Murwillumbah

Murwillumbah is a town in Northern Rivers, in northern New South Wales.

Understand

Murwillumbah straddles the Tweed River and is surrounded by fertile dairy, sugar cane and banana farm lands, receiving substantial rainfall each year.

Get in

By plane

• Coolangatta Airport (OOL ^IATA) — has domestic flights and international flights from New Zealand, Malaysia, and Japan. It often has cheaper flights and cheaper car hire than Ballina.
• Ballina Airport (BNK ^IATA) — there are flights from Sydney and Melbourne.
• Murwillumbah also has an airport, but scheduled with very few flights, mostly charter.

Airport transfers

You can book door-to-door services at the airport.

By train

CountryLink passenger trains no longer travel on the coastal route, now using the inland route instead. Buses connect the coastal towns from the inland stops.

By bus

Many backpackers catch Premier Motor Service coaches that ply the Brisbane to Sydney route.

By car

Murwillumbah is about a 132 km (82 mi) drive from Brisbane CBD. From Brisbane, use the M1 south, past the NSW border, and take the exit at Tweed Valley Way (Tourist Drive 40) and continue for 20 km (12 mi) until Murwillumbah. While the motorway is good quality, Tourist Drive 40 is quite winding as it climbs the Great Dividing Range. Alternatively, you may take exit 95 north of the border and use State Route 98 and Tourist Drive 42 down to Murwillumbah.

• Coolangatta Airport — 31 min (32.8 km) via M1 and Tweed Valley Way
• Ballina Airport — 57 min (72.6 km) via M1 and Tweed Valley Way

Get around

See

• 1 World Heritage Rainforest Centre (Murwillumbah Visitor Information Centre), Cnr Tweed Valley Way & Alma St, ☏ +61 2 6672 1340. Features a theatrette and rainforest interpretive centre. Maps, posters and souvenirs. Accommodation, tour and cruise booking service. Open 7 days. 

• 2 Tweed Regional Museum, 2 Queensland Rd, ☏ +61 2 6670 2493. Tu–Sa 10AM–4PM. A regional museum with more than 10,000 objects and 8,000 photographs relating to the local area. (updated Jun 2023)

• 3 Tweed Regional Gallery (Margaret Olley Art Centre), 2 Mistral Road (corner Tweed Valley Way), ☏ +61 2 6670 2790, tweedart@tweed.nsw.gov.au. W–Su 10AM–4PM. Contemporary International, national and regional exhibits, and housing the impressive Margaret Olley centre (re-creation of her Sydney workspace) and cafe. Free. (updated May 2024)

Do

• 1 Wollumbin National Park, Mount Warning (approximately 16 km from Murwillumbah), toll-free: 1300 072 757. 7AM-7PM. World Heritage-listed Wollumbin National Park to a height of 1,157 metres above sea level, is a remnant central vent of an ancient volcano. (The Summit Walk is closed temporarily.) Free. (updated May 2024)

Eat

• 1 Kebab Chef Murwillumbah, Sunnyside Mall, ☏ +61 450 194 940. (updated Jul 2021)

• 2 Kombucha Cafe, Shop 7/13 Wharf St, ☏ +61 435063352. 8AM-3PM. Serving vegan and gluten-free foods and drinks. (updated May 2024)

Drink

• 1 Riverview Hotel, 267 Tweed Valley Way, ☏ +61 2 6672 1006. (updated Jun 2023)

• 2 Old Quarter Coffee Merchants, 1a, 47 Murwillumbah St, ☏ +61 4 32971810. 6:30AM-1PM. Specialty coffee cafe. (updated May 2024)

Sleep

• 1 Murwillumbah YHA - Riverside Backpackers, 1 Tumbulgum Rd, ☏ +61 2 6672 3763. Check-in: noon, check-out: 10AM. The hostel is a colourful 90-year-old Sea Captain's home converted to a comfy backpackers hostel. Laze by the river or relax in the deck chairs on the hostel verandah. Hostel accommodation in twin/double and shared rooms. Free ice cream for hostel guests at 9PM each night. 
• 2 Hillcrest Mountain View Retreat, Upper Crystal Creek Road, Crystal Creek, ☏ +61 414 244 189, info@hillcrestbb.com. 12 minutes from the centre of town. Has 2 Bed and Breakfast suites and a self-contained cottage. Winner of a NSW State Tourism Award. (updated Jun 2023)
• 3 Poinciana Motel, 453 Tweed Valley Way, ☏ +61 2 6672 3666. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. Around 1 km south of the roundabout. 

Go next

• Tweed Heads
• Kingscliff
• Byron Bay