The Channon
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The Channon

The Channon

Northern Rivers village in the Nightcap foothills, known for its long-running alternative craft market.

The Channon is a small village in the hinterland of the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, set among subtropical forest in the Nightcap Range foothills. It is best known for its monthly market, one of the original alternative-lifestyle markets that emerged from the back-to-the-land movement of the 1970s when this part of NSW attracted a wave of artists, craftspeople, and farmers. The Channon Craft Market, held on the second Sunday of each month, draws several thousand visitors to a small oval and is considered one of the best of its kind in Australia.

The village itself is tiny — a general store, a couple of cafes, and not much else — but the surrounding country is worth exploring. Protestors Falls and the Nightcap National Park are nearby, with walking tracks through ancient rainforest that is part of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area. The area has a strong sense of community and a distinctly alternative flavour that has persisted for fifty years.

Guide

Getting There

The Channon is about 25 km west of Lismore and 35 km inland from the coast at Ballina. There is no public transport to The Channon — you need a car. From Lismore, drive south on the Bangalow Road then take the Nimbin Road west, turning off at The Channon Road. The drive takes around thirty minutes on winding country roads through farmland and forest.

From the Pacific Motorway (M1) at Ballina, head inland on the A1 toward Lismore, then follow signs for Dunoon and The Channon. The nearest airports are Ballina Byron Gateway (BNK) and Lismore Regional (LSY). The area is part of the Northern Rivers hinterland that includes Nimbin, Mullumbimby, and the Nightcap Range — most visitors combine a trip to The Channon with wider exploration of the region.

Market day (second Sunday of each month) sees significant traffic on the approach roads from Lismore. Arrive early or expect to queue for parking.

Guide

Things to Do

The Channon offers two main draws: the monthly craft market, one of the best in Australia, and the rainforest walks in the surrounding Nightcap National Park. The village itself is tiny, but the surrounding country gives it context and the market gives it purpose.