Welcome to Bundjalung Arakwal country
Say ‘Jingiwallah ‘– that’s Arakwal for ‘welcome’.Welcome to Bundjalung Arakwal countryIn ancient history, The Byron Bay area is the junction of the tribal lands of three aboriginal groups – the Minjangal, the Arakwal, and the Bundjalung. so the Indigenous name for this region became ‘cavanbah’ – meaning – meeting place.The original inhabitants of this area lived in a paradise of plentiful food and warm weather. In the hills that sloped down to the coast were wallabies, and possums, echidna , goanna and snake to capture, along the coast oysters, mussels, crabs and fish were netted in rivers and speared in the ocean. Berries and fruits and nuts were harvested from the trees.Grasses were woven into useful baskets and skins were cured for blankets. Ochre was collected from the beach rocks to be ground down into paint for ceremonies and decoration. It was a timeless existence, that was disturbed only briefly by the sight of a strange craft out on the horizon of the ocean.There are still all these animals to be found in this area, protected by National Parks, and you can still gather nuts and berries and see beautiful wildflowers and even find ochre to make your own marks on the rocks.
Starting Point - Wollongbar Wreck
Wollongbar WreckWhen you stand at the end of the beach carpark facing out to the ocean looking over to the mountains , a curious piece of wreckage , looking like pieces of wood, can be seen sticking up right in the middle of a very popular surfing break. What you can see is the remains of the rudder tiller of the TSS Wollongbar – when the tide is really low, you can see what remains of the ship’s boilers.The TSS Wollongbar was christened and launched, in 1911. She was generally considered the fastest vessel on the ocean and in addition to enormous amounts freight carried up to300 passengers along the coast a week from Byron Bay to Sydney on a weekly run in tandem with the ship Orara. Within refrigerated holds they also carried the huge amounts of dairy and beef production from the region down to Sydney ,but often they sailed 350 miles straight out to sea where it was transferred direct from her holds to waiting overseas freight carriers.On the 14th May 1921, in gale force winds, Wollongbar broke loose of her moorings and foundered in the bay. No lives were lost, but after salvaging most of the cargo the ship was left to the sea to claim it. Ithas helped to create the popular baby surf break but surfers must negotiate their way around it and sometimes serious accidents have occurred. The parts visible above the water are a small part of whatstill remains under the sand. A second vessel, The Wollongbar #2 was commissioned and arrived in the Bay in 1923 but was a slower vessel that met an untimely end by being torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the coast of Crescent Head in 1943.
The Byron Jetty
In its past, Byron Bay has had two enormous jetties constructed from timber, running from main beach out into the ocean. Both are now historic memories The first jetty was completed and opened in 1888. It ran from where the car park is now sited, out into the bay . After a later extension, it was 448.5 metres long and 7.9 metres wide. It was constructed out of Turpentine logs felled locally.The jetty was the essential link in a district dependent upon agricultural markets, as shipping was the fastest way to Sydney and Brisbane. It was a substantial structure that also housed animal pens, warehouses and transport depots, and it also had railway tracks that ran from between the warehouses and processing plants where the First Sun Caravan Park is now situated. These tracks ran to the end of the jetty.At first the loads were hauled by horse teams dragging carts on the rail tracks, but after an unfortunate incident,the horse teams were replaced by ‘The Green Frog’ – a simplex engine of unusual shape – hence the affectionate term. This little train ferried passengers and goods from the Norco Factory, the Steamship offices and the Sand Mining Plant. It was first housed where you can now see the Byron Swimming Pool. A second new jetty was constructed in 1928 further along the beach where there was deeper water and closer to the Byron Abattoirs where the beef cattle were processed .This jetty was destroyed in an immense storm in 1954, along with the entire fishing fleet of Byron Bay which had been hauled up onto the jetty for safety during the storm. The remnants of the jetty were recycled into a deck that was used for processing the whaling catch which commenced in 1954, and The Green Frog was used to haul the whales to the abbatoir for processing. The train has been well cared for and still remains in Byron Bay and periodically plans are made to put it again to use.The remnants of the second jetty were finally blown up and removed in 1974.
Byron as a beach destination
Surf Lifesaving Club – Byron as a beach destinationSwimming during daylight hours was prohibited in Australia before 1902 but in Byron Bay, with much warmer weather , so many soon began to flaunt that law and enter the water that the first Surf Lifesaving club was established in 1907. This makes Byron Bay Surf lifesaving club the second oldest in the country as Bondi Beach club was established one year before. The first clubhouse was right where you can see the present one.Lifesavers save around a dozen lives a year, the beach is regularly patrolled and flagged , however you should always take care in less than perfect conditions as all beaches have rips.The first historic train trip from Mullumbimby to Lismore was made by the steam engine 124 on the 15th May1894.It took just one hour and 20 minutes to reach Byron Bay.This trip used to take a day on horseback. By 1908 the Railway had a Refreshment room that survives today as the Railway friendly Bar ( Or as locals say ‘The Rails’ )As one of only two licensed railway refreshment rooms in the whole country – at least these days passengers aren’t in danger of failing to embark on their journey due to inebriation. It became a popular pastime to catch the train from inland centres to arrive at Byron Bay for a day at the beach.Byron began its own long journey into becoming the first tourist town in the region .Today the train runs again from the Elements resort - see our Byron Bay Railroad Tour and learn all about the railway history, and future, of our region.
The History of Whaling in Byron Bay
Whaling HistoryAfter the town lost its entire fishing fleet in a giant storm in 1954. It was thought that Whaling would provide much needed income for the population of the Bay - also after World War 2 there was a demand for sources of oil which the whales could be harvested for. The wrecked jetty was rebuilt into a smaller platform where the slain whales were brought landed to be flensed ( or cut up ) and then transported by the Green Frog engine to the sheds for processing. The newly formed Byron Whaling Company purchased two converted Navy Coastal patrol boats and these were used in tandem to spot, chase and then shoot the whales. Most of the whales taken were Humpback whales.There were restrictions on taking females with calves and undersize whales. If a female was shot, the male would stay in the area making him an easy mark for the next shot. If a male was taken, the females usually fled. The decline of the whaling industry was an economic issue, after 1962 the price of oil began to drop and the whales began to be scarcer and require more effort to chase and catch. The capture and subsequent processing of the whale catch attracted huge numbers of sharks – the wreck area was not popular for swimming in the those days.These days the only shots fired at whales are digital cameras – the whale population has increased and hopefully will once again attain the numbers once seen before the fifties. Whales migrate from the cold waters of the Antarctic starting in May to calve in warmer waters in September so can be viewed along the coast all during that time Keep a look out for Migaloo, rare white albino whale which has been tracked now since2011, and also Son of Migaloo, another smaller white whale believed to be it’s offspring.. These whales have become world famous.
The Beach Cafe - Brief Stop
You may want to enjoy a snack or beverage at the Beach Cafe before you continue along your journey... You might even spot a celebrity enjoying the relaxation Byron provides
Clarke's Beach
Sand MiningAlthough Sand mining on a smaller scale began in 1930 at Seven Mile Beach by two Danish partners,after the Second world war there was a greater demand for rare minerals and the main beach was mined on a large scale to extract gold, silver other metals such as Zircon-Rutile, Ilmenite, Garnet and Cassiterite. After the sand was treated and the metals extracted, the residue was dumped back into town around sites such as where the old hospital stood. This residue was later found to be radioactive and had to be cleaned up.The little café now stands where James Clarkes family used to live..
Fisherman's Lookout
The perfect spot for whale watching between July and October, you might be in for a treat. Also known as Fishermen’s lookout, the Pass rocks were an obvious spot in the past to climb to checkout for whales, dolphins and weather conditions. Used for thousands of years by the local aboriginal population then white fishermen from the 1800’s, a formal platform was erected in the in the early 2000’s to prevent accidents to the public.Originally known as ‘Juan and Julio’ rocks by early white settlers, over the years this became shortened to simply Julian Rocks. These rocky outcrops are a focal point of the Marine Park.Local aboriginal legend has it that two lovers, forbidden to marry by clan law, ran away by canoe into the sea. The spirits , took pity on them and turned them into pillars of stone, so that they could always remain together.Diving in this area will introduce you to a host of marine life – dolphins, loggerhead turtles, thousands of fish, stingrays and even the wrecks of long gone ships can still be seen revealed by time and tide.In 1889, in the same storm that sank the Wollongbar, another ship ‘The Fawn’, sank without a trace until quite recently, when two divers found a ship’s bell with the inscription ‘ Fawn 1862’ buried in the sand near Julian rocks.
Trail Head / Palm Valley
The Trail Head – Palm Valley Palm Valley is the site of one of the oldest middens in the region. Middens were essentially huge mounds of shells, such as pipi and mussel and oyster shells, left after great feasts were consumed by the local aborigines. The Midden was first found and recorded by archeologists in 1980. The Palm Valley track takes you through a typical palm forest of the region which then changes to coastal shrubs and heath as you climb the path to along the cliff face. In springtime and summer many tiny flowering plants can be found in the bush along the way, while out to sea dolphins are easily spotted and whales when in season . If you are lucky you will see one or the pair of Red Brahminy Kites ( Sea Eagles) that have lived along the cliffs here for nearly two decades. They dive for fish along with the colonies of Terns and seagulls and other seasonal seabirds that you will see way below you in the ocean. The cliffs are so high sometimes you find yourself looking down on the tops of the birds as they fly past. follow the track down the hill to take you to Wategos Beach.Old Byron BayBefore there was Byron Bay town, the first settlement was in Palm Valley up until the late 1870's.There is a popularly believed story that Palm Valley hosted an accommodation house run by David Jarman, which also sold grog on the sly.This would make Palm Valley the site of Byron’s very first pub. Later in 1886, Jarman made an application to open the ‘Byron Hotel’ but the exact location of this building is obscure.Stay with the path ahead, and you will return to this spot via the lighthouse trail.
Byron Bay Birds & Wildlife
SeabirdsThe variety of birdlife found in the area around the tour provides a treat for birdlovers. Honeyeaters and lorikeets can be found amidst the nectar-bearing flowers of the banksias and melaeucas.Fairy Wrens, Red Nibs and other finches abound in the thick under story. New Holland Honeyeaters , Leeuwins honey-eaters and Noisy Fruit Miners and many other nectar loving birds are easily seen.Gulls and terns, gannets and cormorants can be spotted in and around the trail area.There is a major influx of migrating visitors during the early months of June when bird species arrive from all over the world.If you are taking this walk during winter, you can see Albatross, giant petrels from Antarctica, fairy priors from New Zealand and fluttering Shearwaters who's epic voyage covers great distances across the Pacific.Flora and Fauna of the TrailThe dense canopy of the Sub littoral rain forest typified by brush box and banksias with dense canopies of liana, vine and native grape. Broad leaf lilly line the trail. These forest played an important role in providing food for the Aboriginal tribes of the region.On the cliffs, pandanus and casuarina can withstand the harsh climate conditions.
Wategos Beach
Wategos Beach – Capt. CookOn Tuesday May 15th 1770 –Cook sailed past Byron Bay but he anchored offshore and named Cape Byron, in honour of Vice -Admiral Byron – The grandfather of the poet Byron! He noted it was a “ A tolerable high peak of land, that maybe known by the remarkable sharp peaked mountain lying inland” He dubbed the mountain - ‘Mt. Warning’.Local aborigines however knew it as ‘Wollumbin’, meaning cloud catcher. At the foot of the Cape, Wategos Beach is named for the family who settled here in the 1930’s. Their home was where Rae’s of Wategos now stands, and where you see beach mansions the family used to farm bananas. The cape after settlement, looked very different to what you can see now.There were almost no trees due to clearing and grazing, there was some small scale agriculture of dairy farming and banana plantations, and of course only footpaths around the headland .
Trail Stop - Check In
At the end of the beach at Wategos, take the stairs up and follow the trail towards the lighthouse.Follow your map, and take a left at the sign that says Little Wategos.
Little Wategos and the Geology of Byron
Most Easterly point of Australia The promontory of Wategos and Little Wategos was formed over 20 million years ago when Wollumbin – erupted and poured lava down the hinterland and into the sea. It formed the hundreds of valleys and rolling hills you see today.The rocks forming the headland of Cape Byron were originally formed from beds of sediment laid down on the sea floor some 400-500 million years ago.During this time deep seas covered the area and there were active volcanoes further inland near what is now Tyalgum.The next geological period saw an upheaval of the earth's surface in which these layers were lifted above sea level. Deep volcanic activity infused veins of quartz into many of the fractures and splits.During the last 10,000 years, massive deposits of sand were blown onto the inland sides of the land and, and have altered the shape of the surrounding ridge.The rocks in parts of the Wategos beach area contain volcanic sediments that weathered and broken down into the rich red soil you can see here.Huge lava beds still exist offshore –after heavy storms you can walk along the beach and see hundreds of pieces of pumice . These hard grey rocks are the evidence we have of that long ago volcanic activity. The distinctly different rock formations around the Cape, and the Pass are also a testament to the violent ancient activity that formed this coastline. If you look, or walk in your bare feet, you will soon notice that are rough jagged rocks around the Pass, and smooth basalt lumps are revealed annually along Wategos beach. At Broken Head there are , crumbly ochre deposits that were a huge resource for the original Aboriginal inhabitants. The sands on the beaches are extremely white and very soft, they have been ground down through millions of years of wave activity. You will also notice that there are very few shells on Byron beaches and the ones you do find are often broken – once again this is due to the huge remaining lava beds just offshore where the shells are pounded to pieces by the ocean before they reach the beach.
Most Easterly Point - Check-In
The Most Easterly Point of Australia is the perfect place to take a photo.Use your Byron Bay Walking Tour app to capture your image, and share with via social media.
Byron Bay Lighthouse
1. The Lighthouse – Overview and HistoryWith it's unique location and protection from the southerly winds, Byron Bay was the natural location for a major coastal port. With the heavy seas and a number of major storms, ships were destroyed and the jetties damaged.So great were the hazards in this area that is was decided to build a lighthouse in the cape.The Lighthouse was opened on November 30 1901. Bad weather delayed the steamer Victoria which was carrying distinguished guests among them the Premier of the NSW. Undeterred, the locals decided not to let the grand feast go to waste ate the food and made toasts to the Premier in his absence. The guests duly arrived the next day and the lighthouse was officially opened.The first light was visible out to sea for 22 nautical miles. Before this was built, ships had foundered on the rocks around the cape. It was converted to electricity in 1959 and these days has been automated. The lighthouse is 118 metres above sea level and the light it casts out to sea is now visible for 27miles. The lighthouse uses an 8 ton optical lens made in FranceThe original three cottages on the cape are well maintained and are now an information centre and also available to rent for short stays so you can be the first to see the sun in Australia on its most easterly point. The Lone Goat art Gallery in the Byron Bay Library complex was named for the last remaining goat on the cape – she was the remaining descendant of a herd that had been roaming the cliffs since 1904. Originally domesticated, they escaped and proved difficult to trap. The cliff flora is now vastly different after their removal. Many native grasses and flowers have returned under the stewardship of the Arakwal National Park rangers.This famous landmark is one of the most powerful lights in the southern hemisphere and continues to serve as a major coastal station in the network of navigational sites along the Australian coastline, and is one of the last remaining manned lighthouses on the continent.
Arakwal National Park & The Big Scrub
Arakwal National ParkThis breath-taking view on the trail overlooks the Arakwal National Park. The Park is jointly managed by the Bundjalung Aboriginal People ( or the Arakwal)and the NSW Parks and wild life service. This reserve falls within the boundaries of the Bundjalung nation and has many important sites to their history and culture.This connection was formally recognised in 2001 with the signing of the indigenous Land use Agreement between the Arakwal people and the NSW government. There are walking trails to take you through many different layers of heath land and coastal bush.Watch out for the many beautiful birds such as parrots, fairy wrens and rainbow bee eaters, and in early mornings you will hear the thump of wallabies leaving their resting places in the scrub as they hear your approach. The area is being systematically cleared of any exotic plants and pests and is closer now to its original appearance than fort he last 200 years.The Big Scrub and the Cedars of ByronIn the 18oo’s most of the Northern Rivers area s from Kyogle, Casino to Brunswick Heads was known as the Big Scrub.This was an almost impenetrable covering of rain forest ,vines and undergrowth.The early cedar getters coming in 1840‘s were the start of the end of the big Scrub, but without their efforts, the land would never have been opened up for farming. The enormous trees were felled entirely by hand ,then dragged down the steep mountainsides to the coast by bullock teams, where they were collected by ship.The logs were often slid down the steep terrain - this was known as ‘Shooting’ and place names around the region such as Coopers Shoot remind us of this history. By the time of construction of the first Jetty in 1888, most of the cedar had been removed.Tallow Beach was first used by the cedar getters as a place to float their logs off the beach to waiting boats then later sand-mined for gold. These days it is a haven for sea birds and dolphins and part of the Arakwal national park.
A special message from Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson
A special message from Byron Shire Mayor, Simon Richardson...And so we arrive from where we came, with fresh eyes and a renewed spirit – seeing the world anew. You've just finished one of the truly great walks in the world. Cape Byron being a unique and rich place.Enjoy our town, have a meal at one of our fabulous restaurants, have a drink with friends,or meet new friends at one of our welcoming watering holes, or take home some nationally renowned local fashion labels or some of the great food products from this region.We thank you for choosing to spend your time here with us. We are proud of our beautiful shire,from coast to hinterland and our colorful caring community.While you are here, I encourage you to experience the whole Byron shire - .we are many communities, from Mullumbimby to Brunswick Heads, Bangalow, Byron and our stunning hinterland villages and hamlets. Each has something unique to offer.This is Bundjalung aboriginal country. The area has great cultural significance for the aboriginal people and deserves the respect of all who live and visit here.Enjoy your stay and take care of yourself and those around you. As a holiday destination, the Byron Shire offers so many opportunities for you to experience.Don't spoil us, we'll spoil you.Please treat our shire with care – protect our environment and our way of life.Have a great stay in the Byron Shire.Mayor Simon RichardsonByron Shire Mayor, 2016
