Brunswick Heads is a place of simple pleasures: swimming at pretty Torakina Beach inside the rivermouth; standing on the breakwall watching fishing boats come and go; and walking on the long surf beach that stretches south to Byron.  

DO Situated where the Brunswick River meets the sea, “Bruns”, as it’s affectionately known, is a fishing village with a fashionable streak. At the beautifully styled Lazybones (shop 1/8 Park Street), browse retro cotton frocks, cashmere scarves and botanical wallpaper. Nearly next door, in a grand Italianate terrace covered with vines and topped by two sculpted swans, Fabulous Mrs Fox (10 Park Street) has everything from faux fur jackets to toy tarantulas, and, out the back, a retro-styled guest studio with its own private courtyard.  

EAT & DRINK The coolest cafés and restaurants in town are Footbridge (1/14 The Terrace, +61 2 6685 1991), a local favourite with retro styling, a communal table and vinyl booths; Table View, a Scandi-style coffee house (4/30 Mullumbimbi Street); and Park Street Home Made Pasta Bar (3 Park Street) where you can dine alfresco. Then there’s new kid on the block Fleet (2/16 The Terrace, +61 2 6685 1363), a wine bar that looks like an accountant’s office on the outside but has a chic, contemporary interior. Enjoy sunny Sunday afternoons in the beer garden of the art deco Hotel Brunswick listening to local musicians.  

GET THERE Brunswick Heads is about 15 minutes north of Byron. To get there, head north on Ewingsdale Road, turn right onto the Pacific Highway (towards Tweed Heads) and take the Brunswick Heads exit.  

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