Situated on the far north coast of NSW, the Northern Rivers covers an area of 20,895 sq km, extending south from the Queensland border along 300 kilometres of spectacular coastline, and inland from the Pacific to the Great Dividing Range.
The region is renowned for its beautiful beaches and rainforests, its warm sub tropical climate, and its creative communities, such as Byron Bay, Lismore, Murwillumbah, Nimbin and Yamba.
It also has a rich Indigenous cultural history, reflecting the traditions of the people of the Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr nations.
The Northern Rivers is crossed by three major river systems - the Clarence, the Richmond and the Tweed and home to 14 World Heritage listed areas and many more National Parks and State Conservation Areas.
The major centres in the region are Ballina, Byron Bay, Casino, Grafton, Lismore, Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads, plus there are numerous coastal settlements, rural towns and villages.
The Northern Rivers is home to a population of 271 056 people, with an average age of 39 years.
It is also one of Australia's most popular tourist destinations, attracting more than 4.7 million visitors a year.
Outside of the capital cities, the region has one of the highest rates of population growth in the country, expected to reach 319,100 by June 2017.
Recent government reports show that the population of the Northern Rivers includes more creative practitioners than any other regional area of Australia.
Between 2001 and 2006 employment in the arts and creative industries in Northern Rivers grew 25% faster than the rest of the regional economy, particularly in the fields of visual arts, design, literature, publishing, screen and digital content.
In the same period, the Northern Rivers region recorded the highest creative industries employment growth in the state - more than double the Sydney growth rate, and the highest concentration of creative industry workers outside Sydney.
For information about visiting the region including how to get here, where to stay, what to do, etc. go to Northern Rivers Tourisms Rivers of Life website www.riversoflife.com.au.