This story is part of the September 14 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories .

With a long haul to the Christmas break, and with neither the time nor the budget for a proper escape, I decided to experiment: could a 48-hour trip to a coastal hot spot feel as restorative as a week in the sun?

Byron Bay has a reputation. Once the sleepy, barefoot darling of the NSW north coast, it’s now whispered about as “too trendy”. To be fair, it’s a bit of both. You’ll still find the slow coastal pace but now it comes with buzzing cafes, boutique shopping and restaurants serving meals a mile away from a schnitty at the local club.

Just an 80-minute flight from Sydney, getting to Byron couldn’t be easier. My husband and I land at Ballina airport, grab an Uber, and by 9am we’re at Bayleaf Cafe

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