📍14 Best Things To Do In Lennox Head, NSW. (Activities, Attractions & Tours.) (2024.)
WONDERING WHAT THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN LENNOX HEAD ARE?
In a region full of beautiful coastal destinations, one of the most breathtakingly quaint is Lennox Head. Located just north of Ballina, the stunning gateway city to the Northern Rivers and within striking distance of Byron Bay, Australia’s iconic idyllic seaside town, this lovely sleepy village is an incredible place to visit thanks to its charming laid-back atmosphere and spectacular natural assets.
From the magnificent coastal cliffs of Lennox Point Headland to the delightfully tea-stained Lake Ainsworth, plus activities and tours like hang gliding and dolphin cruises, these are the best things to do in Lennox Head.
👉 My top 3 picks for what to do in Lennox Head, NSW:
- Watching the sunrise from Lennox Point Headland.
- Hang Gliding From Pat Moreton Lookout.
- Swimming at Lake Ainsworth.
Planning Your Trip? Use My Favourite Resources!
Tours/Experiences: I recommend Viator.
Accommodation: I recommend Booking.com.
Flights: I recommend Aviasales.
Car Rental: I recommend economybookings.
Best Things To Do In Lennox Head.
1. Pat Morton Lookout.
Pat Moreton Lookout is one of the most spectacular places to visit in Lennox Head. This breathtaking place atop the headland south of the village is a must-visit thanks to its incredible views overlooking the coastline to the north and the vast Pacific Ocean to the east.
What’s also great about this viewpoint is that you enjoy the soft golden light of sunrise and sunset from this one vantage point. Plus, the elevation means that it’s also fantastic for spotting bottlenose dolphins frolicking close to shore year-round or humpback whales passing by during their mammoth annual migration in the cooler months (typically between June and October.), so it’s a top spot to get the binoculars out.
Better yet, because there’s a clearing between the parking lot and the view, it’s a fantastic spot to do all of this from the comfort of your car, which is especially perfect on days when it’s cold and windy.
But that’s only half the story of why this is Lennox Head’s most unmissable place to visit. Venture up the stairs and through the trees and the view only gets astronomically better.
2. Hang Gliding Or Paragliding.
For those hoping for an indication to seek higher elevation, this is it because Pat Moreton Lookout is also where thrill-seekers can experience this spectacular coastline tandem hang gliding or paragliding!
With a quick run down the hill, it’s not long before the wind and the thermals lift you off the ground and into the atmosphere. Flying without a motorized engine or being inside an enclosed capsule to take you into the sky so effortlessly makes you feel like a bird. It is so peaceful and magical.
And when the view is as spectacular as the rugged cliffs of Lennox Point Headland surrounded by the stunning golden beaches with distant mountains on one side and the vast ocean on the other, you can bet there’s no experience more unforgettable than this that you can have in this quaint seaside town!
3. Lennox Point Headland.
As beautiful as Pat Moreton Lookout is, that’s only half the story of why this headland is Lennox Head’s most unmissable place to visit. Venture up the stairs and through the trees and the view only gets astronomically better.
Past the foliage, the landscape opens up and there are magnificent unfenced views of the rugged coast of Lennox Point Headland that feel as though you’ve been transported back in time with how pristine the immediate scenery looks. It feels so age-old and timeless that this is where the last scene of the Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales movie was filmed, where Kiera Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann and Orlando Blooms’ Will Turner meet back up with each other. I recognised it straight away as they barely changed it, it was that beautiful a spot, only bits in the background to set the scene.
Fun Fact: My brother had a small role in that movie, working a canon. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see him as the action in those scenes was too fast. It may have also been left on the cutting room floor, but it’s still cool none-the-less.
4. Have Fun At The Beaches.
The best thing about any seaside town is the beaches and Lennox Head is no exception. Seven Mile Beach runs 8.5km from the base of the Lookout Point Headland all the way to Jews Point at Broken Beach, meaning there are miles of sandy real estate to explore.
The southern side has a seasonally patrolled beach and where the red and yellow flags are is always the best place to swim, especially since there are often numerous rips present.
Experienced surfers are in for a good time too if there’s a southerly swell as Lennox Head is home to a world-class right-hander that’s great when it’s managing 1-3m but as it’s also capable of holding even higher sets, there’s no shortage to how much fun can be had on these waves.
Meanwhile, north of the town, it’s pristine untouched beaches as far as the eye can see, making it the perfect place to go for long barefoot walks with the sand between your tows. Or if you get a permit, you can have an incredible remote beach adventure in your 4WD.
5. Go Kitesurfing.
Another great way to spend time in the ocean is by going kitesurfing. Bring your own kit and have a blast using wind power to skip along the water’s surface and launch up into the air doing some sick tricks with the elevation.
Alternatively, you can book a lesson and start the process of becoming a kitesurfing aficionado, learning from a local the basics of what it takes to be able to ride the waves without hilariously stacking it into the briny abyss.
6. Lake Ainsworth/ Tea Tree Lake.
At the northern end of the village, just behind the beach is another place that makes Lennox Heads one of the best tiny town destinations in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.
Just behind the beautiful long sandy stretch of beachfront is the picturesque Lake Ainsworth. Also known as Tea Tree Lake thanks to the big bushy shady trees that sit along its shoreline and colour the water a distinctive brown, which gives it its third nickname, Coca-Cola Lake.
This stunning naturally-formed lake is an excellent place to go wild swimming, particularly if you have a fun novelty floating you can chill around on, like a giant flamingo, or one of those buoyant inflatable tents. Plus, it’s also great for other calm water activities such as stand-up paddleboarding and canoeing.
And the fact that it’s so close to the ocean, means that you can park in one place and enjoy frolicking in the saltwater waves on one side and splashing around in the lake’s calm fresh water without having to relocate, making it a great spot for groups divided on where they want to go.
7. Cycle The Coast – Lennox Head Boardwalk.
With Lennox Head being such a small village, instead of driving from location to location, a great alternative way to appreciate the sights and sounds and feel the ocean breeze is your hair on a bicycle.
Bring your own, or hire one locally and enjoy a pedal-powered two-wheel micro-adventure visiting the beach, the lake, dining at the local restaurants, eating takeaway at the park, or heading up the hill to watch the waves crash and search for marine life at the Pat Moreton Lookout.
With Lennox Head being such a small village, instead of driving from location to location, a great alternative way to appreciate the sights and sounds and feel the ocean breeze is your hair on a bicycle.
Bring your own, or hire one locally and enjoy a pedal-powered two-wheel micro-adventure visiting the beach, the lake, dining at the local restaurants, eating takeaway at the park, or heading up the hill to watch the waves crash and search for marine life at the Pat Moreton Lookout.
You could also easily cycle all the way to Lighthouse Beach and the business centre of Ballina to make a wonderful full day out on two wheels.
8. Boulder Beach.
Halfway between Lennox Head and Ballina is the beautiful but secluded Boulder Beach, one of the more photogenic stretches of sand in this part of the Northern Rivers. As the name suggests, the most prolific feature here is the boulders that dot the shoreline, making them great foreground subjects for long-shutter photography with the stunning Lennox Point Headland as the background in one direction and Iron Peg in the other.
9. Broken Head Nature Reserve.
In the other direction, the pristine Broken Head Nature Reserve sits midway between Byron Bay and Lennox Head and features even more spectacular beaches and headlands.
It’s a gorgeous place to visit and explore the coastline at its most rugged and breathtakingly untouched condition, making it the ideal place for long walks on the beach, romantic picnics and dynamic seascape photography.
Note: Expensive parking or free if you have a NSW National Park Pass.
Best Places To Visit Near Lennox Head, NSW.
10. Ballina.
The closest place to visit near Lennox Head lies the beautiful city of Ballina, just south. Despite having the largest regional airport in NSW, it is often just used as a gateway to get to the world-famous Byron Bay, despite being significantly larger. But it definitely doesn’t deserve to be overlooked. It has some fantastic attractions and things to do that make it an excellent destination in its own right, especially if you prefer a more relaxed atmosphere while still having easy access to all the conveniences that cities afford.
Beautiful beaches, a gorgeous river and a stunning enclosed bay mean it’s a fantastic place for swimming, snorkelling kayaking, boating, surfing, walking, cycling and much more. You can also opt for tranquil river cruises, wildlife cruises to see dolphins and whales in the ocean, scenic or aerobatic flights or even skydiving if you want to ramp things up.
And then there’s the Big Prawn. Australia’s love for “Big Things” is iconic. Cheesy AF, but iconic, and Ballina’s Big Prawn sits at the top of the list. What makes it even more Australian is it’s in the car park of what is easily the country’s most quintessential store, Bunnings, which just makes the whole thing so much more random and hilarious.
11. Byron Bay.
Following the coastline north will land you in Byron Bay, Australia’s most famous coastal town. No other place embodies the idyllic Australian lifestyle quite like this well-renowned destination does, drawing in thousands of people from across the world looking to experience the epitome of living in this country is like.
First off, the surfing culture here is huge, making it the perfect place for those interested in learning how to read and ride the waves, as there is no city, town or village more top-tier than the beaches surrounding Byron to learn the craft. Plus, it has one hell of a backdrop with the breathtaking Cape Byron jutting out into the sea. But not just a beautiful landmark. It’s nationally significant as it is the continent’s most easterly point and has many beautiful viewpoints scattered throughout, especially from the lighthouse.
But if you think Byron’s all about playing on the sand and gazing out at the ocean, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see that it has some incredible activities on offer. These include sea kayaking, snorkelling, diving, skydiving, gyrocopter flights, or my personal favourite, hang gliding, showing there’s much more to this world-renowned town than its stunning natural beautiful, further solidifying why it’s the envy of people everywhere.
12. Nightcap National Park.
The hinterland behind Ballina and Byron Bay is home to many waterfalls, but for those craving walks in pristine environments, a drive out to explore Nightcap National Park is a must. This gorgeous rainforest is home to two of the best, the breathtaking Minyon Falls, and the stunning Prostestors Falls.
The former is one of the Northern River’s most famous natural landmarks, where Repentance Creek dramatically plunges 100m over the sheer escarpment into the valley below. What’s great about it is that it is observable from the top via a short, wheel-chair friendly track, or from the bottom along a beautiful 13km return hike on the eastern side of the national park. Meanwhile, the latter is on the western side and sees the waters of Bat Cave Creek tumble over another rugged cliff face along an easy 1.4km return trail.
What’s also about this national park is that there is a campground, so it’s a beautiful place to spend the night in nature under the stars. There’s also a good chance that you’ll see possums and owls at night too!
13. Rocky Creek Dam.
Another great place to visit in the hinterland is Rocky Creek Dam. Located on the southern edge of Whian Whian State Forest, which borders Nightcap National Park, this gorgeous impounded dam is a wonderfully scenic spot to have a picnic or BBQ, and is especially fantastic if you have kids as there are a few easy walking trails and plenty of grassy areas for them to run around and burn off energy.
14. Whian Whian State Forest. – Biking.
Another great place to get the blood pumping is the Whian Whian, which is especially great for biking. There are 6 trails ranging in difficulty and length, with the shortest being 4km and the longest checking in at 19km covering a total of 46km across dirt roads and fire trails, making it the perfect adventure activity for people of all ages and cycling ability.
Conclusion: What To Do In Lennox Head, NSW.
With the stunning blue ocean on one side and the picturesque Lake Ainsworth on the other side, plus being home to one of the Northern Rivers’ most spectacular coastlines with the illustrious Byron Bay and gateway city of Ballina being a stone’s throw away, there is no shortage of outstanding things to do in Lennox Head.
If you are planning to visit Lennox Head, consider looking at these other posts.
