Far North Coast Beaches: Closer to Brisbane - the capital of Queensland - that to Sydney, the far north coast is sub tropical, with great weather, coastal and hinterland scenery, beaches, towns and a lifestyle to match. The big drawcards are the beaches, but the fertile hinterlands are very scenic, with many beautiful State and National Parks, and are well worth exploring. Coastal towns of the region include Yamba, Evans Head, Ballina, Brunswick Heads, Lennox Head, Byron Bay and Tweed Heads. Inland towns include Grafton, Maclean, Casino, Lismore and Muwillumbah.

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Box Beach, Fingal Bay

Fingal Bay: the picturesque village on Fingal Bay is surrounded by the Tomaree National Park. It is known for its magnificent beach with an infamous walk across "the spit" to view the burnt out ruins of the outer lighthouse residence. There is some great fishing off the beach as well as the Headlands. Many large fish has been landed off the spit. This beach is very popular with surfers and is quite protected by the headland in the southern corner.

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Seal Rocks: a small, isolated coastal fishing settlement, Seal Rocks is famous for its many premier surfing beaches (including Lighthouse Beach, Treachery and Yagon), and also for being the home of Seal Rocks lighthouse, officially known as Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse. Seal Rocks is in close proximity to Myall Lakes National Park.

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Forster-Tuncurry: twin resort towns on the entrance of Wallis Lake. The area offers some of the best beaches on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. The Myall Lakes, Smiths Lake and Wallis Lake provide extensive opportunities for fishing, water skiing, boating, sailing, wind surfing with many picnic spots, all within minutes of the twin towns.

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Old Bar: at the mouth of the Manning River - one of two "delta" rivers in the southern hemisphere, having more than one outlet to the ocean. The village of Old Bar, located 15 km south east of Taree, has many facilities including restaurants, cafes, a bowling club, supermarkets and various shops and services.

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Crowdy Head: a quaint village at the mouth of the Manning River. The headland of Crowdy Head, which overlooks the mouth of the Manning River, is the site of Crowdy Head Light, a 7.3 m tall lighthouse built in 1878. Crowdy Beach sweeps in a long arc through to Diamond Head Beach in the National Park. The pristine beaches and harbour of Crowdy Head are a major attraction for the area. Deep-sea fishing also draws many visitors and is available all year round. Crowdy Head is one of the rare places along the coastline that permits fishing at night.

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Crescent Head: a sleepy coastal village characterised by beautiful beaches and a headland which features one of the most spectacular cliffs (100 metres high) on the eastern coast of Australia. Crescent Head is one of the hot spots of international surfing, having one of the best right-hand point breaks in the world. Bushwalking and camping are popular in Hat Head National Park, which lies just to the north.

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Hat Head: the tranquil seaside community of Hat Head is surrounded by the unspoilt grandeur of Hat Head National Park. The rich aquatic environment of the continental shelf is just eleven nautical miles offshore. With access to a boat ramp, and a diverse range of magnificent fishing spots, all anglers are virtually guaranteed to bring home a 'big one'!

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Trail Bay Gaol, South West Rocks

South West Rocks: has been a popular bathing resort with people of the Macleay Valley for over a century. Beautiful scenery, numerous beaches, and man-made attractions such as Trial Bay Gaol and Smoky Cape Lighthouse are among the local attractions of this unpretentious coastal retreat. Trial Bay is one of only a few north facing bays on the Australian East Coast.

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Nightcap National Park: located on the southern rim of the caldera of the Mount Warning shield volcano, the park is noted for its dominant massifs, sheer cliff walls, lush green gullies and spectacular waterfalls which are relics of its volcanic past. Almost 5,000 hectares of Nightcap National Park was given World Heritage status in 1989. The subtropical and warm temperate rainforest communities found in the park have links to the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana.

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Ulidarra National Park: near Coffs Harbour and adjoining Bruxner Park Flora Reserve, Ulidarra's old-growth coastal eucalypt forest provides habitats for a diverse range of fauna, including koalas, masked owls, wompoo pigeons and little bent-wing bats. The drive through the park from Bruxner Park to Karangi offers lovely views, and you're sure to find a cool spot for a picnic beside Bucca Bucca Creek on Shelter Road.

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Tapin Tops National Park: high on the Great Escarpment, Tapin Tops National Park protects old growth forests and rainforests, and provides a unique habitat for threatened species. Rowleys Lookout (1018 metres) offers a sweeping view of Head and Shoulders Cliff.

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Dandahra Crags

Gibraltar Range National Park: deep valleys and giant granite boulders protect rainforest of World Heritage importance. Scenic creeks and cascades, swamps, heaths and woodlands can be explored on more than 100 kilometres of walking trails. The park is in rugged, mountainous country, high above the Clarence River Valley on the edge of the Northern Tablelands.

Nambucca Heads: a holiday and retirement centre located on a ridge north of the estuary of the Nambucca River near the Pacific Highway, which now bypasses it. The Nambucca Valley is the southern gateway to Sub Tropical Australia. As well as being part of the Pacific Coast Touring Route the Nambucca Valley is the Southern coastal end of the scenic Waterfall Way.

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Tweed Heads: the twin town of Coolangatta, a suburb of the Gold Coast, Tweed Heads sits on the New South Wales side of the NSW/Qld border. Given its closeness to the Gold Coast, Tweed Heads has a shared economy with Coolangatta based heavily on tourism. Tweed Heads' most popular tourist destinations include Mount Warning, one of the largest shield volcanoes in the Southern Hemisphere, and the nearby Nightcap, Border Ranges, Springbrook and Lamington National Parks, which abound with sub-tropical fauna and flora.

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Pottsville: a quiet coastal town with excellent beaches, pottsville is a place to which and lots of families who have found this spot return for holidays year after year. Pottsville has excellent beaches, fishing from both beaches and estuary, and is a great place for canoeing. Hastings Point, between Pottsville and Cabarita, is an attractive wetlands area with canoes for hire, which can be paddled along the many estuaries.

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Brunswick Heads: a small unspoilt coastal village, situated at the mouth of the Brunswick River. The town is 15 minutes north of Byron Bay and 30 minutes from the Gold Coast, so it is an ideal spot for anyone who wants to be close to the action, but not in the middle of it.

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Lennox Head: a seaside village situated on the stretch of coast between Byron Bay and Ballina, Lennox Head is well known for its windsurfing and kite sailing and its relaxed village atmosphere featuring restaurants, sidewalk cafes and shops. Lennox Head has grown considerably in recent years but remains ever popular with beach-goers, sea-changers, and holiday-makers.

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Ballina: a major coastal resort town and regional centre, Ballina boasts some of the most beautiful surfing beaches and picturesque headlands on the east coast of Australia. It is established on the northern shore of the Richmond River, which for many years has remained a favourite of fishermen and water sports enthusiasts alike. The river and its estuaries abound with marine wildlife.

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Evans Head: a peaceful yet thriving coastal town boasting long unspoilt beaches, good fishing, a highly recommended surf break, and is surrounded by national parks. Evans Head offers safe swimming, boating, tennis, bowls, and golf, as well as spectacular fishing - celebrated during the Evans Head Fishing Classic which runs over a week in late June or early July.

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Coffs Harbour Marina

Coffs Harbour: a major regional centre, Coffs Harbour is a popular holiday spot. the town is set beside the sea and backed by hinterland hills and mountains covered by forests, banana plantations, and other farms. It is the only place in Australia where the Great Dividing Range meets the Pacific Ocean.

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Yamba: a pretty coastal fishing village that is has much to offer retirees, people seeking a "sea change", holidaymakers and travellers looking for somewhere quiet and off the beaten track to spend some leisure time. Besides the laid back atmosphere and easy going pace, the attraction here is the fine beaches and idyllic weather to enjoy them. From Iluka in the north through Yamba and Maclean to Wooli, the Clarence Coast is 80 kms of pristine coastline.

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Clarence Valley: the Clarence Valley, at the southern end of the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, is a place of great physical beauty. Over 400kms from source to sea, the Clarence River is one of Australia's largest waterways. It winds through deep ravines and broad plains, ancient forests, lush farmland, sleepy villages and 100 chartered islands, and provides a living link between the rugged highlands of the upper Clarence and the golden beaches that fringe the Pacific. Grafton and Maclean are the major inland settlements, Yamba is the coastal resort town on the mouth of the river. and extraordinary cultural diversity - where teeming marine parks, ancient rainforests and thriving rural communities are nourished by vast winding rivers - the rivers of life.

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Urunga Heads

Urunga: a small, tranquil seaside resort town at the mouth of the Bellinger and Kalang rivers. Urunga is known primarily for its many surfing spots, but it is also a good fishing ground, with bream being the main sport fish.

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Bellingen: an inland town on the Bellinger River that was berthed as a service town for the local timber and dairy industries but today caters for an influx of people fleeing the city but still wanting the creature comforts (gourmet cafes, craft shops etc.). It lies between the coast and the Dorrigo plateau.

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Taree: a substantial administrative, service and tourist centre on the Manning River. It is one of the largest towns on the NSW Mid North Coast.

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Barrington Tops: The World Heritage Listed Barrington Tops is a plateau sandwiched between two large peaks in the Mount Royal Range in the region's far south. Fed by mists, melting snow and high rainfall, wild rivers flow through ancient beech forests and over waterfalls into fern-lined gorges on their way to the sea. In springtime, its alpine meadows are ablaze with wildflowers. Two-Thirds of the area is declared wilderness.

Port Macquarie: Situated midway between Sydney and Brisbane, Port Macquarie has developed into a desirable retirement location as well as an equally popular tourist destination. Located on the south bank of the entrance of the Hastings River, it boasts extensive pristine beaches and untouched waterways. As well as being blessed with a coastline of beautiful beaches, port Macquarie also has the Hastings River, which broadens the choice of water-based leisure activities considerably.

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Pacific Coast Drive: The Pacific Coast of Australia begins at Cape Howe, which marks the eastern extremity of the state border of Victoria and New South Wales, and extends to the northern tip of Australia - Cape York in far North Queensland. It was along this coast that Lieut. James Cook travelled on his epic voyage of exploration in 1770, mapping as he went and documenting for the first time the country that became known as Australia. This drive mirrors his journey, though Cook saw it all from a different perspective - he traversed the coast by sea.

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Ellenborough Falls

Waterfalls of Northern New South wales: fed by consistant rains which fall on the Great Dividing Range, the northern rivers of the state pass over many spectacular waterfalls before reaching the coastal plains.

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The Great Lakes: stretching from Hawks Nest in the south to Forster and Tuncurry in the north and encompassing Wallis, Smiths & Myall Lakes, the Great Lakes are one of the state's largest coastal lake systems. Myall Lakes is one of the most visited National Parks in NSW. Kayaks are a popular way to explore the lakes, however there are many long and short distance walking paths around the lakes and along the coast. Surfers, divers and fishermen are assured of some 'great spots'.

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Bulahdelah: the major access point for the Myall Lakes and the region's many State Forests. The Bulahdelah Show and Rodeo is held each November and The Bass Bash, a fishing festival, is held on the last weekend of October.

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Gloucester: a charming country town nestled in a valley beneath a range of impressive monolith hills called The Bucketts. Gloucester is known as the gateway to the Barrington Tops.

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Wauchope: a thriving service centre for the local agricultural and timber industries.

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Grafton: a substantial coastal town on the North Coast of NSW that is characterised by its parks (24 in all), wide, tree-lined streets and elegant Victorian architecture. Many of its ornamental trees were planted in the 1870s; its famous Jacaranda stands were planted in 1907-08. Grafton services and administers an extensive an extensive agricultural and pastoral district.

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MacLean: an attractive inland centre, promoted as 'Australia's first Scottish town' - in recognition of the large numbers of Scottish settlers amongst the early selectors. The residents of Suttons Forest in the NSW Southern Highlands might disagree with the claim as they, too, have a strong Scottish heritage. Many of Maclean's street signs are now in both Gaelic and English.

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Protesters Falls

Lismore: a prosperous, substantial and quite cosmopolitan city of over 43,000 people. Lismore is the major commercial, cultural, educational and administrative centre on the state's North Coast. It has also become the centre of a region for those wishing to pursue creative and alternative lifestyles. It now has a high concentration of painters, woodworkers, ceramists, filmmakers, musicians, poets, designers and dancers.

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Casino: a major service centre for the surrounding agricultural region and a town with many picturesque historic buildings.

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McPherson Range

Kyogle: promoted as 'The Gateway to the Rainforests', Kyogle is a pleasant township on the Richmond River at the base of the Fairy Mountain.

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Murwillumbah: the last major town on the NSW side of the border before reaching the Gold Coast, Murwillumbah is an inland rural centre on the Tweed River. The area supports healthy cattle, banana and sugar cane industries.

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Wingham: an attractive township, first developed as a port on the upper reaches of the Manning River. The Wingham Show and Rodeo is held in March, Manning Valley Beef Week in April or May, the Spring Fair in September and a street carnival in December.

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Kempsey: centrally located, Kempsey is a major regional centre on the Mid North Coast, serving passing travellers and a string of popular coastal retreat towns.