|
Northern Rivers Tropical New South WalesA Guide to The Tweed-Coolangatta Region of Northern NSW including Accommodation
Nestled right up against the NSW/Queensland Border at Tweed Heads in the North and stretching down the coast and hinterland to just before Byron Bay in the South, the Tweed Shire is not only famous for its unsurpassed beauty, but for its geographical and cultural diversity and terrific climate – with a summer mean temperature range of 18 to 30 Celsius (64 to 86F), and winter being a marvellous experience with mean temperatures ranging from 7 to 22 C (45 to 72F), which means log fires at night and t-shirts and shorts during the day. A visit to the Tweed brings you to the largest sub-tropical rainforest remnant in the world, the most bio-diverse region in Australia and the biggest extinct shield volcano in the world.
Tweed Heads shares a main high street with Coolangatta, the southernmost tip of the famous Queensland Gold Coast. Due to their close proximity, Tweed Heads and Coolangatta are often referred to as the Twin Towns and are considered a major regional centre, with Gold Coast a hub for domestic carriers. Located at the mouth of the Tweed River, Tweed-Coolangatta is probably most famous for it’s surf beaches. All manner of ocean and estuary activities are easily accessible from here. You can rent a small boat to go fishing in the Tweed estuary and Cobaki Lakes, take an offshore deep sea fishing charter, learn to scuba dive or relax with a fully catered river cruise.
At Fingal you can see the original Point Danger Lighthouse, Giant's Causeway and a long stretch of beach that’s rarely crowded - even in the middle of summer. Next stop is the quiet village of Chinderah, well known for water sports. Further south we arrive at Kingscliff, famous for it’s myriad of beachfront cafés and restaurants; with South Kingscliff boasting a patrolled beach in summer, good boat ramps, offshore reefs, and an estuary providing sheltered swimming and fishing.
Slightly inland of the coastal strip, as you travel down the Pacific Highway from the Twin Towns, you can’t help but notice Mt Warning towering over the canefields that line the highway. Mt Warning, where the dawn sun first touches mainland Australia, is the last remnant of the extinct volcano’s central core.
Just off the Highway, nestled in a small park by the Tweed River is the Murwillumbah Rainforest and Information Centre. It’s here you learn that Murwillumbah means "place of many possums", that the volcano is the largest of its kind (above water) in the world, find a fascinating display of how the erupting volcano formed the area’s unique topography, as well as stock up on brochures and pamphlets on things to do and see during your stay. A short drive across the bridge and you’re in the centre of Murwillumbah, a picturesque town that spreads along the western bank of the Tweed River and up into the hills of the McPherson Ranges. Surrounded, as it is, by the rim of the volcano and bordering the Tweed River, almost every street has magnificent mountain, river and valley views. Murwillumbah is a place where the lifestyle is relaxed and informal, the people friendly and welcoming and a perfect place to stop for lunch. You can choose from one of the many al fresco cafés and restaurants in town, or maybe you’d prefer to dine at one of the several pubs and clubs. Whichever you choose, your meal is bound to include fresh, local produce as well as a friendly chat on the best places to visit during your stay. Time to find somewhere to base yourself whilst enjoying the many features of the area. There are several motels in Murwillumbah itself, but why not immerse yourself in the area by choosing one of the bed and breakfasts just outside of town?
Perched atop a hill on 5 landscaped acres, surrounded by a the rolling green hills of a 200 acre farm, with spectacular views from Mt. Warning in one direction and the rainforests of Springbrook Border Range in the other; Hillcrest is an oasis of peace, privacy and jolly good food. You can relax by the solar-heated, 12 metre, salt-water swimming pool, sip on a cool drink and be sight-seeing all at the same time! To take a closer look at Hillcrest go to http://hillcrestbb.com/ After a comfortable nights sleep in your queen size bed it’s time to enjoy a country style breakfast before taking a closer look at the 5 world-heritage listed National Parks in the area. Clive and Tracy have extensive tourist information on-site and will gladly help you plan the best things to see and do whilst you're in the beautiful Northern Rivers region. Enjoy a 1 Day Tour of the Best Rainforests in the World in the Comfort of a Specially Designed, Air-conditioned Vehicle with OutNBack Tours
OutNBack Tours run one day, 4WD Adventure Tours for a maximum of 4 people which incorporate all the very best the area has to offer; including a traditional "Aussie" barbeque lunch. Be taken off the beaten trail, away from the tourist crowds for your own personalised rainforest experience of a lifetime. Horse riding more your thing? Then take a 20 minute drive to
Numinbah
Trail Rides to meet your horse for a 3 hour tour of a private 2,500
acre farm. Stop half way for Billy tea and damper before remounting for the
return trip.
How about a 40 minute flight across the ranges and around the tip of Mt Warning in a replica Super Waco bi-plane? Whatever your taste runs to, you're bound to find what you're looking for somewhere in the beautiful Tweed Shire. As well as pristine rainforests, impressive mountains and beautiful
countryside, the Tweed
area is a haven for local craftspeople and you’ll enjoy discovering the many
galleries and craft shops which display their wares. Later on, you can enjoy a
round of golf, laze on pristine beaches, Whatever you choose to do, you’re bound to agree that the Tweed is the undiscovered jewel in the crown of the beautiful Northern Rivers area, and not to be missed on your trip ‘Downunder". Although the Tweed Valley is in NSW and Sydney is that state's capital city, the Tweed is more than ten hours drive North, so international travellers disembarking at Sydney would be better advised to take a connecting flight Coolangatta/Gold Coast airport which is literally 5 minutes over the border to Tweed Heads; or fly directly to Brisbane International airport (approx 1½ hour drive). Hire cars are readily available from both airports. Alternatively, coach and train connections go from both Brisbane and Sydney straight through to Murwillumbah, where hire cars and taxis are readily available. MAPS.
Information Provided by Clive and Tracy Parker To Email Hillcrest Please Click HERE © All Information and Photographs on this site is subject to
copyright
© All Rights Reserved |
The
Northern Rivers region of Australia is located on the far North coast of NSW and
runs from Grafton, Lismore and Ballina in the South, to the Tweed Shire in the
North. Whilst other shires in the Northern Rivers region
claim to be the gateway to the rainforests and World Heritage Listed
National Parks of NSW, in the Tweed Shire you have finally arrived.
With pristine beaches (with the added advantage of no
The Tweed coast is a 35 km-long chain of pristine beaches with grassy
headlands and quiet villages stretching from the mouth of the Tweed River at
Fingal, to Wooyung in the south, with the main hub of the area being
Murwillumbah - a 30 minute drive south from Tweed Heads.
Cabarita Beach has one of the best surf beaches in the area, sheltered by
Norries Headland. Cudgen has it’s lake, a sanctuary for flora and fauna as
well as all forms of aquatic sports. Hastings Point has picnic and barbecue
areas, a beach and Cudgera Creek. Pottsville is a long established holiday spot
boasting the Bicentennial Leisure Gardens, several walking tracks, picnic areas
and a multitude of wildlife. The southernmost beach is Wooyung, where believe it
or not, you can enjoy a beach camel ride.
Named Wollumbin, meaning "Cloud
Catcher" by the Bundjalung people who were the inhabitants of the area
before European settlement, it stands like a huge reminder that you’re nearing the hub of the
Tweed Shire ~ 
Only 12 minutes from the centre of Murwillumbah you’ll find multi Tourism Award winning
Why
not book a massage back at 
dine at a myriad of international
restaurants, enjoy one-day river and rainforest cruises, visit the art gallery
in Murwillumbah which hosts the richest portrait prize in Australia (the Doug
Moran prize), browse the various regular local markets or take a trip to the
Gold Coast shopping malls to relieve yourself of some of that hard-earned cash!