Why the Northern Rivers is the Best Basecamp to Explore Both NSW & QLD

From the country’s best beaches, to the quaint hinterland and ancient rainforests, Northern Rivers local Casey reckons the region is the best basecamp to explore not only NSW, but into QLD too.

We Are Explorers acknowledges that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Bundjalung people who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

When I plan a road trip, I look for a few things – pristine beaches, dense rainforest, and a small town to stop in for supplies on the way.

But after hours of researching faraway places, I realised it’s all here, within a few hours of home. That’s not to say I won’t keep trying new things, but I always find there are plenty of new things nearby that’ve somehow flown under the radar.

Here are some around the Northern Rivers you might not have visited yet.

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

Rainforest at Your Doorstep

Both Northern NSW and South East QLD are famous for their beaches, but it’s the hinterland where you can both beat the crowds and find somewhere actually quiet to unwind.

Experience Gondwana Land

Just over the border and a stunning scenic drive via the Numinbah Valley is Lamington National Park, an endless patch of 150-million-year-old Gondwana rainforest.

This ancient forest is a remnant from Australia being part of the Gondwana supercontinent, and the few remaining patches are just a short road trip from the Northern Rivers.

Gondwana rainforest is only found around the QLD/NSW border

I visit Lamington National Park a couple of times a year and usually enter via O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, where there are more than 300km of trails that take you deep into the rainforest. The tracks range from chill to challenging, with both short boardwalks and gruelling multi-day off-trail adventures.

It also has a range of accommodation options like villas with jacuzzis, to safari tents, or a campground with a world-class view, where you can treat yourself to a sunset drink from The Bottle-O Drive Thru at Lennox Head or The Bottle-O at Redbank if you’re coming from Brissie.

Sunset over the ranges from O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat

The Best Day Hike Nearby

I’ve been lucky to hike all over Australia and around the world, but I reckon this short hike up Pages Pinnacle is one of the best for the time to effort to reward ratio (insert diagram here).

I’m still surprised how many people have never heard of Pages Pinnacle, especially as there are a bunch of well-bolted outdoor climbing routes on the adjacent cliffs.

The hike itself is a short-ish stint through fire trails and some easy bush-bashing, before you climb out onto an exposed razorback ridge. Balancing along the top you make your way higher and higher, eventually gaining expansive views of the Gold Coast hinterland and Hinze.

Picking along the ridgeline of Pages Pinnacle

The start of the hike is only 15 minutes off the highway that runs past the Gold Coast region.

Hot tip! The best spot to park your car and start the hike is the Scouts Numinbah Campsite.

There’s no shortage of great accommodation options nearby if you’re keen to make a weekend of it, or it’s only 30 minutes back down to Burleigh Heads for a perfect sunset on the grassy headland.

Exploring the Border Ranges

As the name suggests, this stunning rainforested mountain range separates the cane toads from us cockroaches, but is technically on the better side of the border, best explored in the Border Ranges National Park.

This massive stretch of green is packed with lookouts, waterfalls, hikes, and some really peaceful places to pitch a tent.

Travelling from the north there’s a spectacular drive through the middle along the infamous Lions Road, which is best taken on two wheels, but still great in the car. Coming from the south, Kyogle is a great town to stop in for camp supplies and some local tips.

My top pick is Brushbox Falls, which is accessed via the area’s best campsite, Sheepstation Creek. The walk to the falls can be improved by extending into the slightly longer Rosewood Loop, also starting and ending at the same campsite, but you’ll gain some of those extra and well-needed tranquil moments.

For hikers that carry camp on their backs, or those who have two cars to shuffle, the 9km Booyong Walk is a longer walk for longer rewards, also starting from Sheepstation Creek and ending at the Forest Tops campground, which is another perfect stop from the evening, for a few refreshments around the fire. Good news is, you don’t have to live here to enjoy the region! For those heading from Brissie, it’s just a three-hour drive from Brisbane, with a stop at The Bottle-O at Durack on the way.

A perfect Northern Rivers sundowner

Beaches for Days

Some beaches in the Northern Rivers get all the glory, but there are a few hundred kilometres of pristine coastline to see the sparkling sea and feel the sand between your toes. Plus some of the coastal towns still feel like the ‘golden days’ we’ve heard about.

Read more: How to Stay Safe at the Beach

Evans Head is Still an Unknown Gem

Visiting Evans Heads today makes me think of Brunswick Heads or parts of Byron when I was a kid, long ago. Everyone seems to know each other on the street and the shops are owned and run by the same families. All of which make it a great town to visit.

The beaches are beautiful and bordered by luscious national parks, and best of all, they’re not packed with crowds! I highly recommend getting down to Dirawong ‘Goanna Headland’ for a surf and sunset, if you don’t mind carrying your board and bevvies a few kilometres.

The national parks a bit further south have some great camping options, but right in town, you can camp or stay in a cabin on the river at the local Reflections Caravan Park, which is what we did last road trip (despite only being an hour from home).

Like the name suggests, the Northern Rivers is full of waterways for paddling!

Coastline for Days at Lennox

The other great spot worth a look is Lennox Head, which is only about 20 minutes south of Byron. The coastline feels endless here as the road weaves up above the waves and down to the beaches.

I know some will say Lennox is long gone, but I disagree. While the tiny town is getting busy, it is still far from sold out, and the long stretches of sand, lofty headlands, and plentiful surf breaks mean there’s still space for all.

Drop in at the local Bream Hole for some great fish and chips and The Bottle-O Drive Thru at Lennox Head for anything you might need later that evening.

Flat Rock Tent Park is the pick of the bunch, where you can fish, surf, and sleep to the soothing sound of the ocean. The campsite is also right on the 13km coastal walk where you can explore the other headlands and beaches on foot, or walk all the way to Ballina and back.

Okay, Let’s Mention Byron Bay

Last but not least, we can’t write about this patch of Earth without mentioning the one and only, Byron Bay.

While the heart and soul of the town is mostly long gone it still has, objectively speaking, some of the best beaches and waves in the country, plus a strong local food scene and pumping nightlife.

But since we’re here for the beaches, you can’t go past The Pass or the walk up to Walgun (Cape Byron) and back down to Wategoes.

The Pass at Byron Bay is one of Australia’s most famous surf breaks

Not only does The Pass have a famously consistent, chilled-out long right hander, because of the shape of the headland, the beach actually faces west, meaning you see the sun go down over the bay and ranges.

Again, there are endless accommodation options in the area, as well as an endless price range, but you can still camp right on Clarkes Beach at Reflections Byron Bay, or at The Pass in one of the not-so-well-known national park cabins.

Hit the Road!

This is just a drop in the bucket of adventures accessible from the Northern Rivers, with each road trip adding more pins to the ‘must do’ list. But best of all, after a packed-out day, there are plenty of places to stop, unwind, and cheers to a day soaking up nature!

The Clarence River flows over the QLD/NSW border