Northern Rivers is a region of the Australian
state of New South Wales, located between 590
kilometres (370 mi) and 820 kilometres (510
mi) north of the state capital, Sydney. At its
most northern point, the region is 102
kilometres (63 mi) south south–east of the
Queensland capital, Brisbane.
The Northern Rivers area has a mild, sub-
tropical climate.
The Northern Rivers region is bounded by the
Pacific Ocean to the east, the New England
region to the west where the Great Dividing
Range forms a mountainous boundary. To the
north is the border between New South
Wales and Queensland, where the Darling
Downs are located to the north–west and South
East Queensland directly to the north. The
southern boundary is the Dorrigo ranges,
which also mark the southern boundary for the
Clarence River Basin.
The defining characteristic of the Northern
Rivers region are the fertile valleys of the
Clarence, Richmond and Tweed rivers and their
sources, hence the region's name; and the
region's white sandy beaches.