Gather at The Sanctuary Cafe

Gather at The Sanctuary Cafe sits at the Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary on Hinterland Way at Knockrow, the reworked site many drivers still remember as the Macadamia Castle. It is a two minute detour off the Pacific Motorway at the Lennox Head exit, which makes it one of the more reliable highway pit stops on the Byron hinterland run. The cafe trades on a conservation model, with profits directed back into the sanctuary's wildlife and education work, and it pours coffee, Seven Miles beer and drinks from Husk Distillers and Brookie's Gin.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the cafe's outdoor seating areas, which are shaded, roomy and easy to settle into with a dog at your feet. The line is drawn at the sanctuary proper: dogs are not permitted inside the wildlife park or its walk-through enclosures, which is exactly what you would expect from a site that shelters koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and free-flight birds. Keep your dog on a short lead for the whole visit and stay on the cafe side of the entry gates. Water bowls are sometimes out, but pack your own to be safe.

The vibe

The kitchen leans on local Northern Rivers produce with a seasonally changing menu. Full cooked meals and hot dishes run Friday through Monday; Tuesday to Thursday a well-stocked cabinet covers cakes, sandwiches, wraps and daily specials, and the house-made pancakes are the signature. Hours run from about 8am daily, with the published closing time moving between 2:30pm and 3pm, so check the sanctuary's cafe page before a late lunch.

Getting there and parking

The address is 419 Hinterland Way, Knockrow NSW 2479. Parking is large, free and directly off the highway in front of the gift shop, with Tesla Superchargers in the car park if you are charging through.

Pair it with

Since the dogs wait out the sanctuary visit, build the walk around them instead: Lennox Head's dog beach is a few minutes south for an off-leash run, and Belongil Beach's dog exercise area covers the Byron end. For another coffee stop up the road, Benilato at The Old Pacific in Newrybar is five minutes north. More dog friendly cafes in New South Wales are listed, or browse Knockrow.