Tweed Heads NSW, July 7 - 14 2026

 Tweed Heads NSW, July 7 - 14 2026

Moved up from Yamba to Tweed Heads, to the council owned and run park in Dry Dock Road. Probably in our Top 3. 

We forsook the mighty M1 for the more sedate and certainly for us, nostalgic A1, aka Pacifc Highway. Just a pleasant dawdle the 160 of kilometres, mostly because we had to be out of Yamba at 10 and couldn't get into Tweed before 2! Anyhow, stopped at Mooball for lunch. Who wouldn't want to stop at a place called Mooball? Mooball was a bright spot on a one-time tedious journey. It's a tiny place, a fleabite actually, but in its day everything was cow-themed. Telegraph poles, garbage bins, street signs the few buildings. After it was bypassed it could have easily died but by a stroke of luck, the government chose to turn the abandoned railway line that runs right beside it, into a Bike Trail. The clever folk of Mooball turned themselves into Bike hire, Bike picnic, Bike outfitters etc etc. The place is alive and doing well it would seem. We made our contribution by having such at the pub. 

Mooball NSW July 2026

The weather has been 'iffy' at best, so first day in, just drove to the obligatory lookout at Point Danger. We have had quite number of lunches and coffees in a quaint little place right opposite the tower itself, which defines the border between NSW and Qld, and points out NEWS for those that might be in doubt as to which way is which. Much to our surprised "our" DBar was gone and a dirty great big tall edifice stood in its place.

Now you see it....2019....

....and now you don't! 2026

Went out to dinner with Reg at the White Ivory Pub, on the water just over the bridge. Great night.

I went and did a Parkrun at Kingscliff, which is actually a bit further south at a place called 'Salt'. Went back to Kingscliff for breakfast at Choux Box cafe. Really nice. Being a bit bored and seing as we were out and about early, we went driving, as we do. 

First stop was a drive-by of a tiny little town called TumbleGum, right on the Tweed river and it is a delight. We meant to go back there for lunch. If they had a van park we would stay there as well.

Drove up through Murwillumbah and out through to Uki, where we hadn't been for years. Yuk. The Nimbin mob have moved in and turned it into a row of new age alternative rubbish shops. Oh well, might as well go and see the real deal as we are out tat way. Now I don't like Nimbin, never have. It just looks dirty and disheveled and deadheads all over the place. In the space of a walk of two short blocks we were offered 'weed' three times and 'fresh eggs' by a scruffy man that jumped out from behind a large advertising sign. 

Only one thing brightened the scruffy looking place up, and that is this mural of a whale:

SAVE THE WHALE!!! .... Collect the whole set. 
Nimben NSW July 2026

Took a drive up to Mt Tambourine to the little village street that was lined on both side by cafes and art and craft shops. We couldn't find it! Turns out it's now called "Gallery Street", as I suppose some sort of allusion to it being all art galleries. It is anything but and Id sum up by saying we will never bother going back. We tried to find a cafe for lunch and eventually had to settle for Le Chille Cafe, Chilean themed of course. Service was really bad but lunch when it came was first-rate.

Back at the ranch, it seemed the right time for Judy to go and have a fish at a little place down along the Terranora River. here are the snaps:

 

I amused myself by taking sunset photos:

Terranora River. Tweed Heads NSW July 2026

Terranora River. Tweed Heads NSW July 2026

Tweed Heads NSW August 27, 2015

Tweed Heads NSW August 27, 2015

We spent yesterday cruising around the mountains out the back of Tweed Heads / Gold Coast. First we had to go back to Springbrook, to see if the Best-of-all lookout could live up to its name:

Best-of-all lookout 2012. Springbrook Qld

Best-of-all lookout, 2012. Springbrook Qld

Best-of-all lookout, 2015. Springbrook Qld

Best-of-all lookout, 2015. Springbrook Qld

Personally, I didn't think it that great a view, but the busloads of Asian tourists thought it was all pretty special. 'Ow' and 'argh' sound just the same in Japanese. Its a narrow track down and out onto the viewing platform. They came down in single-file led by the tour guide. They marched out onto the platform, give a quick 'ow argh' turn around, grab a selfie-on-a-stick with the view in the background, and march right off again.

We had coffee in the only coffee shop we remembered in the area for miles. It's the oddest place, full of 'art' created by the resident owner and cook. The coffee was fine, just took 20 minutes to arrive; just long enough for one to fully appreciate the intrinsic beauty of the art on display. As it was we were terrorised by the local butcher-bird family who obviously make themselves right at home with the dogs when we're not there. Needless to say, as we turned the corner to come back down the hill we found a brand new coffee shop, which definitely wasn't there last time we were visiting.

This is a steep climb and the road is only just two lanes wide at best. I had to document this part of the road. Keep in mind that we are on top of a mountain and there's nothing between the road and the valley floor, not even a big stand of trees to stop you rolling all the way down

Going...   Road to Springbrook Qld

...going... Springbrook Qld

Damn near gone. Springbrook Qld

You have to come all the way back down to the M1, drive north for a few kms and then turn off again, wending your way through Nerang before heading up to Mt Tambourine. We been here a few times already, so the little village with all its arty-crafty shops and overpriced cafes held no interest. We went straight to Skywalk, where we had an organic steak pie for lunch and the best Anzac biscuit I've had for a while. Skywalk is a series of raised gantries running through the treetops, connected by paths that also take in the creek at ground level. We had a lovely old time taking snaps of trees and ferns and stag horns and rocks and things. Mostly rubbish, but good fun and every time you learn a bit more about the bush around you.

Creepy creeper
Skywalk. Mt Tambourine Qld 

Almost-a-creek
Skywalk. Mt Tambourine Qld

Furry fern with lighting
Skywalk. Mt Tambourine Qld

Epiphytes
Skywalk. Mt Tambourine Qld

Skywalk. Mt Tambourine Qld

Judy on the gantry, gives you an idea just how tall these trees are.
Skywalk. Mt Tambourine Qld

Start of a strangler fig. It will probably last longer than that &^$* post that crept in behind it!
Skywalk. Mt Tambourine Qld

On the way back down, we stopped and grabbed this snap in between the houses which line the road all the way up, most sitting precariously on slender stalks way above the valley.

The Gold Coast meets the ocean. From Mt Tambourine Qld

To top off our day, we went to the Australian Outback Experience (again..). We were keen to go because it was rumoured that the show had finally changed. It was now called the High Country Legends. As you would expect it was loosely, very very loosely, based around our heroes from Warrego Station (its one of the two 'Stations' that make up the theme park) going to the snowy alps to take part in the great muster and horse-ride, in the style of the Man From Snowy River. We were both a little disappointed with the show, it was OK mostly but a bit slow in the middle and it was hard to understand the dialogue, of which there was way too much. But, we had a really nice feed and drinks and were entertained by the skill of the cowboys and girls and the magnificence of the horses and other beasts for over 2 hours, so we enjoyed ourselves. The difference is, that we were happy to go back and see either of the previous shows, but we wouldn't bother with this one again. Maybe they'll change it real quick and we can go back again next year!

Hinterland

It’s raining again – our holiday seems to be linked in to old songs! Not a lot of options in the rain so where else could you possibly go but to a rainforest. Mount Tambourine was the destination today and the Rainforest Skywalk. The roads are very steep and winding but the scenery is fantastic. At least the forest we were driving through was, the cloud was all encompassing so none of the views to the coast and beyond was able to be seen. It was a total white out of clouds. But along the road there were tall and straight flooded gums with the most beautiful bark of sleek olive green co habituating with piccabeen palm trees that just pierced the sky heading for the sunshine. Unfortunately, none of that today. The little village of Eagle Heights was a stopping point where we wandered back and forth amongst the shops until we found ourselves on the island of Corfu, or at least we think that was what the café where we had lunch was trying to achieve. Everything, all white and vivid blue, even the ceiling fans. Lunch was very nice though and we enjoyed the break in the warmth of Corfu. Our hunger sated, we headed to the skywalk.
Driving through more rainforest for a couple of kms brought us to the skywalk park. It is an elevated metal walkway that takes you high above ground level into the canopy of the trees. Staghorns, elkhorns and wild orchids are everywhere on the tree branches and trunks. It was drizzling at this stage and the trees were positively glistening with the moisture on their foliage. The actual metal walkway probably only goes for a few hundred metres and then it takes you to the forest floor down along the creek where the piccabeen palms are incredibly tall and line both sides of the banks. This walk is about 1km but you can’t help but just stop often and gaze about at the gingers, strangler figs, rainforest trees and palms that abound and really take your time to take everything in. It started to rain when we had nearly finished the walk but it just seemed so appropriate in this place that we could have walked it all over again.
We had hard steady rain all the way back to the Bruce Highway and as by this time is was just after 4pm, of course we ran into peak hour traffic. It took us 45 minutes to go 24 kms! It was still a lovely day but a bit tiring so no cooking for me tonight. We had takeaway pizza and red wine for dinner. A good way to end the day.

Snap of the day

Rainforest Skywalk. Mt Tambourine, NSW