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 | Ballina Airport car rental - Travel Guide |  |
The old port of BALLINA, at the mouth of the Richmond River, experienced a short-lived goldrush in the 1880s, but it has few reminders of this era and is now mostly a holiday town, with some pleasant beaches and the opportunity to take river trips to Lismore and other destinations. Neither has it escaped the clutches of the "big things", with the giant prawn marking the entrance to town, just off the highway from Grafton. It's a fairly conservative cousin to nearby Byron Bay, although the fact that you're entering New Age territory is obvious by the outskirts of Ballina, where the Thursday Plantation (daily 9am-5pm; free), 4km north on Gallans Road, east of the Pacific Highway, was the first commercial tea tree plantation, producing the all-healing tea tree oil and its products. One of the highlights of the town is a lively market, held on the third Sunday of the month at the town's Fawcett Park.
There's a cycling and walking track from the centre of town along the sea wall to the beach, a twenty-minute walk. In Las Balsas Plaza, on River Street, is a small maritime museum (daily 9am-4pm; free), whose exhibits include the Atzlan, a balsa raft that made it across the Pacific from Ecuador in 1973 as part of the Thor Heyerdahl-inspired Las Balsas expedition. The tourist information centre (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun 9am-4pm; tel 02/6686 3484, fax 6686 0136, www.ballina.tropicalnsw.com) is in the same plaza, and can book lodging, river cruises and other tours. Accommodation includes the lovely Ballina Manor, a luxurious B&B at 25 Norton St (tel 02/6681 5888; $115-150), and the Ballina Travellers Lodge Motel, 36 Tamar St (tel 02/6686 6737; rooms $50-70, dorms under $20), with a pleasant YHA hostel section; it's modern and family-run, with a swimming pool and free use of bicycles, fishing rods, surf- and boogie-boards. Ballina Central Caravan Park (tel 02/6686 2220; cabins $20-50) is situated right by the Richmond River and has disabled access, but if you have a car, the prime spot to pitch a tent is at Flat Rock Tent Park (tel 02/6686 4848), on the coast road 5km east of Ballina; right on the beach, this unspoilt site is for tents only and there's no electricity, so it's very peaceful - solar-heated hot showers supply a touch of comfort.
Ballina has quite a lively summer nightlife: the Henry Roux Tavern, on River Street, has a popular café and hosts occasional bands, while the Australian Hotel , on the corner of Cherry and River streets, is more sedate, with jazz, piano music and a pleasant beer garden. Backpacker types tend to gravitate towards the nightly craic on offer at Paddy McGintys on River Street. For tasty alfresco food, try the Shattered Plate on Moon Street (tel 02/6686 7119; open Mon-Thurs 10am-4pm, Fri 10am-late & Sat 4pm-late). The best place for brunch - with great ocean views and healthy, creative cooking - is Shellys on the Beach at Shellys Beach; follow the bridge and sea wall 2km out of town.
Ansett (tel 13 1313) fly daily from Sydney to Ballina. By land, the town is connected by the long-distance Kirklands bus (tel 02/6622 1499) to Brisbane via Lismore, Lennox Head and Evans Head. Local services include Blanch's (tel 02/6686 2144) to and from the airport east of town, and to Lennox Head, Byron Bay and Mullumbimby. To get around, you can rent a bike from Jack Ransom Cycles, 16 Cherry St (tel 02/6686 2180); rental cars are available from North Coast Rent-a-Car (tel 02/6686 9966) or Hertz (tel 02/6686 4852). |
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