Fingal Head is a tiny little ocean town in Northern New South Wales, on the other side of the Tweed River to Tweed Heads. The town provides the perfect little getaway close to the Gold Coast just across the state border, but also provides a great base from which to explore other places, such as Byron Bay, Mt Warning, Nimbin and other small regional towns. I was staying there with my girlfriend for a few days and decided to go off exploring the surrounding areas. First stop, Murwillumbah.
Murwillumbah is the town you pass through to get to places like Mt Warning, Tyalgum, Nimbin etc. Nestled on the banks of the Tweed River and surrounded by fields and fields of sugar canes, the small country town is certainly not bad on the eye.
Probably the stand out feature of the town (apart from the stunning views of the mountains) was the Tweed River Art Gallery. Located in the gallery is a large collection of modern work that you probably would not expect for a country town. Photography, abstract art and a very interesting memorial to Australian artist Margaret Olley.
Margaret Olley’s home in Paddington, Sydney was an infamous mess, though a work of art none the less. The bits and bobs around her home were often included in her paintings, she was able to personify the chaos of her home.
Following her death in 2011, a group of artists decided to create a memorial for the late artist at the Tweed River Art Gallery. In what is perhaps one of the most bizarre memorials I have heard of, they literally recreated several rooms of her home.
These photos below show the chaos. The clean freak in me felt a bit queasy looking at this.
The cafe at the gallery was also a delicious spot for lunch. As it is a highly popular venue with visitors and locals alike, we had to wait around 40 minutes for a table. While the food wasn’t as impressive as the food you’d find in the foodie hubs of a major CBD, it was impressive for a country town. The chickpea and brown rice patties were delicious! The views from the main deck, of Mt Warning and the surrounding ranges was also stunning.
The day after I visited the gallery, I climbed Mt Warning for the first time…