Nosey Parker in NSW

This is a new linky party hosted by Kat at Mummas time to create to let us tell a little about ourselves and the neighbourhoods where we live.

Question 1: About my home...

I moved from Brisbane to Lismore about 22 years ago after leaving Uni to work and have settled here with my husband and children. Lismore is a major regional city in Northern New South Wales, Australia about an hour south of the Queensland border. 

Lismore is situated on the banks of the Wilsons river and has a population of about 45,000 people. The area has a sub-tropical climate with temperatures ranging from about 6 deg C in winter to over 40 deg C (106F) with more rainfall over summer due to storms.

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Dubbed "the alternative capital of Australia" in the early 1970s and situated in what's called the "rainbow region" not far from the hippie town of Nimbin, it's a mix of old country town and alternative lifestyles. 

 My children at Lismore Lake.

There are some lovely old churches in Lismore including the St Carthages Catholic cathedral:

 

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 Lismore is also renowned for having regular flooding with with more than 100 floods recorded since 1846 due to the convergence of two rivers (Wilson and Richmond) near the city centre, the last one being in January 2011.

Question 2: What are the houses like in my area...

There are a lot of older weatherboard (wooden) houses in Lismore and many of them are built in the QLD style of being elevated to catch the breeze and to let cool air flow underneath. Due to the frequent flooding, many houses are bring built higher in the hills rather than in the valley where the original town of Lismore is situated and the new estates have more modern brick homes. 

This is a google image of a street near our house and it is my 2 sons (in the brown and green shirts) walking with a friend to the soccer fields you can see over the intersection.


Question 3: Some of my favourite places to visit:

Lismore holds an annual Lantern Festival Parade around the time of the Winter Solstice (end of June) :

and is only half an hour inland from the coast where there are some beautiful beaches - Byron Bay which is also the most easterly point of Australia.......

 and Lennox Head especially .

There are some National Parks nearby too - these include Mt Warning National Park surrounding the caldera of the ancient volcano, the Border Ranges and Nightcap National Parks and the last eleven remnants of “The Big Scrub”, the vast rainforest which once blanketed much of the region. Mt Warning  was named by Captain Cook to warn future mariners of the offshore reefs he encountered in May 1770 and is only a short drive from Lismore  -  then a 3 hour climb to the top:)

 but the view out to the ocean is worth it!!

 Crystal Castle is also a lovely place to visit – beautiful gardens with lots of tropical plants and wonderful sculptures.

Question 4: How do most people travel around the city?
Most people drive cars, walk or ride bikes around Lismore as there is only a limited bus service. Lismore is also famous for its numerous roundabouts as there are more than 20 of them - this is a challenge for many drivers coming through the town (and for those of us with teenage learner drivers too!!)

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There is also a University here and students or school children from the many outlying rural areas catch buses to and from school. 

Questions 5: Is there a type of food your city is famous for;
 I am not aware of any food that Lismore is famous for, but nearby Bangalow is known for its pork belly - there is a recipe here which was used by a chef Reuben Radonich in the Australian Masterchef series recently.

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I hope you have enjoyed learning a little more about where I live:)

Kirsten.