Lennox Head Unearthed

Everyone in Southeast Queensland likes somewhere new to go on a short-stay break and we’ve unearthed a coastal village on the move in northern NSW.Less than an hour from the Qld-NSW border and only 15 minutes from Byron Bay, Lennox Head is undergoing a renaissance when other coastal locations are struggling.Greater access to the seaside hamlet has been made possible by the construction of the dual carriageway between the Gold Coast and Brunswick Heads, the Ballina Bypass, and direct daily flights from Sydney and Melbourne into Ballina airport only 10 minutes away.Lennox Head has literally sprung to life with the emergence of high quality award-winning restaurants, coffee shops and fashion boutiques, most of which are full every weekend.The iconic Lennox Hotel has just completed a multi-million upgrade to meet a new sophisticated market that is discovering the secrets that have until now been restricted to locals or a few visitors.Included in the new-look hotel are a spectacular new restaurant, and the creation of wedding and conference facilities that are now competing with the more traditional locations of Byron Bay and the Gold Coast.New accommodation has also emerged. Next door to the hotel is the latest beachfront apartment project in town – the Lennox Point Holiday Apartments – which offers well appointed beachfront accommodation at an affordable price in the heart of Lennox Head.These apartments provide Lennox Head with the level of accommodation that has not been available before to cater for the wedding and conference markets being sought by the hotel right next door.“The improved infrastructure, from the roads, the direct flights, the restaurant options, the new standard of accommodation and the transformation of the hotel have finally enabled us to compete with traditional northern NSW conference and function destinations such as Casuarina and Byron Bay,” said Troy Lister, a spokesman for the hotel.“These improvements have exposed us like never before and enabled us to compete for the first time for markets out of Sydney and Brisbane and our forward bookings are very good for conferences and weddings.“We are investing in the hotel as a direct result of increased inquiries from those looking for an alternative experience to the more traditional destinations like the Gold Coast and Byron Bay.”Along with a world famous surf break, the suburb is home to a range of eco and adventure tourism operators, is home to the famous therapeutic Tea Tree lake, and is a popular whale watching spot.Lennox Head serves as a well positioned base to explore the surrounding region including national parks, Byron Bay, and the Tweed Hinterland.