At the height of Ballina’s busiest time of the year for tourism, The Echo caught up with Team Leader Alanah Ward at the Ballina Visitor Information Centre to find out what’s been happening.
She said that numbers were surging after a ‘pretty terrible couple of years’, which included bushfire, COVID and flood crises buffeting the region.
‘They’re definitely bouncing back,’ said Ms Ward. ‘It’s been good to see the resilience of a lot of the businesses and visitors still wanting to come back to the area. Speaking to the caravan parks, they said they’ve had people return this year that haven’t been here three years. People are excited to finally be able to come back to the region.
‘There are definitely still challenges,’ she said. ‘I wouldn’t say it’s completely recovered. But visitors are returning.’
With Ballina still housing many flood refugees in emergency accommodation, the town can sometimes feel like it’s bursting at the seams at the moment, especially on sunny days, but this is a welcome transformation for those businesses that have managed to survive the ups and downs of recent years.
Alanah Ward says she believes the local tourism sector will continue to recover.
‘There’s a lot of really interesting new businesses in Ballina and of course, across the Northern Rivers, and I think there’s a real demand there, though of course with travel post-COVID, a lot of people want to go overseas.’
Is there a common thread in what visitors to the region are looking for?
‘Yeah, I think Ballina and the Northern Rivers in general is really known for its natural assets. So people want to go to our beaches or go for walks, or just be out in nature, and get away.’
Ms Ward said there were many families visiting, and a lot of caravanners. ‘There are people who have been coming here for years and years who just love getting away and enjoying what we have to offer.
‘I think we do that really well. We have great walkways everywhere, beautiful beaches, really amazing cafes, a great foodie scene and a really nice hinterland area to explore.’
Alanah Ward says Ballina Shire Council’s investment in new walking and cycling pathways is bearing fruit, with more and more visitors using them, and making special trips to Ballina to see what the fuss is all about.
‘Yeah we have huge interest in our coastal recreation paths. You can basically walk or cycle from here at the Visitor Center, all the way up to Lennox Head.’
She said the cycleways map is particularly popular, with people wanting to get out and enjoy the new routes. ‘It’s really nice to see people out in the sunshine, getting active and enjoying it, especially after being cooped up for so long. People really want to get out and be in nature.’
Ms Ward said there were also great new restaurants and cafes opening locally, along with new tourism operators entering the market, including walking tours. ‘People are really leaning into the natural assets and doing things that draw people into nature.’
She gave the example of Out of the Blue Adventures, who sail from Ballina Wharf.
‘During summer they offer the river cruises and they have the coastal explorer tours. They’ve just started snorkeling as well, so that’s a really great experience for people who want to get out and experience the ocean, which is obviously one of our biggest draw cards.’
With quieter beaches and more affordable options on offer than Byron Bay, Ballina seems in no danger of losing its family-friendly crown any time soon. So where are things heading?
‘I think people will always come here for our beaches and our hinterland,’ said Alanah Ward.
‘What will change is there’ll be more experiences and more chances for people to do that, and in all different kinds of ways.’
Is there a risk of the place being loved to death?
‘There’s always a risk of people loving things too much,’ said Ms Ward. ‘But it’s about how we manage tourism and disperse visitors – we want people to experience all parts of the region, not just Ballina but the Northern Rivers in general.’
She says the trick is to not put too much focus on one particular beach or one particular park. After all, ‘there’s so much to explore and so much to offer across the region…
‘Things are always changing just like any other region in the world. But what doesn’t change is that kind of small town feel and the connection to nature. What we love about the place will always be the same; the rolling green hills and the farmland and the beaches. That’s what we want to preserve.’
For rainy days in Ballina, Ms Ward said the Maritime Museum remained a popular local attraction, along with great new indoor activities like the climbing jungle and virtual golf. ‘That’s one for the big kids as well!’
Two other local tourism highlights she mentioned were Summerland Farm at Alstonville and the Aboriginal interpretive paths (currently north of Angels Beach, and in the process of being extended).
‘That’s a really good way for all ages to go and experience some of the stories along the coastline… There are great tourist drives too of course, there’s heaps to do.’
Whether you’re a local or a tourist, you can drop in to the Ballina Visitor Centre to learn more about what’s on offer locally. Alanah Ward is one of five staff members, supported by a large group of volunteers who also spread the good word about Ballina (and the wider region) at the airport.
You can learn more about the Visitor Centre here.
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