I've visited the once idyllic beachside town of Byron Bay for the best part of 20 years, and have witnessed the effects of how being a popular tourist destination has transformed not only the look of the town, but also the feel and vibe of the place.
Back in the 60's, surfers arrived to discover and use the natural breaks around The Pass, Watego's, and Cosy Corner. Word spread and soon it became a "waxheads" destination. By 1973, when the Aquarius Festival was held in nearby Nimbin, Byron's reputation as a hippy, happy, alternative town was established, although tourism facilities remained minimal.
In the early 80's, tourism saw cash-poor surfers and hippies being replaced by cash-rich "city slickers" who in turn have turned Byron Bay into one of the most up-market residential areas on the Australian east coast, pushing the median value of house sales up beyond AU$1.5 million
From my first experiences of the town being a laid back, reasonably priced and beautiful place to visit, has been replaced with yuppies, bling, lifestyles of the rich & stupid, where you pay for over-odds for everything including parking, which in my opinion, has ruined the place.
It however, still has beautiful beaches and brilliant surf breaks.

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