Just a short hop south of Byron Bay, this coastal getaway in Ballina will transport you to the simpler holidays of your childhood.

Remember those sleepy beach holiday towns that didn’t have hatted restaurants or fancy hotels? The kinds of places that were so low-key, they essentially mandated slowing down and spending time in nature with your family?

We’re happy to report that these places still exist. Just a 30-minute drive south of Byron Bay, Ballina is one of them. Long derided as Byron’s boring, retiree cousin, Ballina’s peaceful riverside setting and nostalgic charm are now winning over a new generation of summer holidaymakers seeking a low-fi reset by the sea. Even most Byron locals will admit they have a soft spot for Ballina – myself included. Here’s how to make the most of your visit.

Get a taste of Ballina’s iconic prawns

Have you even been to Ballina if you haven’t taken a selfie at the Big Prawn? Built in 1989 to celebrate Ballina’s prawning industry, the 35-tonne crustacean rises beside River St, Ballina’s main drag, opposite Bunnings, which saved the legendary Big Thing from demolition in 2011. As you’d expect, Ballina prawns are among Australia’s best. Buy them fresh from Northern Rivers Seafood or the Ballina Fishermen’s Co-op, both just down the road on River St. The Co-op is also the best place in town for takeaway fish and chips.

Uncover your favourite Ballina beach

Ballina’s beautiful and blissfully uncrowded main surf beaches – Lighthouse, Shelly, Angels and Sharpes – all lie north of the Richmond River. Learn how to ride the waves with Lets Go Surfing, which operates across the Ballina Shire. Or search for sea creatures in the rockpools at Flat Rock Beach, a small headland beach between Angels and Sharpes.

Serpentine and Gawandii beaches on the Richmond River offer protection from the surf and a chance of pelicans, but watch out for strong tidal currents and shifting sandbars. The calm waters of Shaws Bay, an inlet separated from the river by a breakwall, are ideal for swimming and stand-up paddleboarding. Travelling with dogs? You can take them to Angels and Sharpes beaches as well as Missingham Beach (The Spit) on the river.

You can also cool off at the Ballina War Memorial Pool and the Ballina Waterslides, located within the pool complex.

Immerse in Ballina’s natural setting

Soak up the Ballina Coast scenery on its network of shared pathways. Hire a bike from Ballina Byron Bike Hire in the Riverwalk Arcade and hit nature trails including the Shaws Bay Loop (3.1 kilometres), or follow the signs between the Marine Rescue Tower and the Ballina RSL (4.5 kilometres one-way) to learn about the importance of the river to generations of Nyangbal families, early settlers and the Ballina community today.

Make a day of it and cycle or walk from Lighthouse Beach along the coast to the Pat Moreton Lookout at Lennox Head (8.1 kilometres one-way), a great spot for a picnic. Also in Lennox Head is Lake Ainsworth, a huge freshwater tea-tree lake you can swim in just steps from Lennox’s Seven Mile Beach. You can also take the Burns Point Vehicle Ferry across the Richmond River to tiny South Ballina and its wild beach stretching 30 kilometres south to Evans Head. Back in Ballina, take a late afternoon stroll out to the tip of North Wall (1.5 kilometres from the Swaws Bay Hotel) for epic sunset views.

Get out on the water

Migrating humpback whales can be seen from Ballina’s beaches between May and October, with whale activity generally peaking in August and September. Observe their playful antics up close on a whale-watching tour with Out of the Blue Adventures, or join a dolphin cruise from December to March to hang out with the region’s resident bottlenose dolphins. Out of the Blue Adventures also offers family-friendly sunset river cruises from December to April.

Dip into Ballina’s casual coastal dining scene

For great coffee with sparkling sea views, look no further than the Shelly Beach Cafe. Just around the headland, overlooking Lighthouse Beach, Capiche was made for long, modern Italian weekend lunches or dinner any night of the week. Switch sea views for river views at Saltbush Bar & Grill, where local seafood stars on the bistro-style menu. Nearby, on River St, Hey Lady Diner’s decor leans into Ballina’s old-school vibe, but the Mediterranean-influenced menu is thoroughly modern. For casual Mexican, Bob’s Tacos in the Riverwalk Arcade has you covered.

On Shaws Bay, the ‘Shawsy’ (Shaws Bay Hotel) goes off on weekends, buoyed by the youthful energy of a new wave of locals priced out of the neighbouring Byron Shire. Ballina even has its own brewery, with Seven Mile Brewing Co near Ballina’s airport open Thursday to Sunday, often with a food truck and live music. Try the Cali Cream – it’s one of Australia’s most underrated ales.

Self-catering? Shop hyper-local at the Ballina Farmers & Producers Market, held at the riverfront Commemoration Park on Sundays from 7-11am. For more drinking and dining options, head up the coast road to Lennox Head, where top picks include Shelter for contemporary coastal dining, Rhea Food + Wine for European-inspired share plates and Baraka for moreish Middle Eastern. Or head to the Lennox Hotel for cold beer and a pub feed by the sea.

Explore Ballina’s lush hinterland

The rolling hills of Ballina’s hinterland are ripe for laid-back exploration. Just 15 minutes’ drive northwest of Ballina is the historic hamlet of Newrybar, where you might bump into locals like Liam Hemsworth while grabbing a coffee at The Little General or Zentveld’s Coffee, or browsing local boutiques including The Old Pacific. Nearby is the lovely Killen Falls, one of the region’s most accessible waterfalls (bring your swimmers), and the Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, where you can bottle-feed Angus calves.

Twenty minutes west of Ballina is Summerland Farm, a working avocado and macadamia farm with family-friendly attractions including farm tours by tractor and an adventure park. Nearby is the Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a remnant of the Big Scrub rainforest that once blanketed this rural landscape. A 400-metre-long boardwalk, suitable for wheelchairs and prams, loops this lush pocket of rainforest – keep an eye out for shy red-necked pademelons.

Love golf? Pack your clubs for the scenically situated nine-hole Teven Valley Golf Course, which begins with an elevated tee shot over the rainforest below.

Ballina’s best rainy-day activities

Ballina’s first bathhouse is an absolute bargain, with a one-hour session at Sisu Recovery (offering traditional and infrared saunas, ice baths and a magnesium vitality pool) costing just $40. Yoga, breathwork and other classes are also available. For more yoga classes, head to Ballina Yoga.

Another great rainy day retreat is Ballina’s Palace Cinemas, with all sessions just $12 on Mondays and Tuesdays. Or grab an umbrella and hit Ballina’s Op Shop & Vintage Trail.

Bed down in Ballina on a budget

Ballina nails family-friendly accommodation by the sea, with options including Flat Rock Tent Park with 87 unpowered sites and the Reflections Shaws Bay holiday park sandwiched between the Shaws Bay Hotel and Gawandii Beach. Reflections Ballina on River St is also steps from the beach, and Discovery Parks – Ballina occupies the eastern shore of Shaws Bay. Tucked behind Lighthouse Beach, Ballina Beach Resort has an array of room types and an inviting swimming pool. For a more secluded holiday park vibe, South Ballina’s Ballina Beach Nature Resort offers glamping tents along with cabins and tent sites.

The reimagined roadside trend has also reached Ballina, where a 1980s motor inn on River St has been transformed into The Cubana with 27 colour-popping rooms, a jellybean pool and vintage-style bikes available for rent.