A Local’s Guide To Tenterfield, NSW

When Cathryn van der Walt found the property that would soon host her Slow Stays, Mirumiru Bubbletent and Sunday at Mirumiru in Tenterfield NSW she also discovered a part of herself she never knew she was missing.

“I love leaving a hot and humid Brisbane and arriving in Tenterfield with autumn leaves around, popping the fireplace on and watching the sunset set with a great local red in hand,” she says. “Waking up to a frosty, foggy start to the morning in winter and capping it off with a pink sky is also a favourite.

“Roadside farm stalls, buying freshly picked stonefruit, and farming neighbours that truly look out for you are also lovely memories I’ve collected during my time here.”

Tenterfield NSW is a special part of the New England High Country, sitting just south of the Queensland border, around three-and-a-half hours’ drive from Brisbane or just under three hours from Byron Bay.

This charming Federation town is surrounded by six national parks that you can hike, bike, swim or tour in, plus it is home to Bald Rock, the largest exposed granite monolith in the Southern Hemisphere. “Hiking here for sunrise or sunset is spectacular and it has a walking track suitable for families and more committed and capable hikers,” says Cathryn.

A true four-season destination, there are no traffic lights, no global fast food chains – just an old fashioned country town, still with plenty to see and do. “At night Tenterfield’s clear skies make you feel like you are on top of the world and you can almost touch the stars.”

This is Cathryn’s Tenterfield Guide.