Fast facts
- Rich dairy, sugar cane and banana country
- Located on the banks of the Tweed River and set in the Tweed River Valley against a backdrop of rainforest-clad hills
- 848 km north of Sydney, population 8,000
Why go there
Murwillumbah is a bustling regional centre, a perfect base from which to explore nearby Mount Warning and Nightcap National Park. In fact there is an information centre in the town dedicated to explaining the mysteries of the sub-tropical rainforests of the region.
Set on the Tweed River, there are shady parks for picnics, fishing and boating and an excellent golf course.
As well as having many fine old buildings, Murwillumbah is home to the Tweed River Regional Gallery. The richest portrait competition in the world is held here each year.
History
The Bundjalung Aboriginal people inhabited the area before European settlement. Cedar cutters were followed by sugar cane farmers in the 1870s. The arrival of the railway in 1894 gave an enormous boost to the town, and despite a devastating fire in 1907, Murwillumbah still has a handsome, historic streetscape in its old commercial centre.
Things to do
- Explore the World Heritage Rainforest Centre, which documents the wildlife and botanical splendours of the region’s national parks.
- Admire the dramatic summit of Mount Warning from bushwalking trails in the national park.
- Drive along the Murwillumbah Road through a landscape of subtropical beauty along the Tweed River Valley.
Events
- The Tweed Valley Banana Festival and Harvest Week in August, celebrates the banana industry in the Tweed Valley.
- Murwillumbah Showground Markets - 4th Sunday of the month.
Don’t miss
- Visit the miniature horses and cows at Crystal Creek near Murwillumbah.
- Catch an exhibition at the acclaimed Tweed River Regional Gallery.
- Operations at the Condong Sugar Mill, July to November.
- Tropical Fruit World with its huge array of delicious and unusual produce.
- The serenely magnificent Cudgen Nature Reserve.
