The Rivers of Life - Part Two

In part two of our feature special on romantic getaways in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, we find out why this part of the world is gaining a reputation as something of a foodie’s destination and check out two of its beach towns with contrasting atmospheres.

Up until about 10 years ago, the Northern Rivers was renowned as a “fish ‘n chips” kind of holiday destination for families down from Brisbane for a weekend away. It’s still very much a laid back area but the difference now is there’s a slew of restaurants and cafès which have sprung up all along the coast as an alternative to the burger bars and pub lunches which now makes it a great place for a romantic getaway or weekend away.

Mavis’ Kitchen, just outside of Murwillumbah, is one of those restaurants which has helped transform the region’s image. It’s set in a classic old Queenslander on 25 acres of farmland with Mt Warning as the backdrop and its reputation has been earned thanks to its use of its seasonal local and organic produce.

Owners Charlie Ebell and Peter Clarke established their own biodynamic and organic garden on the grounds to supply the kitchen with most of its produce, while much of the remainder is sourced from local farmers. The end result is a constantly changing menu reflecting what is seasonally available and simple and unpretentious food which could probably be best described as “high end family cooking”.

“We’ve always had a pretty simple approach when we set up the restaurant in this part of the world,” explains Ebell. “We’re in a fabulous area for fresh products so we use as much of it as possible and whatever we can’t grow ourselves we pick up from the immediate area.”

“You look around and it’s obvious most things grow really well in this climate, and with the soil, so our menu tends to be a reflection of what’s in season, and what’s fresh.”

The restaurant building itself also has an interesting history. It was originally located on the Gold Coast where it was something of a landmark as the renowned Harley Street Brasserie in Labrador. When the land was sold, Peter and Charlie arranged for the old Queenslander to be moved lock, stock and barrel to their property in the Tweed Valley. 

The beaches of the Northern Rivers have been the biggest attraction for more than a hundred years and very few would argue that this is one of the most attractive stretches of coastlines in the world. From laid-back, almost sleepy little beach towns like Brunswick Heads to the glitz and glamour of the “big smoke” in Byron Bay, this is a place that’s definitely for lovers of the great outdoors and water sports.

Tiny Brunswick Heads, with a population of 1,600, is a town that’s changed little in recent years and that’s a major part of its appeal and a reason there are families who keep returning here for 30 years or more. Nestled in the junction of the Brunswick and Simpson Rivers, groups of kids jump off old timber bridges into the warm water below, kayakers paddle up along the rivers’ edge and fishing families while away the hours with rods dangling into the water below.

The river ways have plenty of swimming spots, and on the other side of the Simpson River, there’s a beach protected by a breakwater and a classic east coast surf break which stretches all the way down to Byron Bay. There’s very little development at Brunswick Heads, no high rises, and accommodation includes three motels, three caravan parks, a family friendly classic Australian pub, and about 60 holiday homes.

Surprisingly, for a place this size, there are 22 restaurants, cafès and takeaway food joints and many of these have evolved into high quality, but inexpensive, places to eat.

Just 15 minutes to the south of Brunswick Heads, and it’s a totally different world with the bustling town of Byron Bay grabbing a lot of attention around the world as a happening place to take a holiday. The beaches here are no less fantastic than any other part of the Northern New South Wales, but it also boasts world class surf breaks and some stunning landscapes, including Cape Byron which is topped by the Byron Lighthouse, marking the most easterly point in Australia.

Tens of thousands of international tourists, many of them backpackers, pour into Byron Bay especially in the summer and as a result this is the place to be if you’re looking for nightlife.

It's also home to one of Australia's most iconic luxury hotels: Rae's on Watego's. As romantic getaways go, this place is almost impossible to match. There are just seven rooms at Rae’s and each of them has been designed individually and all have their own unique personality. It’s something of a throwback to the golden era of fabulous luxury boutique hotels and this is definitely an eccentric property with privacy and seclusion as its main attributes.

(We have a luxury hotel review on Rae's on Watego's).

A further 15 minutes to the south is the riverside town of Ballina which marks the southern end of the Northern Rivers and is something of a gateway to some tiny villages back behind the main Pacific Highway including Alstonville,  Bangalow and Newrybar. In Ballina itself, another restaurant has been gaining a lot of regional attention for its innovative menu featuring local produce.

The Point Ballina is right on the river and executive head chef Perry Hill draws on produce from the Northern Rivers area exclusively, and offers wines from the privately owned Willow Lane vineyard in the Mudgee region of New South Wales. With dishes like Yamba prawns and avocado terrine with finger lime dressing and parmesan crusted sweet Bangalow pork chop with crispy kipfler potato and steamed beans and mustard fruit jus, it’s the type of place that’s  perfect to kill an afternoon while watching the fishing boats chug up and down the river.

It takes very little time to settle into the easy going atmosphere of the Northern Rivers, and despite its close proximity to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, it feels far removed from the trappings of big city life and that’s why generations of Australian keep returning year after year.