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.

Where is it?: Ballina is 744 km north of Sydney; 190 km south of Brisbane.

Ballina is situated on the mouth of the Richmond River, which was an important transport route for the region for the first 100 years after settlement. The river and its estuaries abound with marine wildlife and are used for recreational fishing and water sports.


Beaches: There are 32km of white beaches from Ballina to Lennox Head. Ballina has several beaches, with the most popular being to the north of the town. Shelly Beach is a patrolled beach, also popular are Lighthouse Beach and the pretty swimming beach at Shaws Bay Lagoon. The coastline is a beach lovers dream with sheltered coves, vast ocean beaches and some of the world's finest surf breaks.
Ballina's beaches >>

The Big Prawn: if you have a fascination with 'Big Australia', then The Big Prawn is worth a stop. It has the usual array of gift shops and eateries to entice the traveller to part with some money. Otherwise it is just a very strange and exotic building.


Thursday Plantation: one of the greatest small business success stories of northern NSW is Christopher and Lynda Dean's Thursday Plantation, the home of tea tree oil not only in Australia but in the world. The Deans call it nature's own factory, and Thursday Plantation, just north of Ballina, is unique and captivating. Visitors are encouraged to discover the magic of natural therapies in a rainforest garden, sculpture park and Tea Tree maze. Ph (02) 6620 5150.


Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum: perhaps the most famous exhibit at the Ballina Maritime Museum is the 12-metre long and 6-metre wide Las Balsas which landed at Ballina on 21 November, 1973. The balsa wood raft floated across the Pacific from Ecuador, a journey of 3760 nautical miles which it achieved in 178 days. It was originally planning to land at Mooloolaba in Queensland but coastal currents swept it south to Ballina.

On the waterfront there is the MV Florrie which was built at Brisbane Waters in 1880 and traded on the Richmond River as a passenger vessel and tug. At the time of her retirement in 1975 she was the longest working vessel in Australia.

Surrounding area


Lennox Head: the seaside village of Lennox Head is situated between Ballina and Byron Bay and is named after the headland that stands sentinel at its southern gateway. Take in the breathtaking views and watch the migratory humpback whales from May to October or wait for the breeze to lift you in your hanglider. Lennox Point (as it is also known) has a legendary near perfect right-hand break that attracts surfers from around the world to this beautiful village.