Emma Pritchard

After speaking to several local businesses and real estates to gauge how they have been experiencing the summer tourism season, the Clarence Valley Independent spoke with some of the visitors we welcomed to the area recently and asked them to share their thoughts on what makes our region such a fantastic place to visit.

Freyah Goldstein: My boyfriend and I have been spending Christmas in Yamba every year for the last four years. We absolutely love it. We live in Armidale and it’s just so awesome to come to the beach. It’s an annual trip for us and we always look forward to coming here. I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in Australia.

Jhavarna-Lee Smidt: This is the second time I’ve visited the Clarence Valley during summer, and it’s amazing. Iluka and Yamba are my favourite places to visit, and I also think the beaches are much cleaner compared to others further along the coast. I live in Dubbo, so I don’t go to the beach very often. I’d definitely recommend other people come here because this whole area just has an incredible vibe.

Elisa van Helsburg: I love visiting Yamba. It’s a really pretty place and it’s much nicer than Byron Bay because the beaches aren’t as crowded, and I think the locals are a lot more welcoming.

Kerry McPherson: I’ve been coming to the Clarence Valley on and off for many years. I have a lot of friends and family who live in the area. I love visiting the little communities like Ulmarra and Brooms Head because they’re full of beautiful people who go out of their way to make you feel welcome.

John Hutton: My mother was born in Scotland, so every time I go to Byron Bay for the school holidays, I always make sure I visit the Scottish shop in Maclean and buy her a present to remind her of her homeland. As a tourist, I think it’s good to support local businesses and Maclean is a nice spot to visit because it has a lot of Scottish heritage.

Clein Dolten: I usually go to Byron Bay during the holidays but this time I decided to visit Yamba instead. The local beaches were awesome and so were a lot of the cafes I went to. The atmosphere is really chill and everyone’s really happy. It’s a great place to come to if you’re in search of a relaxing getaway.

Matilda Hogg: I live on the Central Coast, and I’d never explored Northern NSW properly until this summer. I visited so many places in the Clarence Valley and I also went swimming in the Clarence River which was amazing. It’s easy to see why the area is known as Big River Country. It’s so beautiful. I’ll definitely come back for another holiday.

Shiann Jiang: The Clarence Valley is a very beautiful place to visit because it has a lot of National Parks, lovely beaches, interesting museums and it also has a lot of very good accommodation facilities. It’s a very good place to visit and I would recommend it to all of my friends and family.

Natalie Kirk: The best thing about the Clarence Valley is the variety of activities available for tourists. There are plenty of beaches to visit, heaps of great little cafes and eateries, National Parks where you can go bushwalking, and all the different places you can visit like Wooli, Nymboida, Grafton, Maclean and Yamba. There’s so much to choose from, I love it. I’m already planning my 2022 summer holidays here.