What are the best things to do in Tweed Heads, NSW?

The best things to do in Tweed Heads, NSW include snorkelling with turtles at Cook Island, exploring Indigenous traditions at the Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre and crab-catching cruises.

Tweed Heads, NSW, is as far north as you can go in the state. This town at the top of the Tweed Coast is sandwiched against the Queensland border, and effectively merges with Coolangatta on the Gold Coast.

Tweed Heads beaches

Things to do in Tweed Heads revolve around the beaches and coastline. The main two beaches are surfer favourite Duranbah Beach north of the Tweed River mouth, and the much longer Fingal Head Beach to the south.

Duranbah Beach is next to the Point Danger Lookout, a great spot for watching migrating humpback whales during winter months. There’s also a Captain Cook Memorial here, made from iron discarded by the Endeavour as it travelled up the east coast.

Five fabulous Tweed Coast experiences to at least consider booking

Tweed River lunch cruise – with wildlife viewing in the rainforest.
Crab-catching tour in Tweed Heads.
Farm tour at Tropical Fruit World – with wildlife spotting cruise.
Progressive four course meal across four top Kingscliff restaurants.
Husk Distillers distillery tour – with tastings.

Things to do in Tweed Heads, NSW: Tweed Heads Historic Site

There’s more nature at the Tweed Heads Historic Site, just south of Terranora Creek. The 1km, wheelchair-accessible Walk On Water walking track passes through a remarkable variety of habitats. These include eucalypt forest, woodlands, swamp forests and mangroves. On the way, you’ll see Bora Ring, an Aboriginal site traditionally used for initiation ceremonies.

You can find out more about Bora Ring and local indigenous culture at the Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre. It’s where the Walk On Water walking track starts.

Things to do in Tweed Heads, NSW: Cook Island turtle snorkelling

Otherwise, the best things to do in Tweed Heads involve getting on a boat. Watersports Guru runs boat trips out to the Cook Island Aquatic Reserve, just off Fingal Head. Green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles hang out here, and it’s one of the best places to swim with turtles in Australia.

Also excellent fun is the Catch A Crab tour. As the name suggests, this tour specialises in catching crabs. Depending on which time of year you go, it might be spanner crabs, mud crabs or sand crabs. Guides show you how the crabs are trapped, but the boat cruise also involves fishing on the Tweed River, trying to catch yabbies, hand-feeding the ubiquitous pelicans and learning about the Tweed Heads oyster farms. The two to two-and-a-half hour cruises cost $75.

The Catch a Crab tour in Tweed Heads, NSW. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

Things to do in Tweed Heads, NSW: Cruises

Tweed Eco Cruises, meanwhile, offers a bewilderingly large selection of cruises. One day you can do a sunset cruise on the river, the next a picnic cruise, the next a boat trip where you paint as go. There’s also a rum-tasting cruise to the Husk Distillery in Tumbulgum. Prices vary by theme and duration.

You can stop by Tweed Heads on the drive from Brisbane to Byron Bay. Also nearby are the coastal towns of Casuarina and Cabarita Beach, plus farm tours at Tropical Fruit World near Kingscliff.

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