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Australia’s best seachange towns No.4: Kingscliff

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Tim Jack-Adams, 33, travelled Australia and the world in his late teens, but was drawn back to Kingscliff, near his childhood home, in later years by the ‘old-school coastal village feel’.

“At the age of 19 I travelled extensively overseas and around Australia and tried to find a better place to live,” he says.

“But I couldn’t actually find anywhere else that was better.”

kingscliff trading places 2016 at a glance

Set on the northern NSW Tweed Coast, this hidden coastal gem is becoming more well-known to travellers who are making it a destination – and more and more people now call it home.

Residents describe the town as having the ‘best of both worlds’: a peaceful, picturesque community that’s just a 15-minute drive to Gold Coast Airport, and a 90-minute trip to Brisbane.

It boasts several stunning beaches cradled between headlands, and luscious rainforests on its doorstep.

Foodies take note: the main street offers tantalising cafes and restaurants, and the Kingscliff markets brim with gourmet food and fresh local produce, as well as crafts, art and fashion.

If you’re a water baby at heart, there’s surfing, fishing and stand-up paddleboarding on Cudgen Creek, diving with turtles at the Cook Island marine sanctuary and whale watching on the Tweed Coast.

There are also kilometres of flat bike paths linking Kingscliff to Fingal and down to Pottsville, or wander through the hinterland rainforest.

Kingscliff resident Jane Lofthouse, who has lived in the town for 20 years with her husband and two teenagers, says the good choice of schools and access to water activities were major drawcards when her family was deciding where to relocate.

“It’s secluded and there’s a remoteness about it, but we have access to all the amenities and activities in the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Hinterland.”

landing page link trading places TESTVideo: Destination Tweed | Greg Pierens
Photos: Tweed Shire Council | Destination Tweed | Getty | AAP
Reporting: Kaitlin Thals

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