There are some places you visit and immediately think, this is special.
And then there are places you’re lucky enough to call home.
This week, The Tweed has been named a Lonely Planet Top Destination for 2027, placing our little corner of northern New South Wales on a global list of destinations worth discovering.
And honestly? We couldn’t be prouder.
As the publishers of Tweed Coast Living, we spend our days telling stories about this place. Every quarter, we meet the people who are growing, making, creating, cooking, building, restoring and dreaming here. We discover new places to eat, explore local businesses and hear from the people who have chosen to make the Tweed home.
So when Lonely Planet says it’s time for the world to stop speeding through the space between the Gold Coast and Byron Bay and start lingering here, we can’t help but smile.
We already knew.
A place worth lingering in
Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2027 celebrates destinations around the world that offer travellers something beyond the obvious. Places where people can slow down, connect with nature and experience somewhere in a more meaningful way.
That description feels very familiar.
Because this is the Tweed.
It’s an early morning swim before the day begins. A coffee in one of our coastal or hinterland villages. A walk through ancient rainforest. A long lunch featuring local produce. A surf, a rail trail, a hinterland drive or an afternoon spent doing very little at all.
From the beaches of the Tweed Coast to the villages, farms of the Tweed hinterland, there is an extraordinary amount to explore here.
But it’s also the people.
The small business owners who know their customers by name. The growers and producers who care deeply about what they put on our tables. The artists, makers, chefs, designers, wellness practitioners, farmers and creatives who continue to add their own chapter to the story of the Tweed.
That’s what makes a place feel like more than a destination.
It makes it feel like home.
And this is exactly what we’ve been celebrating
There’s something particularly lovely about this recognition arriving as our Spring edition of Tweed Coast Living is out in the community.
Our Spring issue is all about Wellbeing & Community, and at its heart is the idea that where we live can have a profound effect on how we feel, connect and experience everyday life.
That story feels even more relevant this week.
Because the things that make the Tweed appealing to visitors are the same things we get to experience as locals.
The natural beauty. The slower pace. The access to nature. The food. The creativity. The people.
We get to live here.
We get to work here.
And we get to tell the stories of the people who make the Tweed what it is.
For us, that’s the real privilege of publishing Tweed Coast Living.
A global nod to a very local story
The Tweed is one of two Australian inclusions in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2027, with the Northern Territory’s Red Centre recognised separately in the Top Experiences category.
For the Tweed, this recognition is a wonderful opportunity to introduce more people to the region, but we hope it also shines a light on something equally important: the local businesses and communities behind the destination.
Because a place doesn’t become special because a travel guide says so.
The recognition comes afterwards.
It comes from years of people building businesses, caring for country, creating experiences, supporting one another and choosing to invest their time and energy in the place they call home.
That’s the story we’ve always wanted to tell through Tweed Coast Living.
Not just where to go, but who is here, what they’re creating and why it matters.
So, congratulations, Tweed.
We’re very proud of you.
Although, between us…
We already knew. 💚
The Spring edition of Tweed Coast Living is on stands now, celebrating the people, places and stories that make the Tweed such a special place to live, work and connect.
