Alstonville, Wollongbar, NSW, 2477
Alstonville Plateau
by Jo-Ann Palmer.
Located on the Bruxner Highway about half way between Lismore and Ballina, many visitors to the region make a day trip to the Alstonville Plateau to take in the stunning views, and to visit popular local attractions.
Atop the rich krasnosem soils which previously supported the "Big Scrub", Alstonville and Wollongbar are communities serving a thriving agricultural industry and workers who commute to Lismore and Ballina.
Photo © by David Palmer
In addition to the more conventional dairy and beef farming, macadamia orchards abound in the smaller villages, while bananas, peanuts, pawpaws, pineapples and other exotic and subtropical fruits are being successfully grown.
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Alstonville Accommodation
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The Arabella North Coast - Wollongbar
- Alstonville Showground
- Pines on the Plateau
- Big Volcano Accommodation Directory
Local Tours & Attractions
Ballina Naval & Maritime Museum
More Tours & Attractions
- Tucki Tucki Nature Reserve
- Victoria Park Nature Reserve
- Lumley Park Scrub
- Ballina Byron Bike Hire New
- Crawford House Museum
- Duck Creek Mountain Bike Park New
- Summerland Farm
- Teven Golf Course
- Vision Walks - Tours
- Wollongbar District Park New
- Big Volcano Activities & Attractions Directory
Alstonville Accommodation
Motor Inns, B&Bs and farmstays are the primary accommodations available on the plateau, and in the smaller settlements like Tintenbar and Teven, which also boasts an excellent golf course.
Alstonville Showground has powered and non-powered site pet friendly and RV suitable sites, with full amenities available for short or long term stay. Book on site or through the caretaker on 02 6628 0358.
Attractions
Popular local attractions include Summerland Farm, with a restaurant, cafe, animal petting zoo, adventure playground for the kids, food emporium, gift shop, plant nursery, and function centre.
And for those looking to get their heart rates up in the great outdoors, the Duck Creek Mountain Bike Park is the go, while the family friendly Wollongbar District Park, provides a range of recreational facilities for locals and visitors alike.
A variety of day tours, river cruises and activities are also available at Ballina.
Nature Reserves
Lumley Park offers a self guided walk of the rainforest trees of the town, a three acre "Big Scrub" remnant. Orginally home to croquet lawns, this forest bushland was regenerated by the local Scrub Reserve Committee.
Information boards at the entrance into the forest remnant, which features a winding walk, details some of the 102 Australian native flora & fauna species which can be found here, including a large flying fox colony. Car parking, and BBQ and picnic facilities are across the road from the entrance.
A short drive out of Alstonville will bring you to Tucki Tucki Nature Reserve, which is has a respectable 89 species listed on eBird, and Victoria Park Nature Reserve, (eBird list here) two other forest pockets which provide an insight into the diversity of the rainforests that once made up the "Big Scrub".
The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) northern regional office is headquartered here, and manages a wide variety of parks and reserves, including the World Heritage listed parks of the Border volcano group.
Getting to Alstonville
RoadGetting to the region is easy: Alstonville is approximately 742 kilometres - about 10 hours drive north from Sydney, and about 197 kilometres, or about 120 minutes drive south from Brisbane, via the Pacific Highway.
Driving options include the Pacific Highway, New England Highway and Summerland Way in New South Wales, and Pacific Highway and Mount Lindesay Highway from Queensland.
AirDomestic flights operate from all capital cities to Ballina/Byron Gateway Airport and Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta. A number of international carriers servicing SE Asia, New Zealand and the Pacific fly into Gold Coast Airport.
Charter flights may also available to Lismore Airport. All airports have airport car hire or other car rental services available nearby.
Daily airport transfer services between Ballina/Byron Gateway Airport and Gold Coast Airport, are available to selected localities in the region, with some shuttles also going to Brisbane International Airport. Visit Gold Coast Airport Transfer Services for more information.
Coach/RailDaily interstate coach services are available from Byron Bay or Lismore to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, and daily or overnight train from Sydney to Brisbane via coach transfer at Casino.
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