7 minute read
Step Back in Time
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PEOPLE, PLACES, EVENTS AND STORIES OF THE TWEED AND DISCOVER HOW THESE PAST MOMENTS HAVE SHAPED OUR PRESENT.
From a proud Indigenous culture to the drama of ancient landscapes and from heritage towns to evolving trades, there are tales aplenty to be told and heard in the Tweed. Follow our trail to Tweed cultural enlightenment on a three day journey that takes you deep into bygone days and a land as old as time itself.
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DAY 1: Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah
Begin at the beginning and gain an appreciation for the region’s Indigenous peoples with a visit to the Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Tweed Heads. Operated by the local Aboriginal community, the centre’s exhibits, tours, art and occasional performances will ground you in knowledge of our respected cultural core. Check ahead for opening times.
Before heading inland, also call into the Tweed Regional Museum’s smaller branch at Tweed Heads, housed in the area's original Court House and built in 1926.
Follow the Tweed River, carved from the long-ago flow of an ancient shield volcano, to Tumbulgum. Enjoy lunch at the Tumbulgum Tavern, the area’s first licensed pub built in 1870, or at the picturesque House of Gabriel, set on Riverside Drive. The flavour-filled restaurant feels right at home in what was a local bakery and confectionary store over 120 years ago. Here too, overlooking the Tweed River, is a tribute to Faith Bandler (nee Mussing) who grew up in Murwillumbah. Recognised with an Order of Australia, declared a living treasure by the National Trust and presented with a peace award by Nelson Mandela, Faith was a campaigner for human rights whose persistence led to the inclusion of Aboriginal Australians in the census from 1967, giving longawaited recognition and the right to vote.
Round out your day of immersive learning with a self-guided walk, Facade, that leads you through the stunning Art Deco streets of Murwillumbah. Decimated at the turn of the century by fire, the town was rebuilt in the style of the time, with pressed metal and sunburst ceilings, lead light windows and curved edge walls, all standing the test of time.
Browse gifts and goods at The Foundry, housed in a restored 1908 space, then rest up overnight at the glorious 1932 Imperial Hotel, where you'll also find a warm bistro and local Stone & Wood beer on tap.
Take your pick of breakfast menus in old school spaces, including the fun Austral Cafe or a 1970s vibe at retro cafe, Keith.
First on the to-do list today is a visit to the Tweed Regional Museum, housed in an historic 1915 Art Deco building. Take time to soak in the centuries, from Aboriginal culture and geological evolution to tales of shipwrecks and farming the land.
Don't miss the Museum’s Land|Life|Culture exhibition which celebrates the Tweed’s incredible landscapes, including animation that captures the collapse of an ancient shield volcano millions of years ago, leaving low plains and towering mountain edges in its wake. Before leaving the Museum, grab a copy of the Uki Village Centre Heritage Walk and set off south along Kyogle Road.
On your way to Uki, pop in to the Tweed Regional Gallery, in particular to visit the Margaret Olley Art Centre and learn about the much-loved Australian painter’s Sydney life and personal connection to the Northern Rivers region.
Following the flow of the Tweed River and with Wollumbin Mount Warning ever present, arrive in Uki and step your way along the Heritage Walk which unearths the history behind the main street’s many original buildings, with quite a few dating back to the early 1900s.
Overnight nearby at your choice of forested villa, country cabin or cosy rainforest retreat, such as the luxurious La Rocher Eco Retreat.
ASK A LOCAL Eva and Ross Heath
You'll be hard-pressed to find a more well-stocked vintage store than Heath’s Old Wares & Collectables in Burringbar where Eva and Ross Heath share their passion for history with fossickers from far and wide in their packed, floor-to-ceiling warehouse. With over 30 years’ experience in the antiques trade, they've also provided props for movies including The Thorn Birds and Pirates of the Caribbean and maintain The Local Trail, a listing of like-minded second-hand stores to guide collectors from one treasure trove to the next.
We love: Living and being part of a rural village yet being so close to the coast with major centres just far enough away.
We unwind by: Sitting on our back verandah watching the cows meander up to the dairy for milking time and exploring other villages in the hinterland.
Eating out: Flutterbies at Tyalgum for lunch followed by an amazing treat from Tyalgum Gelato and dinner has to be Mavis’s Kitchen!
Must-do day out: Take a country drive to The Pinnacle Lookout to see the natural landscape of the Caldera, then to Tweed Regional Gallery for lunch and culture and finish at Tweed Valley Whey Farmhouse Cheese Factory for a cuppa and some take-home yumminess.
Did you know: A little piece of history: The construction of the railway brought an influx of people to Burringbar and the village ‘centre’ moved from the old highway, now known as the Tweed Valley Way, to the current location of Broadway, Burringbar's main street, to be adjacent to the newly constructed railway facility, which closed in 2004.
UKI
F MURWILLUMBAH C D E TUMBULGUM B TWEED HEADS A
BURRINGBAR G
DAY 3: Uki, Burringbar Warm up your day with a visit to Bastion Lane Espresso and Art Post Uki, set in a 1909 heritagelisted Post Office on Uki’s main street, where roasted beans and coffee brews blend with uplifting art, postal services and local morning chatter. Delve deeper into the area’s back-stories at the Tweed Regional Museum’s Uki branch (call ahead to check on opening times) on Kyogle Road to learn how the town evolved. Said to take its name from the local Aboriginal word for ‘bandicoot’, Uki was built largely on dairy farming with Norco’s Butter Factory opening in
18 minutes
16 minutes
5 minutes
16 minutes
8 minutes
17 minutes A Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre
Tweed Regional Museum (Tweed Heads)
B Tumbulgum Tavern House of Gabriel Faith Bandler Tribute
C Facade self guided walk
The Foundry
Imperial Hotel
Austral Café
Tweed Regional Museum
D Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre
E Uki Heritage Walk Bastiaon Lane Espress Art Post Uki Tweed Regional Museum (Uki) Uki Buttery Bazaar Market
F La Rocher Eco Retreat
G Heath’s Old Wares & Collectables 1910 and still standing today as host to the popular Bazaar Markets. Also in town were blacksmiths, a coachbuilder, tinsmith, bootmaker and more, harking back to the halcyon days of lost trades.
A must for history buffs and vintage tragics alike is a visit to Heath’s Old Wares & Collectables in Burringbar, a 20 minute drive from Uki along Smiths Creek Road via Stokers Siding.
Set on the main street, Broadway, Heath’s is a magnet for antique-lovers with literal wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling treasures. Prepare for a lengthy fossick to complete your Tweed heritage adventure!
TWEED REGIONAL MUSEUM
museum.tweed.nsw.gov.au
Tweed Regional Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the unique history and heritage of the Tweed Shire, including our new Land Life Culture display, showcasing the cultural, biological and geological stories of the area. Museum displays also include people, places and events that shape life in the Tweed Valley. 5 Brisbane Street, Murwillumbah 02 6672 8265 | theregentcinema@gmail.com
cinemaregent.com
The Regent Cinema is a multi-functional venue. The theatre features a large stage where musical and theatre productions can be performed, and the large terrace is available for private parties and functions. Films (ranging from blockbusters to arthouse productions) are screened on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the year, and every day of the week during school holidays. TWEED REGIONAL AQUATIC CENTRES
Tumbulgum Rd, Murwillumbah; Cnr Cudgen Rd & McPhail Ave, Kingscliff; Heffron St, Tweed Heads Sth 02 6670 2750 | TRAC@tweed.nsw.gov.au
trac.tweed.nsw.gov.au
TRAC caters for all swimming needs with access options available for individuals with disabilities. Our main facility at Murwillumbah offers both indoor and outdoor pools, hydrotherapy pool, kids play pools, diving boards and a giant hill water slide. Our smaller facilities are situated at Kingscliff and
THE REGENT CINEMA, MURWILLUMBAH
Tweed Heads South. FLUTTERBIES COTTAGE CAFE
23 Coolman Street, Tyalgum 02 6679 3221 | info@fl utterbies.com.au
fl utterbies.com.au
Prepare to be charmed! The drive alone through the picturesque foothills of Mount Warning will win you over. Once you step inside the grounds of the lovingly restored Bakery and Butcher, you will fi nd a place fi lled with old world charm of times gone by. Renowned for friendly service, they offer Breakfast, Lunch and High Tea daily as well as Stoneground Pizza and Cocktails on Friday nights.
