Time to Roam Magazine Issue 13 - February/March 2015 | Page 45

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travel lismore + nimbin + villages
Nimbin Rocks and Kombi

History and Heritage
The Wilson River that runs through Lismore was the original
highway that opened up the region to European settlers. Before
that it was regarded as a sacred “old friend” by many generations
of the Widjabul Aboriginal people who thrived for thousands
of years in one of Australia’s richest natural environments.
Early settlers included many English, Scottish and Irish families
who labored long and hard to clear what was known as “The Big
Scrub”. In those days the Wilson was known as the “North Arm”
of the Richmond River and Lismore was a busy shipping port,
with thousands of tons of timber exported each week in the late
1800s. The river trade came to an end in the early 1950s when a
massive flood washed away much of the crucial infrastructure. By
then the railway had taken over as the main mode of transporting
goods. With the last train running to Lismore in 2004, plans are
now being discussed to transform the former rail line running from
Casino to Murwillumbah into a Rail Trail for walkers and cyclists.

Only in Lismore...

Minyon Falls

Do Your Block

The Wall still stands

While most country centres feature
a main street of varying lengths,
Lismore has four busy CBD streets,
so traditionally shoppers have
been able to do a circuit around the
main central block. Completing the
one-mile round trip is known locally
as “doing a blocky” and there are
plenty of cafes, buskers and off-beat
collectible stores to keep it interesting.

While the Berlin Wall came down
in 1989 and some European cities
have medieval walls, Lismore is
Australia’s only city protected by a
giant concrete barricade, complete
with a turret and massive gates.
The purpose is to keep out floods,
with the CBD having gone under
several times over the past hundred
years, causing massive damage.

Lismore Centra Holiday Park
About as close as you could get to
the centre of Lismore, the park is
pet friendly and caters for Caravans,
RVs, Minivans and Campers.
Shopping, Restaurants, Clubs and
pubs are a stones throw away and
Seniors concessions are available.
Ph 02 6621 6581

Traffic light
free nirvana

Best of Queensland

Lismore Palms Caravan Park
A picturesque holiday park set in
7.5 acres of peaceful