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“The Tweed is experiencing somewhat of a renaissance; this under-the-radar gem on the NSW North Coast has been quietly gathering a collection of must-visit attractions worthy of a weekend away.”
Australian Traveller Magazine
Cabarita Beach is the perfect central location to base yourself and make the most of everything the Tweed has to offer. With only three roads to choose from for a day-trip from Caba, you only need decide which adventure to take first.
The road to the North takes you to the villages of Salt, Kingscliff, Cudgen, Chinderah and Fingal Head.
The road to the South takes you to destinations like Hastings Point, Pottsville, Burringbar, Mooball, Brunswick Heads, Mullumbimby and Byron Bay.
The road to the West takes you away from the coast through nature reserves, rural landscapes and country towns into the heart of the Mount Warning/Wollumbin caldera.
Visit the rural villages of Tumbulgum, Tyalgum, Uki and the country town of Murwillumbah or take the climb up the majestic mountain itself. Continue over the Border Ranges to experience Nimbin, the home of the 1973 Aquarius Festival and now the annual Nimbin Mardigrass Festival.
Day Trippin’ From Caba – West Exit (part 2)
To visit the villages surrounding the Mt Warning/Wollumbin without back-tracking or travelling the highway, leave Murwillumbah via Byangum Road and head to Chillingham. The Rous River, a tributary of the Tweed River, flows through the town.
Chillingham has all the charms of a rural village. The Post Office opened on the 28th May 1923. Look out for Buck’s Farm Shop “Banana Cabana” to pick up fresh locally grown bananas, mangoes and passionfruit, depending on the season. Stop for a cuppa, ice cream or even a beer at The Post Office, General Store and bottleshop and relax for a while in their lovely garden or you might find a small gallery or two of interest within walking distance.
Moving on 280m from the PO, take Zara Road and head through Limpinwood to Tyalgum. You will get a view of the northern side of the mountain on one side of the road while the rim of the caldera and the Border Ranges looms above you on the other.
In Tyalgum you’ll find Flutterbies Cottage Café. Set within the grounds of the lovingly restored bakery and butcher on Coolman Street, Flutterbies is filled with the old-world charm of times gone by. Discover the delight of French linen, flowers and vintage crockery in the elegant Tea Room or relax in the garden for lunch, browse the beautiful gift shops or sample single origin third wave coffee at Double or Nothing Coffee Alchymists.
If tea rooms aren’t your ‘thing’ on Coolman Street is the historic Tyalgum Hotel offering cold beer and meals, why not can challenge your friends to a game of pool (8 ball) while you’re here?
From Tyalgum, take Tyalgum Road through Eungella. Turn right onto Kyogle Road and head to Uki (you-k-eye).
Mt Warning Road is 4.5km before Uki. This is your turnoff to climb the mountain or there is a short rainforest walk ‘Lyrebird Walk’ at the base of the mountain. The track does include some stairs but is not difficult for the average person.
If you plan to climb the mountain, do some research and plan your climb carefully. Start earlier in the day, take water, wear appropriate clothes and shoes and STAY ON THE TRACK.
On Mt Warning Road you’ll also find our next must-visit, Mavis’s Kitchen, your meal at Mavis’s Kitchen reflects what’s important to them: food grown organically (in their own garden where possible), sourced locally, harvested seasonally and prepared and served with love.
Uki is a scenic little village offering several cafés, curios, galleries and market stalls. The Uki Markets, known as the Uki Buttery Bazaar Market, take place on the third Sunday each month, opening at about 9am and continuing into the early afternoon.
The Mount Warning Hotel on the western end of Uki has all the facilities you expect from a quality country hotel, good food, drinks, TAB and live entertainment every Sunday from 2pm.
From Uki you could continue west to visit towns like Kyogle and Nimbin or the near-by Tweed water supply dam and parklands of Clarrie Hall Dam and Crams Farm. Our trip today though takes us back the way we came and taking Smiths Creek Road on the edge of town towards Stokers Siding for 11km.
The Stokers Siding Art Gallery often hosts exhibitions and live music, otherwise take the End of the Line (railway walk) from Tunnel Road.
Take Stokers Road to make your way over to Burringbar for another must-visit pasture-to-platter experience, Tweed Valley Farmhouse Cheeses, closes at 4pm and is only 13 minutes from the art gallery. Enjoy unique farmhouse cheese made by hand on the farm, reflecting the individual character of only one farm and one herd. Sample and take home your choice of artisan cheeses to enjoy with your wine and crackers on the balcony at Caba Break later this evening.
Visit Burringbar Gallery for antiques, tribal artefacts, collectables and local wares and art. With a large range of furnishings including sideboards, chairs, cupboards, tables and daybeds. Also, architectural beams, timbers, panels, doors and archways are available. Incredible carved Javanese Teak, Indian and Balinese pieces to choose from.
Also in Burringbar with something for everyone, you might find something special to take home from Heaths Old Wares, Collectables, Industrial Antiques, also in Burringbar.
You won’t find a pub in Burringbar (now that’s another story) but a little further along in Mooball (Moo-ble) you will find The Victory Hotel (named for the end of the story) serving cold beer, good food and a pool table.
Fuel up at the Moo Moo Roadhouse, here you can enjoy a good burger and milkshake.
Continue on Tweed Valley Way to the Wooyung Road turn off, this will take you back to the beach and into the larger village of Pottsville where you will find some particularly good restaurants and cafés.
I hope you’ve made a reservation as this is one of those must-visits, previous Paper Daisy executive chef Ben Devlin has opened his own restaurant Pipit in Pottsville, taking coastal dining to a whole new level. The focus at Pipit is on sustainably sourced produce, so expect an inspired menu of plant-based and seafood creations. Choose a counter seat and watch the theatre of the open kitchen as chefs cook with fire over a charcoal pit.
Opposite Pipit you will find the newest coastal bar and dining experience on the Tweed Coast, if Baker + Farmer hasn’t made the must-visit list yet, it soon will. Pull up a seat at the indoor bench or grab a table at the sidewalk area where you can enjoy great food and beverages as you watch the world go by.
If you’re not staying on for dinner, continue north on Tweed Coast Road back to the Cabarita Surf club or The Beach Hotel for a cold beverage overlooking the Pacific Ocean as the sun sets on another beautiful day in Paradise.
Obviously you are not going to be able to visit and enjoy everything I’ve crammed into one day, but this is a guide meant to assist you to select the experiences that you will enjoy and those that you’ll have to come back for tomorrow or your next visit to Caba.