Transport
How do you begin your Northern Rivers holiday? The Northern Rivers region spans the far northeast of New South Wales and includes the communities of the Tweed, Kyogle, Byron, Lismore, Ballina, Casino, Richmond River and the Clarence Valley.
Grafton is about 650 km from Sydney while Tweed Heads, in the north, is only 100 kilometres from Brisbane. The area is served by regional, national and international airlines, with airports in Grafton, Lismore and Ballina. North of the region there is also an airport with daily jet services at Coolangatta, minutes from Tweed Heads.
The Northern Rivers is a little over an hour by plane from Sydney, just a short hop from Brisbane and you can rent a car at the airport or in any of the major towns. There are daily rail services from capital cities and several bus companies providing transport into and around the region.
Driving
From Brisbane, you can beach hop down the Pacific Highway or take the Mt Lindesay Highway, joining the Summerland Way just over the border and touring the hinterland through Kyogle and the Upper Clarence.
From the south, you can follow the Pacific Highway to Grafton and explore the coast roads through to Ballina, Byron and the Tweed, or take the New England Highway to the Gwydir Highway at Glen Innes and enter the region through the Gibraltar Range. You can also follow the New England through to Tenterfield and take the Bruxner Highway through Casino and Lismore.
Airports
Ballina Byron Gateway Airport
Southern Cross Drive, 5km from Ballina CBD.
Jetstar, Regional Express, Virgin Blue
Facilities: café, car parking, car rental, shuttle bus.
www.ballina.nsw.gov.au
Gold Coast Airport
Gold Coast Highway, Coolangatta.
Australian Airlines, Freedom Air, Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Blue
Facilities: car rental, taxis, limousines, shuttle bus, currency exchange, car parking
www.goldcoastairport.com.au
Grafton District Airport
Six Mile Lane, 20kms South of Grafton.
Regional Express
Facilities: taxis, shuttle bus.
Lismore Regional Airport
Bruxner Highway 3kms west of Lismore
Regional Express
Facilities: Lounge and meeting room, Café, taxi service.
