festival, style.

Brunswick Heads has a slight vintage inflection and there are a number of stores scattered about town for those who enjoy a good bric-a-brac rummage. Seek out A Curious Collective, Re Sould and Miss Brown Vintage Clothing to name a few.

You can join the kids jumping off the bridge into the Simpson River (at high tide, of course), or throw your towel down on the beach, but if you’re more of a floater than a frolicker, Torakina Beach, which is protected between two break walls is your pick. Always calm and fringed by shade, this little swim spot is nothing short of idyllic. A word of warning, though, watch out for giant inflatable doughnuts and unicorns at busy times.

Sandy toes are welcome at this riverside eatery that serves excellent coffee, ice-creams, and, in true Byron Shire style, probiotics. But Milk Bar is our favourite for the brown rice and beef bone broth congee, an unctuous, filling bowl that will fuel an afternoon of paddle boarding and other river-centric activities.

Nothing goes with wet, sandy hair and salt-dusted skin like a two-hands-required burger and an ice-cold milkshake. Old Maids also presents a good breakfast menu, featuring fruity and tropical smoothie bowls to satiate your more virtuous side.

The Sails Motel has been given a sleek beach makeover in recent years and is now a basic but completely attractive option to bed down in. Complete with a chic sunlounge-fringed pool, bikes for hire, and a bleached retro feel, it conjures memories of childhood holidays but with a grown-up and modern upgrade.

This retro theatre was restored with much razzle dazzle in 2016 and has been a beacon of entertainment in sleepy old Bruns ever since. The people behind circus and cabaret performance groups La Soirée and Club Swizzle are responsible for lifting the curtain on the historic Brunswick Picture House and, as can be expected, there’s plenty of cabaret on the dance card, along with films and comedy.

This historic pub is where you’ll find the locals enjoying a sundowner or cruising along to a live band. Much like Bruns itself, this pub is the more relaxed twin to Byron’s famous Beach Hotel. No trip to Brunswick Heads is complete without stopping in for a schooner.