Snapshot

Informações

• 1) Why study Byron Bay

  There are three major educational institutions on the North Coast of New South Wales, where Byron Bay is located: Charles Sturt University, Southern Cross University, and the North Coast Institute, and more than 45,000 students in the region are enrolled in vocational courses.

  Byron's English language schools, however, are fully integrated into the city's lifestyle, offering a more informal approach to learning, community activities such as meditation classes, and, in general, they are located outside the tourist area, close to great surfing beaches that are not very well known to visitors.

• 2) 8 reasons to study in Byron Bay

  1. International students can work 48 hours per fortnight (and full-time during vacations);
  2. NWS North Coast Region hosts three important educational institutions: Charles Sturt University, Southern Cross University and North Coast Institute;
  3. Humid subtropical climate;
  4. 95 km from Gold Coast;
  5. Simple and healthy lifestyle, connected to nature;
  6. Surfing paradise;
  7. More informal and friendly learning;
  8. Creative and innovative community.

• 3) About Byron Bay

  Byron Bay belongs to the administrative region of Byron Shire, famous for its beautiful beaches and wonderful countryside landscape. Located at the far north area of the New South Wales coast, Byron Shire borders the administrative regions of Tweed, to the north, Lismore to the west, and Ballina to the south.

  Byron Bay’s city centre is its most sought-after area with beaches, shops, pubs, restaurants, crafts on the streets and the Main Beach and The Pass, famous break next to the iconic Cape Byron lighthouse. This is where tourists usually stay and spend most of their time. The locals, including international students, end up living outside the central area and thus they get to know other areas that are spectacular and in the busiest months of the year serve as a getaway.

• 4) Accommodations in Byron Bay

  When researching a place to live in Byron Bay, it’s very important that it be close to your school or that you can easily get there by public transport. We divided the accommodations into two types, according to the duration of the trip:

   

  Short term

  Hostels Backpackers

  The hostels are good options for those who want to save money with accommodation. The rooms in general are shared, but there are also rooms for couples and private options. Preferred by young travelers, they have quite relaxed environments, with lots of socialization and therefore are very sought after during high seasons.

  Lodges

  They are kinda like hostels but offer private, couples and group rooms. The environment is less busy and more private than hostels, the prices are a bit more expensive, but still cheaper than hotels.

   

  Long term

  Homestay

  WEST 1 recommends that, at least for the first few weeks, students stay in a homestay, which are homes of Australian families or immigrants who have been in the country for many years. It’s there that the student begins to have contact with the Australian culture, put into practice what they learn at school, get to know the city and ask questions. To participate in this type of program, families are accredited by the Australian government, which guarantees total safety for the student.

  Share accommodation

  After the homestay period, the student will already be more familiar with the school and the city. Feeling more independent, the next step is to share an apartment or a room with other students, many of them of different nationalities, which is a great experience and great for improving the language. The rent is usually paid weekly, and before moving you must deposit the famous “bond”, which is nothing more than an advance that ranges from two to four weeks of rent.

• 5) Work In Byron Bay

  In Australia, as soon as classes begin, the student can work 48 hours per fortnight (and full-time during vacations). In order to do that, it’s important to open a student account at a bank and make the Tax File Number, a record on the Australian Taxation Office that will allow you to get paid by the employer and have your income tax in order.

  The main industries in the Byron Bay region are tourism and agriculture, employing 8.5% of the workforce in accommodation, 6.2% in cafes and restaurants, 2.4% in high schools, 2.1% in cleaning and 2.1% in retail, especially clothing.

• 6) Attractions in Byron Bay

  There's always something going on in Byron Bay, whether it's a market at night, an organic fair with live music, a food truck festival, a street art party, a full moon ceremony at the beach, a funky band playing in a pub or even major events such as the Byron Bay Bluesfest, which stops the city for a week in April, and the Splendor in the Grass in July.

  Want a low-key music festival? Go to the Mullum Music Festival, held in November in the small town of Mullumbimby, hidden in the hills near Byron Bay. From there, if you want to go on a surfing trip, just hit the road and drive to Tweed Heads, the border between the states of New South Wales and Queensland where the first sequence of beaches is the Gold Coast.

  70 km inland from Byron Bay, Nimbin is a small village that also began to become famous in the 1960s and 1970s when it attracted hippies from various places of Australia and the world. Surrounded by mountains, Nimbin is filled with natural beauties like waterfalls and forests and annually holds the Nimbin Roots Festival, three days with the best of the local scene. Still inland, cities like Bangalow and Minyon Fall, with their magnificent views and waterfalls, are also great options.

Did you know?

• 'Tribute'

  Byron Cape was named by Captain James Cook in honor of the British explorer John Byron, grandfather of the famous English poet Lord Byron.

• 'Where are you from?'

  In Byron Bay, 61.2% of people were born in Australia, 5.1% in England, 2.4% in New Zealand, 1% in the United States, 0.9% in Germany and 0.7% in Japan.

• 'Census'

  According to the 2016 census, the most common ancestors among the population of Byron Bay are: English 27.3%, Australian 21%, Irish 10.2%, Scottish 7.2% and German 3.3%.

• 'Extreme east'

  Cape Byron is the farther east (or Eastern) point of Australia.

• 'Cavvanbah'

  Cavvanbah is how the Aborigines call Byron Bay.