Byron Bay and Noosa Heads were, briefly, the most overheated domestic tourism markets in Australia. Five years on, both have settled — and, in settling, have become more interesting.

What has changed

Average daily rates have come down from their 2022 peak. The most extravagant new restaurants have closed, replaced by quieter, more durable operators. The boutique hotel market has consolidated around a smaller number of well-run properties.

What the trip is now

Quieter, in shoulder season; busier, but not unmanageable, through January. The trade-off, against the noise of the pandemic-era boom, is decisively in favour of the present moment.