Northern Rivers
The Northern Rivers encompasses the far north-east corner of NSW, from the mighty Clarence River up to the Queensland border and west to the Great Dividing Range.
In this one compact region, you’ll discover the endless stretch of Pacific Coast beaches that gave rise to the Australian surfing legend; lush rolling countryside dotted with quaint and quirky townships; rugged cattle country; mystical rainforests and deep river gorges disappearing up into the mountains.
In an area blessed by rich volcanic soils and an idyllic climate, it comes as no surprise that a huge variety of produce is grown here – from macadamia nuts to coffee beans and from exotic tropical fruits to commercially grown native foods.Here too you will find that farming and hospitality go hand-in-hand, with many growers providing excellent facilities where visitors can enjoy their gourmet delights.
Much of this local produce stars on the menus of our local restaurants and cafes that spill out on to the pavements of towns like Byron Bay, Bangalow, Yamba and Kingscliff.
The Northern Rivers region of NSW evolved as a traditional farming community where the exceptional growing conditions fostered the development of sugar cane, timber, cattle, banana and market garden industries.
In more recent years, the influx of city escapees seeking a more meaningful lifestyle have added a touch of sophistication to the towns while the alternative lifestylers who settled in the hills have contributed a laid-back back to nature approach. The blending of these seemingly opposite lifestyles with the traditional farming community has resulted in a rich diversity of character. At the same time, it has fostered the emergence of new and experimental produce, ranging from native foods to gourmet- all of which provide the perfect complement to the original flavours of the region.
The region, known for its ‘clean green’ environment and farming practices produces a wide range of crops including fruit such as bananas, avocados, macadamias, blueberries, pawpaws, stone fruit, custard apples, mangoes and passionfruit while the region’s main vegetable growing area Cudgen on the Tweed provides sweet potatoes, winter tomatoes and zucchinis as well as early peas and beans. Lettuce and other leafy vegetables as well as tomatoes are also grown hydroponically in the region. Other crops grown in the region include coffee, tea, native foods, olives, bamboo and herbs both culinary and medicinal.
Wild caught and farmed fish and prawns abound on the coastal areas and the region has a large beef industry, centred around Casino. The area also has a significant number of value adding enterprises ranging from small scale manufacture of gourmet products to larger scale production in areas such as coffee, macadamias, sugar, tea, dairy products and meat.
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Regional
Administrator Contact Details
Name: Northern Rivers Regional Cuisine Project
Address: PO BOX 146, Lismore, NSW, 2480.
Phone: 02 6622 4011
Fax: 02 6621 4609
Email: rcuisine@nrrdb.com.au
Web:
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