The Northern Rivers region is on the far North Coast of New South Wales, stretching from Grafton to Tweed at the Queensland border.

Cities

• 1 Alstonville
• 2 Ballina
• 3 Byron Bay - once an alternative lifestyle town, now a booming beachfront destination, firmly on the backpacker and seachanger route
• 4 Casino - "Beef capital of Australia"
• 5 Grafton – city of Jacaranda trees on the Clarence River
• 6 Lismore - largest town in the region
• 7 Maclean – on the river and highway, a short distance to the beachside community of Yamba
• 8 Murwillumbah
• 9 Nimbin – Alternative community, in the Byron/Lismore hinterland
• 10 Tweed Heads – the southern, low rise, and more family friendly end of the Gold Coast
• 11 Yamba – What Byron Bay used to be

Other destinations

• 1 Bangalow - Federation style village
• 2 Evans Head
• 3 Lennox Head - Coastal villiage popular with beachgoers
• 4 Mount Warning National Park – Extinct shield volcano

Get around

Many backpackers catch the coaches that ply the Brisbane to Sydney route.

Passenger trains no longer directly service most of the region.

If you want to get outside of the main centres, then you will need a car, or to take a tour. Public Transport is limited however the following should allow a more adventurous traveller to get around.

Buslines Group provide public transport to Ballina, Lismore, Casino, Kyogle, Evans Head, Woodburn and Coraki. They also provide less frequent connections to Grafton and Tenterfield. Study the timetable before travelling and be sure you won't be stranded. Most of the drivers are fairly friendly and the buses are in radio contact with each other so connections should be fairly easily made.

Blanch's bus company provide service to Ballina, Lennox Head, Byron Bay, Bangalow and Mullumbimby. Services on Route 640 at least are around every 2 hours on weekdays and Saturdays at least during daylight hours. The Sunday service exists however it is limited.

There are numerous other operators who run school buses around the region. These allow regular passengers however the primary drawback is they are only running at school times.

See

The Northern Rivers is home to 5 World Heritage Listed National Parks, the most bio-diverse region in Australia and stunningly beautiful

The beaches in this area are beautiful, and worth exploring. Take the tourist drive from Murwillumbah to Tweed Heads – this will take you through the Tweed River, as well as the coastal areas.

Do

• Tweed Tourism Inc (Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah and Kingscliff Visitor Information Centres), PO Box 19, Tweed Heads NSW 2485, ☏ +61 7 5536 6737. Operating the Visitor Information Centres at Tweed Heads, Kingscliff and Murwillumbah. Maps, posters and souvenirs. Accommodation, tour and cruise booking service. Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads Centres open 7 days. Kingscliff Centre open Wednesday to Sunday. http://www.tweedtourism.com.au or Phone 1800 674 414 (within Australia only) 

Stay safe

Swimming

Always swim between the flags