Things to Do in Murwillumbah

Things to Do in Murwillumbah

Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre

The reason a lot of people come, and a five-minute walk from the motel. Entry is free. The draw is the recreated Margaret Olley studio, moved piece by piece from her Paddington terrace and rebuilt here in the valley where she grew up, but the rotating exhibitions and the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize are worth the trip on their own. The building looks out over the Tweed River and the cafe on site has one of the better views in the shire. Closed Mondays.

Wollumbin, and the walks that are open

Wollumbin, also called Mount Warning, is the plug of the ancient volcano that formed this whole valley. It is visible from almost everywhere in Murwillumbah and it is the first place on mainland Australia to catch the sunrise.

The summit track is closed, and it is staying closed, out of respect for its significance to the Bundjalung people. Do not plan a climb. What is open and genuinely good:

• Border Ranges National Park: the Pinnacle lookout and the Falcorostrum loop, about an hour inland, with the best view back into the caldera you will get.
• Nightcap National Park: Minyon Falls and Protesters Falls, an hour south.
• Mebbin and Numinbah: quieter rainforest closer to town.

The Northern Rivers Rail Trail

Murwillumbah is the northern trailhead of the rail trail, a sealed path along the old rail corridor through the valley to Crabbes Creek. It is flat, it goes through cuttings and over trestle bridges, and you do not need to be a cyclist to enjoy it. There is a full guide to the rail trail here, including distances and where to hire a bike.

The town itself

Murwillumbah is a working country town that has quietly become a good one to eat in. Murwillumbah Street and Wollumbin Street have the cafes and the bakeries; there are a handful of pubs with proper counter meals, which we have listed separately. The Murwillumbah Farmers Market runs Wednesday afternoons and there is a growers market on Sunday mornings at the showground.

The Murwillumbah Museum on Queensland Road is small and better than it needs to be, and the town has an active arts scene that is not just the gallery, with studios and a cinema.

Beaches and day trips

• Kingscliff and Cabarita: half an hour east, and the pick if you want a beach day without the Byron traffic.
• Byron Bay: 40 minutes south. Go early or go midweek.
• Nimbin: 50 minutes, and exactly what you expect.
• Gold Coast: Coolangatta is 25 minutes, Surfers about 50.
• Tropical Fruit World: 20 minutes north, and better with children than it sounds.

When to come

Autumn and spring are the pick: warm, dry and clear, with the caldera visible. Summer is hot and humid and the valley gets afternoon storms, which are worth watching from a balcony. Winter is mild, dry and the quietest time, and the walking is at its best.