 Ballina is a seaside holiday town located in the heart of the Northern Rivers region of NSW. This region encompasses the State's northern stretch of coastline and offers car rental travellers a wide choice of holiday activities. The town has become a popular base camp for holiday makers planning to explore the region.
Families taking holidays in the area are well catered for with a wide range of accommodation options, dining establishments and fun holiday entertainment and activities for the kids. The town also boasts a range of shopping malls, cafes & restaurants, cinemas, miles of bike paths and much much more. Ballina is the major holiday and service centre for the region and makes an ideal launch pad for exploration of the hinterland and surrounding coastal areas in one of our Sydney car rentals.
Here are our top 5 ways to spend your time while visiting Ballina.
1. Visit a country market
The entire region around Ballina was one of the first in Australia to embrace the weekend market culture. It is a venue for local artisans, craftspeople, producers and entertainers to come together in order to showcase their wares to the public. The markets are always a lively and vibrant affair, often with live music contributing to the atmosphere. Street performers often provide free entertainment which means parents and their children will equally enjoy their day at the markets. As many of the towns are within short driving distance you can jump in your car hire vehicle and explore each of the markets in turn.
2. Cultural Tours
Ballina and the surrounding townships date back to the first wave of European settlement several generations ago. There are a number of museums dotted around the region which attempt to preserve this history for future generations. Holiday makers visiting the area in one of our car rentals will have no trouble finding their way around the countryside, as the roads are nice and wide and the major attractions are well signposted.
The region is also home to a thriving community of artists, sculptors, woodworkers, potters, jewellers and artistic types generally. In fact the entire regions character has been shaped by the local artists, you will find many art galleries and studios. The weekend markets are also a fantastic way to see the work of talented local artists in a fun and festive atmosphere.
3. Visit a pioneer township
The countryside behind Ballina is well connected with a network of wide roads which make car hire Australia driving holidays an absolute joy. The hinterland region is dotted with small pioneer towns some of which have preserved their historical architecture and character. Alstonville is one of these historical townships which sprang up during the heyday of the timber industry in the mid to late 1800s. It serves as a central meeting place and administrative centre for the surrounding farms and orchards. The town is ideal for history buffs or anyone who enjoys browsing antique stores, crafts shops, and the like.
4. Picnic in the Rainforest
Even though most of the vast rainforest which once blanketed the region has been felled by the timber industry there are still valuable pockets of protected rainforest which remain preserved for future generations. These national parks often contain interconnected networks of walking trails, shaded picnic areas, sometimes even BBQ facilities and restrooms.
We recommend Alstonville or Evans Head which both have amazing scenic places to take a picnic and are both easily accessible in one of our car rentals. The countryside surrounding Alstonville contains crystal clear streams, secluded waterfalls, lush sub-tropical parks and gardens which make an ideal spot for a picnic. This area will reward the curious explorer. Evans Head is a small township that is bordered on two sides by National Park. To the south is Bundjalung National Park which offers a spectacular rainforest experience. The picnic facilities here are immersed deep in the rainforest and provide a simply fantastic way to spend the day.
5. Climb the headland
No trip to this region would be complete without climbing at least one of the many headlands. The headland at Lennox Head is a favourite among visitors with its lookout at the top which offers spectacular views of the town and of Seven Mile Beach which stretches north up the coast towards Broken Head and on to Byron Bay. If you find yourself south of Ballina then point your car hire vehicle towards Evans Head. The Razorback lookout offers panoramic views of the town and the surrounding National Parks. On a clear day Cape Byron Lighthouse can be seen to the north.
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