TOURISM
Tenterfield - Where History Meets Nature
Tenterfield is one of the biggest shires in NSW and is made up of five villages, but it’s the CBD precinct and surrounding national parks that will give you a feel for what all the fuss is about.
Grab a brochure from designated shops that carry tourist information for a self-guided tour of historic buildings, as well as the not-to-miss places including beautifully restored boutiques and bakeries (FYI: Bad Manners Café on Manners Street serves delicious hot donuts), galleries, retail shops and a new divine wine bar, Stonefruit, on the main street
Searching for some local handmade goodies? We recommend the handmade leather goods at Matilda Leather and one-of-a-kind pieces from local potters and painters from Make It Tenterfield. A visit to the Tenterfield Saddler is always a must and the Royal Hotel across the road had a recent makeover and offers some great beers on tap.
Fancy a sticky beak at some Federation homes? Molesworth, Rouse, Logan and Manners Street are home to some great old buildings and amazing seasonal autumn trees that are becoming a huge hit with visitors. Round off your day in town with a stroll along the banks of Tenterfield Creek, where you’ll find a newly built art trail and new kids and youth precinct with pump track, skate park and a mountain bike skills park.
Pack your walking boots and camera
Here’s the thing, Tenterfield is surrounded by six national parks – so when it comes to scenic walks and outdoor adventures, you are seriously spoilt for choice. Pack a picnic and set off for Mount Mackenzie Lookout, where views stretch across the Tenterfield Valley and to the Queensland coast beyond. Or nearby you’ll find Draining Rock on Kildare Road, the second largest granite rock in the southern hemisphere, well worth a look.
Who took out the top spot you ask?! That would be Bald Rock, found at none other than Bald Rock National Park, a 30-minute drive north from the CBD. Crowned the southern hemisphere’s largest granite monolith, you’re invited to climb to the top and lap up the panoramic views, it’s seriously amazing.
Fancy a dip? Look no further than Boonoo Boonoo Falls – bring the esky, there are BBQs on site. Then there’s the Torrington State Conservation Area, an ideal spot for fossicking, or the Tooloom National Park, a bird-watching paradise.
Hop on your bike
Tenterfield is a blossoming hot spot for road, gravel and mountain biking, serving up single day, multi-day and off-road options.
For those who are especially serious about the sport, the town’s altitude is between 800m and 1300m above sea level, making this unique landscape an ideal training location for athletes countrywide. Angry Bull Trails is a new mountain bike trail initiative that has recently received serious government funding – so expect big things in this space for 2025 and beyond.
Sample a local tipple
Knucklehead Wines is where wine meets art and good times are had. It’s also where Kyle Goodwin and Sera J Wright – who are based in Tenterfield – started this unique brand and are striving to make the highest quality, low intervention wines in the New England High Country and Granite Belt. Sample the goods for yourself at Stonefruit Bar and other outlets in northern NSW.
Stay tuned for an emerging food scene in Tenterfield with 2025 set to have some great new events and businesses with new offerings coming to town.
So Tenterfield is, without doubt, an emerging destination town that’s ripe for some positive change – get up there soon to see what all the fuss is about.
Tenterfield Tourism
The Tenterfield Tourism Group is a subcommittee of the Tenterfield Chamber of Tourism Industry & Business (TCTIB).
This committee of like-minded Tenterfield business people have recently taken over all things tourism from the Tenterfield Shire Council effective December 2023. The Tenterfield Shire Council have committed to funding this group for three years including $100,000 Year 1, $50,000 Year 2 & $50,000 Year 3.
This funding covers 100% of all Tenterfield Tourism-related costs including wages, marketing collateral, digital marketing and all tourism-related costs. Should additional funds be required to operate this tourism group, the onus is on the committee to seek funding through grants, events, and donations.
Currently the Tenterfield Tourism Group is developing a new Destination Management Plan (DMP) with their current funding available which means they will be developing this themselves and engaging consultants on a needs and affordability basis.
The visit Tenterfield website is currently getting upgraded, new branding is currently underway and a new home for the Visitors Information Centre (VIC) is currently been discussed given the previous one that was owned and operated by the Tenterfield Shire Council closed in October 2023. This decision needs to be in the best interest of the business community and travellers alike and a long-term commercial sustainable position needs to be considered.
The Tenterfield Tourism Group sincerely welcomes the chance to help shape Tenterfield’s future and is a firm believer that this special town will become one of Australia’s unique destinations to visit by 2032.
