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| Far North Coast of NSW (Northern Rivers) |
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| The Far North Coast (also known as the Northern Rivers area) is from Grafton up Tweed Heads and the Queensland state border and includes an emerging area known as the Tweed Coast. Inland is the superb, lush Far North Coast Hinterland. |
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Not long ago this pretty, sub tropical stretch of coast was quiet and
uncommercialised. In recent years the bulldozers have moved in and the
area has been transformed and in some parts is starting to look a bit
like the Gold Coast, just over the border in QLD. Some local
tourism marketing types have now taken to calling it the New
Tweed Coast. In 2005 the NSW State Government took the
unprecedented step of dismissing the local Tweed Shire Council due to
alleged links by councillors with property developers. Whilst some
of the recent development along the Tweed Coast is perhaps not always an
architectural and aesthetic triumph, the high rise and urban excesses of
the Gold Coast have largely been avoided and the area still retains its
laid back charm and natural beauty.
The adjoining towns of Tweed Heads (in NSW) and Coolangatta (in QLD) are
known locally as the Twin Towns. The world's first lighthouse to
experiment with laser beams, the Captain Cook Memorial Lighthouse
(pictured), sits
on top of Point Danger, one half in QLD and the other in NSW. This
part of the coast was home to the Minjungbal and Bundjalung Aboriginal
peoples and the Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre, part of the Tweed
Heads Historic Site www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/parks(Minjungbal),
is well worth a visit.A number of local operators offer river cruises along the Tweed River, and there are also houseboats for hire. The river meanders inland through the rich pastoral country of the Tweed Valley and on past the attractive provincial centre of Murwillumbah. If you have time, the drive from Murwillumbah to Kyogle via Nimbin is lovely. Inland some of the spectacular mountainous rainforest areas, including the dramatic Mt Warning, are covered below in our segment below on the NSW Far North Coast Hinterland Tweed Heads is the most northern town on the NSW coast and abuts Coolangatta and the Gold Coast which are just over the state border in Queensland. Apart from Tweed Heads, the other main centres along this section of coast are Chinderah, Cabarita, Kingscliff, Hastings Point and Pottsville. The beaches on the Tweed Coast are excellent (as pictured). There is a wide variety of available accommodation, including in the hinterland, which ranges from pretty caravan parks with good value overnight cabins, to guesthouses, motels, hotels, apartment complexes, stylish resorts and hideaway retreats. The Tweed Coast and Valley region is a much more relaxed holiday option than the nearby all singing, all dancing Gold Coast. |
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Mount Warning Nat. Park www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/(Mt Warning) A good number of accommodation options are
sprinkled about the area including small wilderness retreats. |
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North Coast Introduction NSW+ACT
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| Truly Australia have attempted to give an honest and objective description of the topics covered on this page and have deliberately avoided regurgitating tourist office media releases. The information shown has been compiled from a variety of reputable sources and our own experiences. We check and review this information from time to time, but we assume no responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the details given. |
GRAFTON is positioned on a bend of the huge
Clarence River and despite pockets of modern grot is a very pleasant
centre, with streets lined with beautiful jacaranda trees (as pictured), a wealth of
lovely Federation homes and some well preserved colonial buildings.
The coastline opposite Grafton is rugged and unspoiled, much of it being
part of the Yuraygir National Park 
A scenic route from Grafton is inland via the
tiny hamlet of Lawrence, crossing the river on a small car ferry, and
travelling on through Maclean which proudly proclaims that its first
European settlers were from Scotland. Opposite Yamba, on the north side
of the mouth of the Clarence River, is Iluka and the Bundjalung
National Park 
Three World Heritage
listed national parks make for lush, stunning rainforest
and mountain vistas.
