Made up of the Tweed, Clarence and Richmond river systems, the Northern Rivers is one of New South Wales’ fastest growing regions. Guests travel to the region to immerse themselves in the area’s growing alternative lifestyle, creative businesses, and a variety of restorative and adventurous getaway opportunities.
The Northern Rivers is home to over 270,000 diverse residents and approximately 500 accommodation options, drawing more than 4.7 million domestic and international visitors to the region each year.
The region is well known for its coastline, sub-tropical rainforests, and popular tourist communities, including Nimbin, Byron Bay and several historic townships. Annual events such as the Splendour in the Grass music festival draw tens of thousands of guests to the region each year, with 30,000 visitors flocking to Byron Bay for the event in 2017. Other popular annual events include the Byron Bay Writers’ Festival, Byron Bluesfest, and the Byron International Film Festival.
Situated between the coast and the Great Dividing Range, the region boasts breath taking mountainous views and hiking opportunities, including the popular 8.8-kilometre Mount Warning climb. For those seeking coastal or rainforest experiences, the region offers a year-round surfing season, whale watching, and a range of health and wellbeing services, as well as a burgeoning food and beverage scene.
With a rich 12,000-year-old indigenous history, the region also offers a number of cultural experiences, as well as 20 volunteer-run historic museums. With so much on offer, it’s no wonder that tourism contributes $700 million to the Northern Rivers’ total economy each year.