Wategos Beach and Byron at Byron Restaurant, Byron Bay, Australia

Ride the waves: The point break at Wategos Beach in Byron Bay (Australia's answer to the Hamptons) is a longboarder's dream come true: The mellow wave breaks 150 days a year, and the sand and flat rocks underneath make for gentle wipeouts. The parking situation, however, is less forgiving. Weekdays are blissfully uncrowded, but weekends and holidays get hairy. Luckily, Aussie surfers are the friendliest in the world—there are so many great waves along their coasts, they know there's more than enough for all.

Tide your appetite: You'll find the Byron at Byron Resort and Spa on a 45-acre nature preserve a ten-minute drive from Wategos Beach. The food is fancy at this poolside Mod Oz alfresco restaurant, though the vibe and dress code are not. And you'll be glad you made the effort to seek it out once you're digging into freshly shucked Sydney rock oyster with Vietnamese dressing or the brodetto seafood broth with Yamba king prawns, Kinkawooka mussels, scallops, and reef fish. There's a wide selection of Australian wines (never had a bad one yet), and be sure to leave room for dessert: buttermilk panna cotta with roasted rhubarb.

Byron at Byron Restaurant
Byron Resort and Spa
77–97 Broken Head Road
Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Tel: 61 2 6639 2111
Dinner entrees $31–$42

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