Cass Hynes Old Maids  & Saint Maries

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Old Maids is Brunswick Heads’ go-to for all-day burgers and smoothie bowls. Next door, sister venue Saint Maries serves up pizza and wine in a similarly easy-going style. Together, the pair are two of the town’s most beloved spots.

Owner Cass Hynes moved to the Northern Rivers eight years ago, at 24, while completing her postgraduate studies in Melbourne—falling for the region on a visit and deciding to stay for good. These days she splits her time between Brunswick Heads and Italy doing vintages, deepening her love of wine along the way.

We speak with Cass about the magic that's kept her in Bruns for eight years, the community and creativity she finds everywhere she looks, and her growing passion for wine.

Mosey Guide (mg): What is your connection to Brunswick Heads?

Cass Hayes (ch): I had some family living up here. And like most, after one visit I fell hard and fast. Bruns and the whole of the Northern Rivers had (and still has) some magic about it.

(mg) What does Brunswick Heads mean to you?

(ch) A couple of words that come to mind... beauty, community, creativity.

...like most, after one visit I fell hard and fast. Bruns and the whole of the Northern Rivers had (and still has) some magic about it.

Two scenes from the same Brunswick Heads streetscape: on the left, a bustling footpath outside Saint Maries lined with diners at low timber benches beneath a canopy of lush green fig trees framing the white rendered arched facade, barefoot locals and visitors strolling the laneway behind; on the right, the Sails Motel and Pool Club signage in bold cobalt blue rising beside the white two-storey rendered building with wraparound first-floor balcony, tropical palms and a vintage bicycle completing the quintessential northern New South Wales coastal town scene beneath a vivid blue sky.

(mg) What does your perfect day in Brunswick Heads look like?

(ch) Sunrise surf, coffee at Old Maids, farmers market, a day spent by the river, and dinner at home with friends.

(mg) Who are the other makers, creators, or people in the region that inspire you?

(ch) We are so spoilt with inspiration here, its everywhere. People doing what they love or giving something a go is what inspires me.

(mg) What are you working on right now that excites you?

(ch) I’ve spent the last couple of years doing vintages, between here and Italy, and I’m loving learning more about wine.

An outdoor market in the Northern Rivers near Brunswick Heads, a bustling crowd of families and locals gathered beneath the dramatic silhouette of a spreading rain tree and towering palms, colourful fabric bunting strung between market stalls in bright afternoon sun, crepe and food vendor tents dotting the grassy parkland setting against a vivid blue sky, capturing the joyful and community-spirited atmosphere of a classic northern New South Wales weekend market.

(mg) Where is your next travel destination?

(ch) Morocco

(mg) How has travel changed the way you see the world?

(ch) Big question. It’s an incredible privilege to travel, to see how others live their lives. It’s taught me empathy, understanding, and just how lucky we are to live where we do.

(mg) If you could recommend anywhere in the world for a mosey, where would it be?

(ch) Northern Rivers, the Great Ocean Road and everything in between.

It’s an incredible privilege to travel, to see how others live their lives. It’s taught me empathy, understanding, and just how lucky we are to live where we do.