Are you interested in all the good bits of a Byron Bay holiday for a third less cost and a tenth of the hassle? Simply veer north and you can trade-in traffic snarls for easy walking and swap crowds of backpackers for a smattering of visitors.
If this sounds good, Brunswick Heads may just be the place for you. With a resident population of 1,613, Bruns (as it is known to the locals) boasts three waterside caravan parks, a great surf beach, a plethora of fishing spots, a vibrant café culture and enough shops to cover the essentials and more.
I decided it was the place for me so, after holidaying here several years in a row, I have taken up residence! I now know the town well enough to be a reliable guide but not so long that I have lost the pleasure of living somewhere so beautiful.
‘Simple Pleasures’ is the catch-cry of Brunswick Heads. For once, a tourist slogan has got it right. Simple pleasures are exactly what await you, whether they come in the form of relaxing, fishing, boating, walking, beaching, or simply watching the world go by from your campsite.
Before we get onto details of the campsites, here is a quick geographical overview.
The hub of Bruns is a square of shops and cafes – think of this as ‘the block’. From here, two bridges take you across Simpson’s Creek to the surf beach. Both are old, wooden and full of character. One is for pedestrians and the other is for cars (with a green carpet lined side-bridge for walkers). The tidal Simpson’s Creek runs into the Brunswick River, which is only visible from a couple of spots in town, including the picturesque boat harbour, which is on the way north out of town. This road is Tweed Street, marked on most maps as the Old Pacific Highway.