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Sign in with FacebookLatest Ballina hotel reviews
Pro
A beautiful holiday and fishing place on the coast
Con
A bit of a bottleneck where the highway is concerned
In a nutshell
Lovely to visit, holiday and fish.
iandsmith Says: Perhaps the most famous exhibit at the Ballina Maritime Museum is the 12-metre long and 6-metre wide Las Balsas which landed at Ballina on 21 November, 1973. The balsa wood raft floated across the Pacific from Ecuador, a journey of 3760 nautical miles which it achieved in...
iandsmith Says: This beautiful Court House was built in 1867 and now is a central feature of the town's main street. Located between the Post Office and the Police Station it is part of an impressive lot of public buildings. Located riverside it stands out against all the 20th century...
lindyz Says: The Lighthouse on the cape at Byron Bay is the most easterly point in Australia and for that reason, it has become a very popular place to visit. It is a beautiful lighthouse that is well looked after and restored, however the fact that they actually charge you a fee to park...
lindyz Says: We went for a drive around the main Ballina Beaches on the morning of Bluesfest just to pass some time, there are some lovely beaches which would be beautiful places to spend a few hours on a sunny summers day.
lindyz Says: On the Tuesday, the only day we really had to spend in and around Ballina, it was terrible weather and rained for most of the day. So we just went for a drive along the freeway to the Macadamia Castle to have a look. They do not charge entrance to the shop and cafe, but...
lindyz Says: Buffy Sainte-Marie - well none of us (by us, I mean those all around us who by the end of day, we called family!!!) had ever heard of her, but OMG she was amazing! She could sing incredibly, she was Canadian Native American and so were her whole band - really really enjoyed...
Other acts at Bluesfest Mojo Tent
lindyz Says: We were lucky to be given an interesting selection of performers in the Mojo Tent on Monday 25th April! Frank and I actually enjoyed all of the acts we saw, most of them we had never heard or indeed never even heard of!!!Schedule for the day was this:-12.00-12.45pm Bobby...
lindyz Says: The obvious highlight of my time at Bluesfest was to see Bob, and we got there early and marked our spot so we were up close and personal! Being second row from the front was awesome, and even though Frank did not have a great camera, he managed to take some pretty good...
Bluesfest - Easter Weekend at Byron Bay
lindyz Says: I will freely admit that while I enjoy listening to Blues music, that I am not really into it or a huge fan. However, when it was announced that Bob Dylan would be playing at this years Bluesfest back in November 2010, that was it ..... I was going!!!!!!!!! At the time that...
Colzy Says: This is one of my favourite things to do in Ballina. A breakwall is an artificial wall, commonly built of stone, which protects a harbour from lake waves. Ballina's version of this is especially pretty when some of Ballina's 100 strong fishing fleet go out to sea between...
24 Opinions
1 Review and 183 Opinions We had a Spa Room with beautiful river views, King bed, a very large bathroom. We hadn't booked, we...
The Point Ballina: Riverside restaurant
colin_bramso Says: On the ground floor of the Ramada Ballina hotel overlooking the river. You can eat inside or outside on the deck right on the river bank.A bar and restaurant for relaxed drinks and dining with a good selection of international dishes on the menu and a good wine list. I had...
Bluesfest Food: Great food choices at Bluesfest
lindyz Says: I was rather amazed that at Byron Bay Bluesfest, once inside, you have soooo many choices for food, and they were not too badly priced either. They have the monopoly, once you are inside, unless you bring your own food, then they can really charge you whatever they like, and...
Popeyes Take Away: Best value Fish 'n' Chips
lindyz Says: We felt like fish 'n' chips on Tuesday lunch and this seemed to be the only place open! While the food was much dearer than we are used to paying (and much smaller pieces of fish cocktails) it was delicious. We ordered 2 of the Fish and Chips pack, 4 potato scallops and a...
Thai by Night Restaurant: Delicious Thai
lindyz Says: Being the Easter long weekend, it didnt seem that a lot was open in the way of shops and restaurants in Ballina. Having just arrived, settled into our Motel, we drove to find somewhere nice for dinner. This place was open and had several people in there, so thats always a...
Evolution: Perfect for your morning coffee
colin_bramso Says: Right next to the Ramada hotel and a few metres from the river, this is the place for your morning caffeine hit. I'm very fussy about my coffee - I drink it black with no sugar so the quality of the coffee and how it's made is important. Evolution serves beautifully made...
Helpfulness
BALLINA
When enjoying the great surf and beaches here in Northern New South Wales always make sure that you have the sun "covered". Use a strong sunscreen of at least 30 + on all exposed skin areas. The sun here can be relentless and with Australia having the highest rates of skin cancer it pays to cover up.. We all love a tan but the cost can be a very high one. With the the hole in the Ozone layer above us here , the Ultra Violet rays are that much stronger and consequently more dangerous.
After you have been swimming or surfing make sure that you re- apply the sunscreen as it washes off...especially to your nose and the tops of your ears. Try and wear a wide brimmed hat and a pair of sunglasses Also a lip balm is handy as is a good moisturiser.
Written Jan 15, 2012
Helpfulness
One of our members went to a considerable amount of trouble to find, get directions for and book what we thought was a lovely farmhouse accommodation. A place where we could be by ourselves, have a nice view, do our own catering and relax overnight after visiting the Crystal Castle. A number of phone calls were made and website information received and a (what appeared to be) detailed map of how to find them was received, and a deposit paid to them. We were so happy having had a wonderful visit to the crystal castle and set off in caravan to find our farmhouse. The directions as to where the place was, was accurate........i.e. through a banana plantation up a steep hill.........but the untruth came in the form of that the road was ok to drive in a car. One of our vehicles was a van. The concrete road was the occasional strip of broken concrete with rubble in between sections (boulders in some places) and with the drizzle it was pretty slippery. In fact we couldn't turn around (as in change our minds) and the van skidded, bogged, bumped and jived periously close to the edge a number of times- the car didn't do much better. It seemed to go for miles and the drivers were really packing it..........as in "OH **** **** ****". Luckily we came to a little clearing on one side and decided to turn around at that point- and hoped to get down safely.
Unique Suggestions: When we finally reached the bottom again safely.............we had this great group hug........laughed and cried and carried on.........I even threatened to have a smoke...............(I didn't though). We really thought that we were lucky to come out of there alive.
Our alternative was in having the good luck to find the Lyrebird Motel in Mullumbimby that had vacancies otherwise we don't know what we might have done......... see accommodation tip.
Fun Alternatives: NEVER go somewhere unless you have the full details from a vter or someone that you know personally that has been there.
Updated Nov 5, 2005
Colzy Says: Lennox Head is situated at about the mid-way point between Byron Bay and Ballina, about 5km north of Ballina. It is basically a small seaside village but one that boasts some pretty spectacular beaches. I have to admit that Lennox Head Pub is also worth a look :)Lennox...
Colzy Says: This region of New South Wales is incredibly unique because of its vicinity to both the coast and some amazing hinterland. Because most Australian towns are situated on the coast it makes for something really different to get out and experience the countryside. You will...
Helpfulness
Favorite thing: The beaches to the east of Ballina are good, even by Australia's exceptional standards. No visit to the area is complete without trying the surf at Lighthouse Beach, Shelly Beach and/or Angels Beach. They all stand in sharp contrast to the urban quality of the town centre. Here the Pacific Ocean breaks on beautiful sandy beaches and there are nearly always ideal surfing conditions.
Further north you're liable to find quality breaks at Sharpe's Beach and, of course, the next one north which is the legendary Lennox Head.
Fondest memory: Sharpe's is also a great spot to go birdwatching with boardwalks through the heath land just beyond the sands. See pics 4 and 5.
Updated Sep 12, 2011
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