Tweed River (New South Wales)

Tweed River (New South Wales)

The Tweed River is a short river in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. Its drainage basin consists mostly of the erosion caldera of the Tweed Volcano, a huge extinct volcano of which Mount Warning is the volcanic plug. The branches of the river join at Murwillumbah and flow about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northeast through Tweed Heads to where they enter the sea south of Point Danger.

The total catchment size of the Tweed River is 1,080 km2 (420 sq mi). The watershed is bordered by the McPherson Range, Burringbar Range, Condong Range and Tweed Range. The Tweed River area has a fine subtropical climate, high rainfall and fertile volcanic soils. It was originally covered by rainforest, much of which has been cleared. Some remains in several national parks and reserves. The lowlands along the river are used for farming sugar cane and other crops. The river's tidal influence reaches beyond Murwillumbah to Bray Park Weir.

The surrounding Tweed Shire is also a Local Government Area of New South Wales. Each year the river hosts a number of major aquatic events. The lower reaches of the Tweed River are a good recreational fishing site. Waterskiing, pleasure boating and rowing are other popular activities on the lower reaches of the river.