The air up there
Byron Bay may be well-known for its sun, sand and land based-adventures, but there are other, less sure footed ways, to take it all in. From drifting over Cape Byron in a hot air balloon, helicopter, or hang glider to freefalling above the countryside on a tandem skydive, there’s no better way to see Byron Bay than from the air.
Drift away
Just imagine. It’s sunrise and you’re wafting peacefully through the clouds in a magnificent hot air balloon with a champagne glass in hand, toasting the dawn of a beautiful new day. The only sound that interrupts the serenity is the occasional blast of the balloon’s powerful burners and the faint call of a bird or the snap of a camera. Pure bliss.
Taking to the skies in an oversized picnic basket with Byron Bay Ballooning is a rather special way of seeing Byron Bay. The gentle freedom you’ll feel soaring up and away over Australia’s most easterly point taking in the sand and surf of the Bay to the green hills of the hinterland is simply beyond words.
Feel the rush
If you’d rather a more adrenaline rushed experience, then harness up take the plunge with Skydive Byron Bay. With more than 20 years of experience, Byron’s only skydiving centre has shown over 1 million people the thrill of experiencing a bird’s eye view of our spectacular coastline.
After a series of safety checks and a few dry runs on the ground you’ll board a plane and soar to 14,000ft before you’re launched spread-eagled into the air – attached to a master sky diver of course – and plummet through the atmosphere at around 230kph for the most exhilarating 70 seconds of your life. With the tug of the parachute, the extreme excitement of freefall is then followed by the amazing serenity of drifting harmoniously back to mother earth.
If, in all the excitement, the experience flashed before your eyes; don’t worry. Skydive Byron Bay also offers quality videos of your jump, instantly viewable, which you can print and email onsite.
Get into the swing
Admit it. You’ve always wanted to run off and join the circus. Who hasn’t? In keeping with Byron's creative spirit you can do exactly that at Circus Arts . Based at the Byron Entertainment Centre this state-of-the-art training facility boasts a full size indoor flying trapeze so you’ll be flying high with the greatest of ease before you know it. For those who dare you can learn to swing, leap and catch your way through a series of manoeuvres, all under the instruction of professional trapeze artists.
And if it’s soaring to great heights you’re after why not take a Cape Byron Lighthouse Tour or climb Mt Warning (aka Wollumbin), you’ll not want to come down from that silver lined cloud, but that’s a whole other story (Walking Trails in Byron Bay).