Tweed Heads Historic Site
Overview
Experience Aboriginal cultural heritage at Tweed Heads Historic Site and Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Visit sacred Aboriginal sites and enjoy some easy walking.
Read more about Tweed Heads Historic Site
Tweed Heads Historic Site and Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre offer relaxing experiences among nature and authentic ways to learn about local Aboriginal culture. It’s only a short drive from popular holiday destinations like the Gold Coast and Byron Bay.
Visit the cultural centre, see the museum displays and listen to Aboriginal guides talk about their history and culture and the significance of sacred Aboriginal sites like the ceremonial Bora Ring. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to see Bora Ring for yourself via Walk on Water walking track.
Afterwards, wander back and enjoy a relaxing picnic surrounded by Aboriginal culture at the Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre.
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/tweed-heads-historic-site/local-alerts
Contact
- in the North Coast region
Tweed Heads Historic Site is always open, but Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre is open 10am-3pm Monday to Thursday.
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Murwillumbah office
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Email: npws.tweedbyron@environment.nsw.gov.au
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Murwillumbah office
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Tweed Heads Historic Site.
Map
Map legend
Getting there and parking
From Tweed Heads:
- Turn onto Minjungbal Drive at South Tweed Heads from Pacific Highway
- Turn right into Kirkwood Road, near Tweed City Shopping Centre, then continue to the car park at the end of the road before it turns right into Davey Street.
Parking
- Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre See on map
By bike
Check out the Bicycle information for NSW website for more information.
By public transport
Tweed Heads Historic Site is accessible by bus, then a short walk from the bus stop at Tweed City Shopping Centre. For information about public transport options, visit the NSW country transport info website
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Tweed Heads Historic Site. Here are some of the highlights.
Spring
Great time for walking, with less mosquitoes and lots of butterflies to see. Look out for the vivid blues of the blue triangle or blue mangrove butterflies.
Summer
Get away from the holiday crowds, and instead enjoy the Walk on Water walking track and learning about Aboriginal culture.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
18°C and 30°C
Highest recorded
42.9°C
Winter temperature
Average
8°C and 22°C
Lowest recorded
-1.4°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
February
Driest month
September
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
820.4mm
Facilities
Amenities
Toilets
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
Drinking water
Maps and downloads
Prohibited
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Visitor centre
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Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre
17 Kirkwood Road, Tweed Heads South NSW 2486 - Monday to Thursday, 10m to 3pm.
- 07 5524 2109
Nearby towns
Tweed Heads (4 km)
Tweed Heads features endless surfing, beaches and waterways. It is the northernmost town on the NSW coast.
Murwillumbah (29 km)
Murwillumbah is rich dairy, sugar cane and banana country. It's located on the banks of the Tweed River and set in the Tweed River Valley against a backdrop of rainforest-clad hills.
Byron Bay (63 km)
Byron Bay is Australia's easternmost town and 'style capital' of the North Coast. It's a place of outstanding natural beauty, set against lush volcanic hills.
Learn more
Tweed Heads Historic Site is a special place. Here are just some of the reasons why:
Rich Aboriginal culture
It is believed that local Goori people have been living in Tweed Valley for at least 6,000 years. The ceremonial Bora Ring you'll see on Walk on Water walking track provides a glimpse into ancient traditions and important Aboriginal ceremonies. Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre also provides evidence of and information on the rich Aboriginal cultural heritage, both past and living. It's a popular meeting place for Goori people and the wider Aboriginal community and offers visitors an authentic insight into many aspects of Aboriginal culture.
- Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre an ideal school excursion or day trip for learning about Aboriginal culture. Listen to Aboriginal guides and enjoy a picnic.
Packed with life
In summer, look out for clusters of small yellow flowers on the grey mangroves in Tweed Heads Historic Site. This is a great place to step into a natural world and get up close with the animals. You'll find unique butterflies such as blue triangle, black jezebel and endangered blue mangrove butterfly. For birdwatchers, the forests and waterways at Tweed Heads provide plenty of birdwatching opportunities. You might even spot mangrove kingfishers and honeyeaters.
A place of diverse landscapes
Tweed Heads Historic Site includes a diversity of coastal vegetation in a relatively small area. You can see the open grasslands of salt couch between the tide lines. There are eucalypt forests and woodlands near the cultural centre, but wander along Walk on Water walking track and you'll be surrounded by swamp forests with broad-leaved paperbark and swamp she-oaks. At the water's edge, you'll see one of the most diverse mangrove communities in NSW.
Education resources (1)
What we're doing
Tweed Heads Historic Site has management strategies in place to protect and conserve the values of this park. Visit the OEH website for detailed park and fire management documents.