Explore Australia

River cruises: day cruises and evening barbecue cruises (Wed only); Wed, Fri and Sun; from the Boatshed. Passenger ferry: travelling daily to Yamba; from the Boatshed. Iluka Fish Co-op: fresh catches on sale from 9am; adjacent to the Boatshed. Walking track: picturesque coastline walk; access via Iluka Bluff to the north and Long St to the south.

Iluka Nature Reserve This area, nestled on the narrow peninsula where the Clarence River meets the ocean, was World Heritage–listed in 1986. It happens to be the largest remaining coastal rainforest in NSW. It is rich with birdlife and is a beautiful spot for activities such as fishing, swimming, surfing, canoeing, walking and camping. 1 km N. Iluka Bluff Beach: safe swimming beach with good surf and a whale-watching lookout; brochure from visitors centre; 1 km N. Bundjalung National Park: protects ancient rainforest and the Esk River, the largest untouched coastal river system on the north coast. Woody Head has rare rainforest with campground, fishing and swimming; 4 km N. Woombah Coffee Plantation: world's southernmost coffee plantation; tours by appt; bookings (02) 6646 4121; 12 km NW.

Coffs Harbour - Fishing Sub-region 102 km

My introduction to fishing north of Sydney was at Coffs Harbour, an area with a diverse range of options. The first time I fished here I was into land-based game and spent most of my time on the ledges of Mutton Bird... Find out more

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Clarrie Hall Dam - Fishing Sub-region 106 km

Angling is a buzz when you are into a hot bite. It is also a buzz when discovering new territory or out hooking with other anglers, observing their methods and techniques on their home waters. So it was when I fished... Find out more

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South-West Rocks 165 km

When it comes to popularity, there are two types of fishing destinations: those that are hot all the time and those that wax and wane depending on the season. South West Rocks is in the first category. For as long as I... Find out more

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Lake Copeton 236 km

Lake Copeton has an excellent catchment area, fed by the Gwydir River and runoff from the New England Tablelands. The lake is about 46 km west of Inverell on the Gwydir Highway. Its dam wall was constructed primarily to... Find out more

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Lake Wivenhoe 243 km

Impoundment fishing for native species in southern Queensland has enjoyed phenomenal growth and it all began at Lake Wivenhoe. Situated about 80 km west of Brisbane on the Brisbane Valley Highway, Wivenhoe has a surface... Find out more

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Diving and snorkelling around Byron Bay 88 km

Although there is not much in the way of shore dives or snorkelling around Byron Bay, the nearby Julian Rocks Marine Reserve is a top spot if you can get on a boat, with sea turtles, eagle rays, corals, grey nurse and... Find out more

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Cycling around Armidale and Coffs Harbour 101 km

A 5-kilometre bicycle track leads from Harris Park in Armidale to the University of New England. Bikes can be hired from Armidale Bicycle Centre or the University’s Sports Union. The 26-kilometre-return ride from... Find out more

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Bush-tucker tasting - Macksville 150 km

Sample some Australian bushfoods at Valley of the Mist near Macksville, a farm dedicated to sustainable methods. You will taste bush fruits, nuts, herbs and condiments and have a tour of the farm. You can also take a... Find out more

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Tamborine Mountain Distillery 165 km

There is a multitude of chemical-free schnapps, gins and vodkas to try here, many of which come from the fruits grown on the farm. Try lemon myrtle vodka, the multifaceted choc’n’chili liqueur, forest... Find out more

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Birdwatching - Port Macquarie to Lismore 186 km

There are a couple of top birdwatching spots in the New England area. One of the most spectacular is an all-weather bird hide among masses of waterbirds at Quipolly Dam, about 18 kilometres north-east of Quirindi. Mother... Find out more

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Houseboating on the Macleay River 192 km

Although large chugging houseboats can be an environmental no-no, Macleay River Houseboats at Kempsey are small – designed for just two people – use relatively clean four-stroke petrol motors, have... Find out more

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Armidale Bicentennial Arboretum 203 km

Armidale Bicentennial Arboretum, a dozen blocks from the centre of town, has thousands of native plants, walking tracks, picnic shelters and aquatic gardens with a waterfall.... Find out more

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Rock climbing around Brisbane 216 km

Brisbane’s Kangaroo Point is perhaps the friendliest city rock-climbing spot in the country, with views over the Brisbane River, a range of climbs for absolute beginners and upwards, and established anchor points... Find out more

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Cycling and mountain-biking around Brisbane 216 km

Brisbane has a growing network of great cycling trails and some excellent rides for tourists – a five-to-20-kilometre ride along the shores of the Brisbane River comes highly recommended. There is also a great ride... Find out more

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Westlander 217 km

Take the overnight train ride from Brisbane to Charleville or Quilpie, travelling over the Great Dividing Range and through some of Queensland’s rich farming areas.... Find out more

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Bonville Golf Resort 110 km

Bonville is Australia’s most beautiful inland course. Carved from 250 hectares of flooded gums and blackbutt forest, with small pockets of subtropical rainforest, Bonville is often described as Australia’s... Find out more

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The Glades Golf & Spa 147 km

Ask Greg Norman’s former chief designer Bob Harrison to name one course that makes him feel proud when he sees the final result, and chances are he’ll say The Glades. Upon joining the Gold Coast golfing... Find out more

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Lakelands Golf Club 151 km

As a player, Jack Nicklaus was a regular visitor to Australia for more than two decades. He won six Australian Opens and inspired a generation of young Australians to take up golf. When his playing career began... Find out more

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The Grand Golf Club 154 km

Think of the Gold Coast and flashing images spring to mind: beaches, theme parks, high-rise apartments, hordes of tourists. The Gold Coast hinterland has none of these, and could be thousands of miles away. The... Find out more

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The Links, Hope Island 170 km

When Hope Island opened for play in 1993 it was a unique addition to Australia’s golfing landscape. Here was a links-style layout seemingly uprooted from Scotland and transplanted on to the sunny northern... Find out more

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Sanctuary Cove Golf & Country Club (Pines course) 171 km

Sanctuary Cove’s Pines layout, designed by Arnold Palmer, has reigned for more than two decades as one of the Gold Coast’s best courses. At various stages during that time it has also ranked among the... Find out more

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Brookwater Golf & Country Club 198 km

Brookwater opened to considerable fanfare in 2002, with many observers quick to draw comparisons with Augusta National, venerable home of the US Masters. The varied terrain, inventive bunkering and undulating putting... Find out more

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Royal Queensland Golf Club 220 km

Of all the golf courses in this book, Royal Queensland has undergone the most dramatic changes in recent years. Originally opened in 1920, on reclaimed mangrove swampland on the north bank of the Brisbane River, ... Find out more

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North Lakes Resort Golf Club 245 km

Good course designers have tricks up their sleeves when it comes to spurring golfers to rise to the challenge. They can visually intimidate you with large schemes of bunkers or water hazards encroaching on the best... Find out more

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Boatshed Cafe

Tucked away behind Iluka Boat Shed and Marina, Boatshed Cafe offers absolute waterfront dining overlooking the mighty Clarence River. Daily dolphin sightings are common and just as entertaining as the daily fish feeding,... Find out more

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Mondo Organics, West End 216 km

Australia’s first organic restaurant when it opened in 2000, Mondo Organics serves a range of organic meats, including beef, chicken, duck and lamb, and the fish is chosen for the sustainability of the catch. The... Find out more

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Stone and Wood Brewing 89 km

The popular coastal holiday destination of Byron Bay is the location for one of the country’s newest and most exciting craft breweries – Stone & Wood. The partners behind the venture include a trio of... Find out more

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Burleigh Brewing Company 145 km

Queensland has generally suffered from a dearth of craft breweries so the Burleigh Brewing Company is a welcome and relatively recent addition. Co-owner/brewer Brennan Fielding boasts considerable experience as a... Find out more

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Mt Tamborine Brewery 165 km

As we went to press, one of Queensland’s more ambitious craft-brewing operations was about to come to fruition at Mount Tamborine, in the Gold Coast hinterland. The 24-hectolitre microbrewery is the original plant... Find out more

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Foster's Group (Yatala Brewery) 184 km

This brewery site, located at Yatala, midway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, was established by the Power Brewing Company, which launched Powers Bitter in 1988. Four years later a joint venture between Powers and... Find out more

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Castlemaine Perkins (Fourex) Brewery 218 km

The pages of Australian brewing history are littered with take-overs and acquisitions, and while Castlemaine Perkins sounds like a merger, it was, in reality, yet another buy-out. As the name suggests, the Castlemaine... Find out more

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The Little Brewing Company 232 km

Australia’s new breed of brewer can arrive at the craft by sometimes circuitous routes. For Warwick Little, that included 20 years as an ambulance officer, home brewing, a wine science course and a pair of... Find out more

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Woody Head camping area 5 km

Surrounded by remnant subtropical rainforest, Woody Head is the larger of the park’s 2 camping areas with more than 100 sites, 4 cabins, hot showers, a kiosk and a boat launch. Fishing, swimming, snorkelling and... Find out more

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Shelley Beach camping area (walk-in camping) 13 km

This walk-in selection of campsites is en route between Lake Arragan and Mara Creek on the Angourie Walk (10 km, 3 hours return). Campers need to bring their own drinking water and gas/fuel stove as campfires are not... Find out more

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Black Rocks camping area 17 km

Black Rocks is on Ten Mile Beach, via unsealed Gap Rd, 5 km south of Woodburn. There are concrete bunkers from World War II here – a section in the north of the park is still used by the military for target... Find out more

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Lake Arragan camping area 18 km

Next to a small coastal lagoon ringed with paperbarks and nodding reeds, this camping area is just as popular with migratory and resident birds as it is with campers, but with 50 campsites there’s room for... Find out more

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Red Cliff camping area 19 km

This is next to Grey Cliff camping area, on the headland south of Lake Arragan, 5 km north of Brooms Head along the unsealed Brooms Head Rd. The campsites are big enough for camper trailers and caravans. Bring firewood.... Find out more

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Grey Cliff camping area 19 km

Next to Red Cliff camping area on the headland south of Lake Arragan, Grey Cliff is 5 km north of Brooms Head along the unsealed Brooms Head Rd. The campsites are big enough for camper trailers and caravans. Bring... Find out more

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Sandon River camping area 30 km

You get the best of many worlds from here: sweeping sandy beach to the north; rockpools to the south, at the base of Sandon Bluffs; and fine fishing in Sandon River. The 30 sites in the camping area are suitable for... Find out more

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Illaroo camping area 40 km

Just north of Minnie Water, via Minnie Water Rd off Wooli Rd, this is a large and spacious camping area with 60 sites shared between Illaroo north and Illaroo south. There’s room for tents, campervans and trailers.... Find out more

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Rocky Point camping area (walk-in camping) 40 km

This is a walk-in camping area with no facilities, accessible via a short and easy walking track leading from Illaroo picnic area. Campfires are not permitted, so bring your gas/fuel stove and drinking water.... Find out more

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Diggers Camp camping area 46 km

There are up to 26 camping sites here, tucked in among coastal banksias, only a stone’s throw from the beach. To get here, follow Diggers Camp Rd off Wooli Rd, about 12 km north of Wooli. It’s a pretty basic... Find out more

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Iluka Riverside Tourist Park

At this large well-appointed park, enjoy the riverside barbecues and picnic tables, the grassy waterfront sites or the fully equipped camp kitchen overlooking the river. Bookings are required in peak periods and a... Find out more

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Anchorage Holiday Park 2 km

This is a well-established, owner-operated park with very good facilities. It is situated across the road from the wide Clarence River estuary and is 2 km from the town centre. Bookings are required in peak periods and a... Find out more

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Blue Dolphin Holiday Park 3 km

This riverfront, award-winning park is on the Clarence River estuary. It is an excellent place, with everything you would expect of a five-star establishment, including a cafe. Bookings are required in peak periods and a... Find out more

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Calypso Holiday Park 3 km

This older-style park has a great position on the waterfront. It is a short stroll to the centre of town and just a brief walk to the beach. Bookings are required in peak periods and a minimum-length stay applies at... Find out more

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Yamba Waters Caravan Park 4 km

This is a spacious quality park about 2.5 km from the centre of this popular tourist destination. Bookings are required in peak periods and a minimum-length stay applies at Christmas and Easter.... Find out more

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BIG4 Saltwater @ Yamba Holiday Park 4 km

This neat, spacious, riverfront park 10 km from Yamba has very good facilities. Quiet and out of the way, it is situated on a large, sweeping bend of the Clarence River and has great appeal to those who enjoy estuary... Find out more

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Brooms Head Caravan Park 22 km

In an out-of-the-way place, this park spreads along more than 1.5 km of beachfront, surrounded by national park. This is a popular beachside holiday destination and bookings are required in peak periods and a... Find out more

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Silver Sands Holiday Park 33 km

This is a huge beachside park with good facilities just a short walk from the centre of town. It has many permanent holiday vans and is a very popular holiday spot for people from the nearby inland towns. Bookings are... Find out more

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The Gateway Village 49 km

This is a very good quality caravan park, 3.5 km north of the town centre, along the Summerland Way. Good facilities and a lovely garden setting make this an attractive spot for those wishing to explore Grafton. Bookings... Find out more

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South Ballina Beach Holiday Park 61 km

This is a very neat park on the south side of the Richmond River. It is in a quiet area and is one of the few parks along this stretch of coast where pets are permitted (except in Christmas and Easter holidays). Bookings... Find out more

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Emerald Valley Villa 88 km

Nestled in the hinterland some 25 minutes drive from Byron Bay, this is way up the high end of ecotourism in this country. You can rent your own five-star palace (they call it a villa), complete with pool, courtyard,... Find out more

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Lily Pily Country House, Bellingen 127 km

The owners of this stylish B&B have spent seven years revegetating and securing wildlife corridors along the riparian zone here, planting some 4000 trees and 2000 reeds, resulting in an increase in bandicoots,... Find out more

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Crystal Creek Rainforest Retreat 128 km

Located near Murwillumbah and surrounded on three sides by World Heritage–listed national parks, this secluded couples-only resort on the Queensland border has minimal-impact, self-contained bungalows and cabins.... Find out more

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The Mouses House, Springbrook 131 km

Set in a beautiful rainforest at more than 800 metres above sea level, this luxury resort has 11 self-contained chalets, hot tub, sauna, tennis court and bikes, a sensible environmental policy and eco-accreditation. It... Find out more

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Cottages on the Creek 132 km

This 2-hectare establishment is managed as a Land for Wildlife property and the two, onebedroom spa cottages have composting toilets, protecting Currumbin Creek with its turtles, catfish, platypus and yabbies.... Find out more

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Destiny Boonah 165 km

Set on 80 hectares of Land for Wildlife property, this self-contained three-bedroom cottage is solar- and wind-powered. You are encouraged to bring a mountain bike or go bushwalking on the property, which is located near... Find out more

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Brisbane Marriott Hotel 218 km

By no means the greenest accommodation in this book, the Marriott still deserves inclusion as one of the better options in large hotels. It gained the Green Globe Benchmarked Bronze status and is AAA-rated for its water-... Find out more

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Maclean Park Area 16 km

At Ferry Park Small area on the riverbank just off the highway. GPS: S29 28.366 E153 12.318... Find out more

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Tabbimoble Creek Rest Area 19 km

65 km S of Ballina (L) southbound only Small area adjacent to the highway. GPS: S29 16.940 E153 12.911... Find out more

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New Italy Rest Area 29 km

56 km N of Tyndale (L) or 47 km S of Ballina (R) Large shady area adjacent to the highway near the museum and cafe. GPS: S29 09.205 E153 17.930... Find out more

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Tuckombil Road Rest Area 34 km

40 km S of Ballina (L) southbound only Large area just off the highway. GPS: S29 06.209 E153 20.400 ... Find out more

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Woodburn Park Area 37 km

Middle of town Parking area on the highway beside the river. Good facilities. GPS: S29 04.297 E153 20.575 ... Find out more

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McPhillips Creek Rest Area 51 km

50 km N of Woolgoolga (R) or 10 km S of Grafton (L) Large area just off the highway behind a few trees. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S29 44.599 E152 59.460   ... Find out more

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Glenugie Creek Rest Area 54 km

45 km N of Woolgoolga (L) or 15 km S of Grafton (R) Large area just off the highway behind a few trees. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S29 47.091 E153 00.522   ... Find out more

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Coolgardie Rest Area 54 km

89 km N of Tyndale (L) or 14 km S of Ballina (L) Large areas just off the highway on both sides. Limited shade. GPS: S28 56.104 E153 28.307 ... Find out more

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Halfway Creek Rest Area 64 km

28 km N of Woolgoolga (R) or 32 km S of Grafton (L) Large area just off the highway near the roadhouse. GPS: S29 56.102 E153 05.709   ... Find out more

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Mann River Rest Area 79 km

115 km E of Glen Innes (R) or 45 km W of Grafton (L) Small area with good views over the Mann River. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S29 34.652 E152 33.417... Find out more

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Woolgoolga Rest Area 80 km

Middle of town Small parking area just off the highway. GPS: S30 06.797 E153 11.436... Find out more

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Tyagarah Rest Area 92 km

38 km N of Ballina (L) northbound only Large area adjacent to the highway. Limited shade. GPS: S28 35.902 E153 32.663   ... Find out more

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Mulligans Hut Camp Area 97 km

T/O 69 km E of Glen Innes (R) or 91 km W of Grafton (L) Small secluded campground situated in a natural bush setting 9 kilometres south of the highway in Gibraltar Range National Park. Good facilities and shade. NOTE:... Find out more

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Bellbird Camp Area 101 km

T/O 73 km E of Glen Innes (L) or 87 km W of Grafton (R) Small campground 4 kilometres north of the highway in a secluded bush setting deep in the forest of Washpool National Park. Good facilities and shade. NOTE:... Find out more

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Yelgun Rest Area 103 km

50 km N of Ballina (R) or 42 km S of Tweed Heads (L) Large area just off the highway. GPS: S28 29.489 E153 31.356   ... Find out more

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Boundary Falls Camp Area 109 km

T/O 60 km E of Glen Innes (L) or 100 km W of Grafton (R) Small secluded campground 2 kilometres north of the highway in the forest of Gibraltar Range National Park. Good facilities and shade. NOTE: Unsealed access. ... Find out more

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Sleepy Hollow Rest Area 110 km

61 km N of Ballina (L) northbound only Large area adjacent to the highway. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S28 25.457 E153 31.220 ... Find out more

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Bluff Rock Rest Area 134 km

80 km N of Glen Innes (R) or 12 km S of Tenterfield (L) Small area adjacent to the highway. Good facilities. Limited shade. GPS: S29 09.277 E152 00.108... Find out more

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Gumma Reserve Camp Area 148 km

T/O at Macksville Large campground located 7 kilometres east of the highway via Partridge Street, Wills Street and Gumma Road. NOTE: Access road part unsealed. GPS: S30 42.425 E152 58.999... Find out more

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Macksville Park Area 150 km

North side of the river Parking area just off the highway. GPS: S30 42.236 E152 55.238... Find out more

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