Northern Rivers Guides Attractions Events in New South Wales

The Icon Australia All Girls Surf Showdown is the largest women’s surfboard riding competition in Australia possibly the world, hosted and organised by the All Girls Surfriders Club Inc. of Lennox Head. The event takes place on the Queen's Birthday long weekend in June each year.

This major surfing event held within the Ballina Shire on the Far North Coast turns 18 in 2010. The Event is designed to contribute to the development of women’s surfing at all levels, showcasing some of the best women surfers in the world in their local region, and offering an opportunity for talented youth to prove themselves in a wider arena.

Seven divisions of competition: open pro, under 21, open B, open nine, longboard, o/28, under 16 and under 14.

Vintage and veteran car enthusiasts will gather at Ballina for the annual North Coast Street Machine's Show and Shine event.

More than 200 vehicles - from muscle cars to classic Holdens and Cadillacs to Hot Rods and Motor Bikes are expected to be on display.

Yet, there's lots more to it than beautiful cars: The event is also a charity fundraiser and includes trade displays and entertainment, rock 'n' roll dancing and competitions for the kids.

Relax and enjoy a peaceful drive off the highway into the small village of Ashby to the local markets held on the 3rd Sunday of each month.

Ashby locals welcome you to enjoy a stroll around the variety of stalls on offer. Stalls include fruit and vegetables, home made cakes and slices, second hand goods and the arts and crafts of the talented locals.

The Big Joke Comedy Festival brings the laughs to the Bangalow A and I Hall.

Featuring international headline acts, stand up comedy by kids, emerging comics battle it out for the Village Idiot crown and a women's comedy breakfast. The best comedy experience outside a capital city, No wait, better. No traffic, no long waiting lines, village atmosphere with a holiday begging to be taken, the funniest comedians on the planet WHOM actually want to have a beer and chat with the audience after the show, autographs, photo's, parking, relaxed and painless but really, really memorable.

Battle on the Border, Tour De Tweed and Grand Fondo are competitive and social cycling events, aimed to deliver a unique experience to participants through professional event management.

The Battle creates a vibrant, efficient customer focused weekend of parties, racing and social riding. Included is a four stage competitive cycling tour open to all members of Cycling Australia.

If you are not a member, don't worry - the Cycle Grand Fondo is for you. The Gran Fondo is a mass participation event which caters for anyone who enjoys a pedal. The course varies in degrees of difficultness and encourages all to participate from the beginner to the serious cyclist. It is a non-competitive bike ride with distances ranging from 25 kilometres, 50 kilometres and up to 100 kilometres.

Over nine days, The Byron Bay International Film Festival (BBFF) celebrates the spirit of Byron Bay through the universal medium of film.

The programme includes films which reflect and resonate with the local community values - maintaining a strong emphasis on social and environmental issues, diversity, multiculturalism, creativity, indigenous culture, spirit, healing, conscious thinking or positive living, music, marine preservation, colourful characters, humour and, of course Byron's favourite past-time, surfing.

Located just a short stroll from the beach, the festival caters for every budget. The festival provides a friendly and inclusive experience for everyone.

Their festival features an array of entertainment and activities; 150 films from all over the world, a Gala Red Carpet Opening Night, a glittering Awards Night, a range of workshops, networking opportunities, discussion panels, Family Screenings, Question and Answer Sessions with film screenings, and an interactive video feedback booth.

The Casuarina Cup is held every February and is now the hottest event on the calendar. Around 500 participants flock down to party on the Tweed Coast for an entertaining and relaxing weekend and play a little bit of Touch Football on the side.

Each year the Casuarina Cup continues to grow because QTL offers competitions for Mixed, Mens, Womens, Mens 30's, Mixed 35's, Masters, Social and Competitive teams. The tournament format is round robin pool matches with a knock out finals format. This gives all teams a chance to win prizes and trophies.

The weekend concludes with a presentation night with dinner, a live band, dancing and lots of drinking at the sandbar. So get together your friends, family members and colleagues and register your team.

The Grafton Agricultural Show is held over a two day period. Features of the show include sideshows, food stalls, exhibitions, farm displays, equestrian events, trotting, and the Grafton Show Girl Quest.

It is always a great place to take the kids or your friends, full of activity and fun. Come along and enjoy the fun.

The Clarence River Jockey Club, located in the picturesque jacaranda tree lined city of Grafton, situated on the NSW North Coast is home of the richest non-metropolitan carnival in Australia, the famous Grafton July Racing Carnival. The Club provides amenities equal to metropolitan tracks to cater for the July Carnival which attracts crowds in excess of 30,000.

With a population of 20,000, Grafton has the infrastructure to comfortably cater for all levels of accommodation with a good variety of restaurants and pubs to suit every taste. Some of the best beaches and holiday destinations on the New South Wales Coast are within an easy driving distance such as Yamba, Iluka, Wooli, and Minnie Waters, which provide an ideal environment to kick up and relax for a great time away.

Special functions and extra entertainment are conducted over the carnival with luncheons and dinners, as well as fashions on the field.

The Hyundai Malfunction Surf Festival features a surfing competition suitable for a range of abilities from family to elite level. It also encompasses a range of lifestyle activities including music, art, vehicle rallies and more.

The ‘Malfunction’ started off in 1984 as an excuse to get together with like minded surfers. After 27 consecutive years the Malfunction can truly lay claim to being one of the world’s truly iconic surfing events.

The celebrations begin with a wake up call when a lone piper will play his pipes from the top of the St Mary's church tower.

The action then moves to Cameron Park at the rear of Maclean Shopping Centre for a celebration of Scottish music, dancing, bands, guest artists and mini Highland Games.

Bring the whole family for an interesting fun filled time.

The Kingscliff Triathlon introduces team relay and enduro triathlon competition to the Tweed Coast.

The triathlon is run twice a year to help you achieve your personal goals and have a lot of fun along the way. Catering for all ages and division from Junior Sprints, Elite, Corporate and the Social Participant, it is a great weekend of festivities, sports and entertainment.

The new team racing incorporates four people; two male and two female; each doing a swim ride and run before tagging the team member in a relay style event.

So get your friends together or if you want more of an individual challenge, do all legs in an enduro style race.

The Kirkin 'O' the Tartan is an Old Tradition where families or individuals have their Tartan Blessed.

Easter Sunday worship service in conjunction with the Annual Maclean Easter Highland Gathering. Pipe band, Scottish dancing and the blessing of the Tartans are all part of the service and held in the delightful open parkland adjacent to the Maclean Scottish Bicentennial Cairn and Commemorative Heritage Wall.

The kirkin ceremony has special meaning and is a very special time for Scots. In the year 1746 in the era of Bonnie Prince Charlie, the highland clans suffered several defeats against the English. To subdue the spirit of the vanquished Highlanders and to destroy the clan system, Westminster invoked the Act of proscription, which banned the wearing of any sign of tartan, forbade speaking in Gaelic, and outlawed Scottish music, dancing, or the playing of the pipes which the Act said quote "emitted an aggressive and warlike sound".

One of the most prestigious longboard surfing contests on the east coast of Australia, the 2010 Lennox Longboard Classic will be the thirteenth annual event at Lennox Main Beach organised and run by Lennox Longboarders Inc.

Lennox Head boasts a world renowned point break and a great range of beach/reef break opportunities. Normally the 'Classic' is set up across the road from the Lennox Point Hotel (the club's major sponsor) and is open to a wide range of divisions from Cadets right thru to Over 60 mens. Women's events are also included.

Enjoy a great competitor’s get together on the Saturday night at the Lennox Point Hotel which normally features one of the great local bands. There are also a bunch surf products, prizes and vouchers for lucky draw give aways to competitors.

The presentation is on Sunday afternoon at the Lennox Point Hotel.

The event caters for virtually every type of outdoor adventurer and enthusiast. The hundreds of exhibitor stalls feature four wheel drives and accessories, caravans, camper trailers and vans, camping equipment and accessories, boats, holiday destinations, outdoor living products and much more.

The show provides people with the unique opportunity to view hundreds of the very latest industry products at the one venue, while also learning about caravanning, motor-homing and camping in Australia. With more than 350,000 registered caravans and recreational vehicles in Australia today, the caravan, camping and motor home industries are among the fastest growing tourism sectors in Australia.


The event contains an attractive mix of exhibitors showcasing their products, while also providing entertainment, education and food. There is a number of informative seminars for visitors to enjoy, hosted by industry experts. These include variety shows, fishing experts, bush poets, live entertainment, farmyard animals, kids’ rides and face painting.

Maclean Agricultural Show is held over two days. Events include: sideshows, equestrian events, trotting, exhibitions, sales displays, floral and fruit exhibits and food stalls. The Maclean Show also has cane exhibits, craft, beef cattle, vegetables, poultry, cooking, championship dog show, caged birds, photography, School exhibits and Trade exhibits.

Maclean is known as the 'Scottish Town in Australia' and clans invade the town for the highland gathering from around the country.

Piping competitions take place non-stop at different venues, as well as street concerts with dancers, pipers and singers. A parade to the showground of all the participating bands takes place and is followed by traditional Scottish games and dancing - tossing the Caber and hammer throwing, food stalls and Scottish products await the bands and visitors at the Showgrounds before a Grand Scottish Concert at the Civic Hall.

New Brighton Farmers market is held every Tuesday at the New Brighton Sports Oval River Street between Ocean Shores and South Golden Beach.

The Farmers’ Market is run by a not-for-profit organisation so the overheads are never passed on to you. The whole idea is to bring farm fresh produce to local residents, not the other way around. So it’s run by, and supported by local producers and local people.

The Weekend of Trucking is held in Grafton and consists of a variety of activities for all ages. Truck drivers bring their rigs to Grafton from all over for this fantastic weekend.

Friday is race day held at the Grafton Race Course starting at 11.30am.

Saturday is the Truck parade which proceeds through the Main Street of Grafton, Saturday afternoon at the Show Ground consists of Trade Displays, Wood Chopping, Food Stalls and Kids Rides and the Apex Tarp rolling tug a war and Kids Billycarts.

Saturday night is the Dinner Dance and presentation at the Grafton Services Club at 6.00pm.

Last but not least on the Sunday they have a four person Ambrose Golf Tournament at the Golf Course within the Race course at 10.00am.

There's always something new at the Yamba Community Markets featuring over 50 stalls, and many more in the peak seasons. It's the best way to spend a Sunday morning in the beautiful coastal town of Yamba.

Their stalls range from fresh fruit and vegetables, plants, plenty of food stalls including Asian and Japanese foods, second hand furniture, clothing, arts and crafts, train and pony rides and so much more. Come early for breakfast and bring the family for a great start to the day.

Woodenbong Yowie Country Market is held on the last Saturday of every month at the Woodenbong Public Hall and grounds in the heart of the village, handy to shops, golf club, camping grounds and Woodenbong Hotel for accommodation and meals, and provides wheelchair access and accommodates indoor and outside stall sites.

A country charm surrounds the market events featuring live entertainment (jammers and buskers are welcome), face painting, natural healing and massage, children's playground on site. Great variety of stalls including art and Aboriginal art, craft, ceramics, jewellery, wood carving, pottery, wrought iron work, sewing, knitting and hand crafts, home cooking, plants and second hand and collectable goods along with Yowie Souvenirs.

Local genus of Yowie visits regularly.