Road trip to Byron Bay, NSW

                  My friend, Nate and I decided to have a spontaneous road trip to Byron Bay. This was Nate's first time visiting New South Wales. We love going on road trips but this time we chose a destination that was really far away. However, we were so determined to go to Byron Bay and successfully achieved our goal.  We left home at 8 am and arrived at Byron Bay at Midnight. We did few stop overs along the way.

                                 

               Day 1: Wednesday, 28th December 2016

Brekkie at The Edwards Bar - Parry Street, Newcastle West.

Eclectic dishes and craft beer in a roomy former laundromat and subway tiles and exposed rafters.

Rated as 4.3 / 5 

          Our first stop was at The Edwards in Newcastle West. Nate and I both ordered Belgian waffles for breakfast. My waffles were beautifully presented. The waffles looked inviting and heavenly sweet. Honestly, The Edwards is my haven. I will definitely stop by this bar every time I make a trip to the central coast.

❥ Belgian Waffles with Mascarpone, Strawberry Compote & Mint         $15
• ⇢ 💚  N O R T H  C O A S T  💚 ⇠ •

Fingal Bay Beach - Nelson Bay, Port Stephens.

          Next destination on the list was the Fingal Bay Beach. I have been to this beach earlier last year on our vacation to Port Stephens. This beach is my favourite stopover in Port Stephens. The views are fabulous from the top of the hill. Nate and I sat down on the bench for 10 - 15 minutes. Next time, I am going to set a tent on this beach and spend the whole day relaxing in the sun.

❥ Fingal Bay Beach
• ⇢ 💚  N O R T H  C O A S T  💚 ⇠ •

Flynns Beach - Port Macquarie.

          We attempted to go to Foster after Fingal Bay but ended up going on a forty-five minutes detour into the crossing at the round about. We were stuck in traffic for about an hour and decided not to go any further as we would not have enough time to reach our final destination. Finally after an hour and a half, we stopped over at Flynns beach for a fifteen minutes break to stretch our legs. 

❥ Flynns Beach
• ⇢ 💚  N O R T H  C O A S T  💚 ⇠ •

Urunga Boardwalk and Dinner at Maria's Italian Restaurant - Coffs Harbour.

Classic dishes served in a down-to-earth, long-running place with pavement tables, plus takeaway.

Rated as 3.4 / 5 

          I have also been to this boardwalk on my trip to Coffs Harbour. I enjoyed my peaceful and relaxing walk to the end of the boardwalk. I thought it would be a great idea taking Nate to this place. My instincts told me that I would be revisiting this place again sometime this year. And they were right; Nate was really happy to see this place.

We had dinner at Maria's Italian Restaurant. This place was overcrowded and we almost had to share a table with two other people. We were satisfied with the food and service was great. By the time we finished dinner, it was around 8:30pm. We were thinking about whether we should head to Byron. It would take us another three hours. However, we did not book accommodation in Coffs Harbour so Nate decided he should drive till we find a place to stay. Luckily my friend offered his mum's place for us to stay in Byron for the night. We reached Byron at Midnight and both of us were exhausted from our road trip. We were so blessed to get two separate rooms and beds to sleep on. 

                  Day 2: Thursday, 29th December 2016

          Brekkie at The Folk - Ewingsdale Rd, Byron Bay.

Folk Cafe is a popular Byron Bay hangout where you'll get local, fresh and organic plant-based fare served thoughtfully on old-school enamel kitchenware, turned wooden bowls and kitsch 70's era ceramics.

Rated as 4.7 / 5 

          Nate and I both ordered the organic hotcakes. The flavour combination is amazingly delicious.  The waiters are friendly and welcoming. This cafe is local's favourite and now my personal favourite establishment in Byron. I am so excited to book my next flight to Byron. We headed back to Sydney after breakfast. 

❥ Organic Hotcakes
• ⇢ 💚  N O R T H  C O A S T  💚 ⇠ •

          Although our stay was short, I found people to be extremely friendly and welcoming in this beautiful hipster town. Next time I will come to Byron Bay for a week or two to explore the area and its surroundings. I am glad we got to visit a few places on the way to Byron as this was Nate's first time visiting New South Wales.