Ballinas Gems NSW
We stayed and worked in Ballina for a couple months leading up to the snow season. If you want the beauty and life of Byron Bay without the hustle bustle this place is the spot! Only 30mins from Byron Bay, Ballina offers many beauty’s! From the coastal lifestyle to waterfall/bushwalks. Spending a couple months here we got to experience some of the must do activities.
Ballinas Activities:
Ballina has a wide stretch of beautiful coast with stunning towns along the way perfect for morning or afternoon walks! With our top pick being Lennox Heads Boardwalk up to the Pat Morton Lookout.
Surfing!! We loved the waves throughout the coast here and decided to pursue some surfing. Boulder Beach is definitely top pick for the best surf!
Surf lessons. Ballina has an amazing surf school of flat rock beach that offers more beginner friendly waves. Check out Ballina Surf School.
Dolphins & Whales. While the whales are seasonal and require a little more organisation to see dolphins can be seen all year around! Our first day here in Ballina we were blessed with dolphins jumping wild. Ballina/Byron also offers a range of tours to get up and close with these stunning creatures!
At the northern point of Lennox Heads is Lake Ainsworth freshwater lagoon perfect for swimming, picnics, kayaking and more!
Waterfalls only 20mins away! Tosha Falls was definitely our favorite! Not the biggest waterfall but definitely the most relaxing. Making it one of the best for quite days for a picnic and swim!
Killen Falls, we read a few reviews not happy with this waterfall but found it wasn’t bad at all, about 3x the size of Tosha Falls and alot busier but still a stunning fall. Unfortunately, we went after a heavy amount of rain making everything seem a lot sloppier and dirty. Only up the road from Tosher Falls so would definitely recommend going and paying a visit.
Brewing tours! Take a tour with Seven Mile Brewing Co. Definitely follow their socials to stay updated with their rotating roster of food trucks and other catering. But you must pop in for taste of their seasonal beer.
Food & Beverage:
Enjoy a delicious feed along the river with a cold brew and some live music on a Sunday afternoon at Shaws Bay Hotel. This is definitely our top pick for a beautiful atmosphere and top location.
We love coffee! I’m actually writing this right now in our favorite cafe The Shelter Lennox Heads. Such an amazing atmosphere and stunning cafe offering delicious food & coffee and was a top pick for those looking for a place to sit and work online, read or have a relaxing time.
We went and enjoyed our time at the local RSL honestly the fanciest RSL we have ever been to and definitely would say it did well in all areas!!
