In the 19th century Ballina was the third-largest port in NSW, and following WWII many ex-navy personnel took jobs in the shipyards here. One of the most interesting displays is the balsa-wood raft that sailed across the Pacific from Ecuador as part of Las Balsas expedition, which docked in Ballina in 1973. Model-ship fans will have a ball.
Ballina Naval & Maritime Museum
Byron Bay & Northern NSW
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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
16.37 MILES
This photogenic, 32-hectare green oasis outside Byron is shared by Three Blue Ducks restaurant, a produce store, the Bread Social bakery, an ice-creamery…
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16.22 MILES
Tallow Beach is a deserted sandy stretch that extends for 7km south from Cape Byron. This is the place to flee the crowds: much of the beach is backed by…
Cape Byron State Conservation Park
16.36 MILES
The Cape Byron State Conservation Park is home to the Cape Byron lighthouse, plenty of stunning lookouts (including from the most eastern point of the…
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16.32 MILES
This small volunteer-run centre takes in sick, injured and orphaned koalas from the surrounding area and does its best to rehabilitate them and release…
16.75 MILES
This 1901 lighthouse is Australia’s most easterly and also its most powerful shipping beacon. Inside there are maritime and nature displays. Take one of…
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26.42 MILES
The spectacular waterfalls, the sheer cliff of solidified lava and the dense rainforest of 80-sq-km Nightcap National Park, the traditional land of the…
16.8 MILES
Northwest of the town centre, wild Belongil Beach has high dunes and avoids the worst of the crowds. It's clothing-optional in parts. At its eastern end…
16.35 MILES
An eastern, and often unexpectedly serene, extension of busy Main Beach. Byron's most popular surf break is at the Pass, where Clarkes Beach meets the…
Nearby Byron Bay & Northern NSW attractions
1. Northern Rivers Community Gallery
0.34 MILES
An excellent regional gallery representing the strong creative community that is an essential part of this region. Housed in the historic former Ballina…
2.05 MILES
Ballina's big prawn was nearly thrown on the BBQ in 2009, but no one had the stomach to dispatch it. After a $400,000 restoration in 2013 by hardware…
3. Reconciliation Tunnel Murals
2.35 MILES
Murals painted inside the tunnel here by Aboriginal artists depict the creation story of the Three Brothers who were ancestral founders of the Bundjalung…
5.1 MILES
This lookout on Lennox Head itself, immediately south of the turn-off to the town, is a great spot for whale watching in winter.
5.81 MILES
Long Seven Mile Beach starts at the township and stretches north. It's accessible to 4WDs, but you need a permit from the automated kiosk on Camp Drewe Rd…
6.41 MILES
Lying just in-shore from the beach, this freshwater lake is tinged brown by tannins leeching from the tea trees along its banks. Don't fret: it's…
11.69 MILES
South of Suffolk Park, this popular clothing-optional, gay-friendly beach is just off Seven Mile Beach Rd past the Broken Head Holiday Park.
15.06 MILES
Set on the Brook family's scenic farm in Byron's hinterland is the Cape Byron Distillery, home to a much-lauded Brookie's dry gin. It's created with 26…