| Popular in | August | High demand for flights, 0% potential price rise |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in | July | Best time to find cheap flights, 4% potential price drop |
| One-way from | $390 | One-way flight from Auckland Intl (AKL) to Byron Bay |
January
$756
February
$705
March
$727
April
$931
May
$741
June
$712
July
$673
August
$659
September
$661
October
$613
November
$664
December
$701
At the present moment the cheapest month to fly to Byron Bay is currently October; with April being the most expensive. Prices will vary depending on multiple factors such as booking in advance, airline and departure airports and times.
You’ll be able to catch flights to Byron Bay, Australia, from three main airports in New Zealand. There is a full weekly schedule of flights from the North Island, leaving from Auckland or Wellington. Most of the flights from Wellington will take about 7h 30min on average, with some flights lasting up to about 18h due to longer stopovers. Flights out of Auckland follow a similar pattern but take slightly less time. The shortest flights take about 7h, with the longer ones taking around 18-21h. You can also get Byron Bay flight deals from the South Island, departing from Christchurch. Flight times vary more here, with some taking about 7-9h, others lasting about 18h, and a few even longer, at around 27h.
Strange as it may seem given their relatively close proximity, you can’t fly directly from New Zealand to Byron Bay. You’ll fly to one of Australia’s main international airports first, which serve as transit hubs for flights to Byron Bay. Most flights are one-stop trips, with the odd ones making two stops. Leaving from Auckland Airport (AKL), the vast majority of flights make a single stopover at Sidney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) before landing at Ballina Byron Airport, Byron Bay (BNK). There are a couple of flights that stop twice. The first goes via Christchurch Airport (CHC) and then on to Melbourne Airport (MEL), while the second goes via Wellington Airport (WLG) and Sydney. Both land at Ballina Byron, which is the only airport that serves the region. From Wellington Airport, all flights make a single stopover in Sydney, while those from Christchurch do the same, except for a few two-stop flights that land at Coolangatta Gold Coast Airport (OOL) before continuing to Sydney and Byron Bay.
The actual town of Byron Bay is actually about 36.5 km from the airport, so you’ll be able to take a taxi or use an app like Lyft or Uber. You can also hire a car, which will give you more independence to explore Australia’s New South Wales Coast. One of the cheaper ways of getting from the airport to the centre of town is to catch the No. 640 bus that leaves hourly, run by Blanch’s Bus Company. This will be a journey of about an hour. You can halve that time by taking a private shuttle, but this is also a much more expensive option.
Byron Bay is an outdoor seaside town, which is its main claim to fame, so you’ll be surrounded by beaches, aquatic activities and outdoor bars and cafés. The most popular beach is Main Beach, and if you walk to the other side of the little promontory, you’ll come across Wategos Beach. You can also take the Cape Byron walking track to the Cape Byron Lighthouse, best experienced at dawn. Naturally, there’s plenty of surfing on offer, and you can take boat cruises to go whale watching out in the bay. Kayaking and stand-up paddling are also popular, especially on the inland waters of Brunswick River.
As a New Zealand passport-holder you won’t need to apply for a visa to enter Australia, as you’ll automatically be granted a free Special Category visa specifically for Kiwis, allowing indefinite tourist stay unless it’s cancelled. You’ll get one each time you visit, and you can collect it on arrival at the airport. As with any international travel, you will need to show your passport.