Head to head
Gold Coast vs Byron Bay: which Australian surf trip?
Pick Byron Bay for friendly point waves and a slower town. Pick the Gold Coast for the Superbank's long, fast walls and a city of breaks around it.
What the data says
Snapper is best May–Jun, and The Pass is best Feb–May.
The Pass runs bigger on a typical day in season: 4 ft against 3 ft. Both are surfable on about 81% of days in those months.
Snapper is nearest OOL, and The Pass is nearest BNK. The two breaks are about 55 km apart in a straight line. From the airport: Snapper, straight there, 12 min from OOL; The Pass, straight there, 38 min from BNK. Fares move every day, so this page prints none. The app shows the live fare from your airport for the weeks the swell is on.
Which one for your dates
- Jan: The Pass. It is only OK, and Snapper is off.
- Feb–Apr: The Pass. It is at its best, and Snapper is off or only OK.
- May: both are at their best, so the town and the wave decide.
- Jun: Snapper. It is at its best, and The Pass is only OK.
- Jul: both are worth the trip, neither at its best.
- Aug–Dec: both are off, smaller and less reliable, often fine for a lesson.
The two waves
Snapper Rocks (Gold Coast)
The top of the Superbank: a sand-bottom right point that can run a long way down the beach toward Kirra. It is one of the most crowded lineups in the world, at the edge of a high-rise city.
The Pass (Byron Bay)
Australia's most famous sand point: long, friendly rights that wrap Cape Byron, busy with longboarders. Byron Bay is a relaxed beach town with plenty of places to stay.
Side by side
| Measure | Snapper | The Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Best months | May–Jun | Feb–May |
| Typical face in season | 3 ft | 4 ft |
| Surfable days in season | About 81% | About 81% |
| Suits | Intermediates and up | Beginners to intermediates |
| Water in season | 23 C / 73 F, spring suit | 25 C / 77 F, boardshorts |
| Nearest airport | OOL | BNK |
| Getting there | Straight there, 12 min from OOL | Straight there, 38 min from BNK |
Month by month
| Month | Snapper | The Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | Off | OK |
| Feb | Off | Best |
| Mar | Off | Best |
| Apr | OK | Best |
| May | Best | Best |
| Jun | Best | OK |
| Jul | OK | OK |
| Aug | Off | Off |
| Sep | Off | Off |
| Oct | Off | Off |
| Nov | Off | Off |
| Dec | Off | Off |
Best its strongest stretch OK still worth the trip Off smaller and less reliable, often fine for a lesson
Full tables with wave size, surfable days and the wetsuit for every month: Snapper and The Pass. Taking a board? See what each airline charges and whether your bag fits.
Or let the week decide
The right trip is whichever one is firing when the fare is cheap. BarrelFare watches both and tells you when they line up.
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Seasons rank how often great days come; wave size and surfable days are medians. All of it is from years of wave hindcast (how we score a month). Getting there is the ground leg from the nearest airport, the same figure each spot page shows.