| Tweed | |
| River | |
|
View of Tweed River Mouth and Duranbah
|
|
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| State | New South Wales |
| Region | Northern Rivers |
| Mouth | Point Danger |
| Basin | 1,080 km2 (417 sq mi) |
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 northeast through Tweed Heads to where they enter the sea south of Point Danger.[1]
The total catchment size of the Tweed River is 1080 km2.[2] The watershed is bordered by the McPherson Range, Burringbar Range, Condong Range and Tweed Range.[2] 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.[1]
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.[1] The lower reaches of the Tweed River are a good recreational fishing site.[1] Waterskiing, pleasure boating and rowing are other popular activities on the lower reaches of the river.
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The Tweed was named after the River Tweed and forms part of the border between Queensland and New South Wales. Even though parts of the river are a few kilometres within the New South Wales side of the border, the expression "North of the Tweed" is used to refer to the people and places of Queensland; likewise, "South of the Tweed" is a term used by Queenslanders regarding the southern states of Australia. The term probably originates from southern Australians' summer vacation trips driving along the Pacific Highway through the scenic New South Wales North Coast. The highway crosses many rivers along its route, with the Tweed being the last one before reaching the holiday destinations of the Gold Coast, just on the other side of the Queensland border.
The river begins northwest of the village called Lillian Rock. The upper reaches pass through the small villages of Kunghur, Terragon and Uki.[3] South of Mount Warning Doon Doon Creek which is dammed by the Clarrie Hall Dam and Perch Creek enter the Tweed from its southern banks and Byrill Creek joins on the northern side near Terragon. Downstream Korumbyn Creek and then at Byangum the larger Oxley River enters the river, before it flows through Murwillumbah.[3] At Tumbulgum the Rous River joins the Tweed. The Terranora and Cobaki creeks enter the Tweed about 2 km upstream from the mouth.
The estuary of the Tweed River is an important shorebird habitat.[1]
There is a sand bypassing system operating at the mouth of the Tweed River. A jetty on the northern end of Letitia Spit that collects sand and then pumps it under the Tweed River to beaches in the neighbouring state of Queensland. Outlets for the Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing System include Duranbah Beach, Snapper Rocks East, Snapper Rocks West, Greenmount and Kirra. Dredging of the navigation entrance is also undertaken regularly as part of the overall sand bypassing program. The width of Tweed River mouth is about 150 m across.[1]