Located in northeastern New South Wales, Australia, Lismore is the unassuming commercial centre of the Northern Rivers region. The city is near the latter’s junction with Leycester Creek, situated on a low flood plain on the banks of the Wilsons River.

The population is over 28,000 with 17% born outside Australia. Lismore is very multicultural, especially because it is a home to main campus of Southern Cross University with students from more than 80 countries around the world.

CLIMATE

Having mild to warm temperatures all year round and ample rainfall, during the summer the temperatures range between 20 °C (68 °F) and 35 °C (95 °F). Average low temperature in Lismore range from 6.5 0C (43.7 0F) to 18.8 0C (65.8 0C).

Even in September, the driest month still has a lot of rainfall withannual rainfall reach 1445 mm | 56.9 inch. Floods often occur in Lismore, although no major environmental hazards affect the area.

The warmest month is January with an average 24.2 °C. Drought can occur in the Lismore region, but very rare especially those west of the Great Dividing Range. In spring and summer Lismore often hit by severe storms. For example the severe hailstorm occured in 9 October 2007.

You don’t need to worry, because the goverment and the locals always have a way to minimize adverse effects.

TRANSPORTATION

Lismore has variety options of transportation, including:

  • Bus, Northern Rivers Buslines
  • Bus, NSW TrainLink
  • Bus, Waller’s
  • Airplane, Lismore Regional Airport
  • Airplane, Regional Express
  • Bus, Lismore City Transit Centre

With Northern Rivers Buslines you can go to/from Ballina (1¼ hours), Lennox Head (one hour), Grafton (three hours), Bangalow (1¼ hours) and Byron Bay (1½ hours). The fare is $7.

If you want to go to/from Brunswick Heads ($14, 1½ hours), Mullumbimby ($18, 1½ hours), Byron Bay ($9, one hour), and Brisbane ($40, three hours), you can use NSW TrainLink. Waller’s service is only to/from Nimbin ($9.50, 30 minutes).

Lismore Regional Airport located 3 kilometers south of the city. The service of Regional Express is only to/from Sydney.

COST OF LIVING

To calculate how much the cost living in Lismore is, it is recommended to use the student visa financial capacity requirements as outlined by the Department of Home Affairs. Here is estimated cost of living in Lismore, a guide by Sothern Cross University:

Expenses (Per week) Private rental SCU Village (Lismore, Coffs Harbour) Homestay
Accommodation $130-$250 room $140-$201 $240-$290
  $350-$600 house    
Food $100-$150 $100-$150 Included
Public transport $20-$70 $20 Included to and from campus
Electricity $15 room Included Included
  $40 house    
Water $5 Included Included
Mobile/internet $30-$60 $30-$60 $30-$60

Please note that the actual cost of living depends on each student’s expenses and lifestyle.

THINGS TO DO

Studying in class all the time can be stressful, go out and spend time outside the class to explore the beauty of Lismore.

Lismore has a quite high number of sites listed under New South Wales Heritage Act and by the local council on Local Environmental Plans under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979 including:

  • Memorial Baths, Molesworth Street
  • The former Post and Telegraph Office
  • Colemans Bridge over Leycester Creek
  • Lismore railway station group
  • Dalley Street Conservation Area
  • The former Government Savings Bank, Woodlark Street
  • Lismore railway underbridges
  • The Commonwealth Bank building, Molesworth Street
  • Lismore Fire Station, Molesworth Street
  • Many others

Other than the sites listed above, there is still much more things to do in Lismore. Visiting the amazing Koala Care Centre should be the first thing to do. It is well known that Lismore has the highest populations of koalas in NSW. For over 20 years Koala Care Centre has cared for thousands Koalas from across the Northern Rivers region.

Live theatre is also very popular in Lismore. Watching NORPA’s quality live performances will be another unforgettable experience. Lismore has many national parks including border ranges national park, bundjalung national park, mebbin national park, nightcap national park, and World Heritage wollumbin national park.

If you love arts, you won’t miss the galleries and studios throughout the village of Nimbin and in its surrounding villages. Here is some recommendations, the brush off art, nimbin craft gallery, blue knob hall gallery & cafe, and nimbin artists gallery.

Lismore’s award-winning cafes and restaurants are another things you should put on your to do list.. They are offering coffee, pastries, organic produce, to fine French fare. You might as well love Channon Craft Market that attacts 10,000 people monthly.

If you prefer short walks on two feet, don’t miss wilsons river experience walk, historic interest walk, back alley gallery, birdwing butterfly walk, Bruxner Highway, or rocky creek dam.

Annually there is a number of events in Lismore, for example:

  • Byron Bay Bluesfest
  • Lismore Lantern Parade
  • Opera at the Channon
  • Byron Bay Writers’ Festival
  • XXX Gold Lismore Cup
  • North Coast National Show
  • Tropical Fruits New Year’s Eve Festival

UNIVERSITIES

Southern Cross University

Southern Cross University is a public university established in 1994, offering courses in tourism, environmental science, business, health, and law. The university has several campuses, each located in Lismore, Coffs Harbor and Tweed Heads in the Gold Coast region.

The main and largest campus is the Lismore campus. The university collaborates with the Center of Marine sciences located in Coffs Harbor, and this is where SCU students majoring in marine get special training. Southern Cross University offers accommodation facilities on both the Coffs Harbor campus and the Lismore campus.

Why SCU?

  • # 1 in Australia for the student support category, 2018 International Student Barometer
  • 5 stars for student support, teaching quality and social equity, The 2019 Good Universities Guide
  • Top 150 universities in the world under 50 by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
  • World Standard or above in 23 areas of research, Excellence in Research for Australia 2018 national report

Choose the right program and find a study area that suits you:

  • Nursing and Midwifery
  • Pathway Programs
  • Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Law and Justice
  • Marine and Environmental Sciences
  • Education and Teaching
  • Engineering and Science
  • Health Sciences
  • Indigenous Knowledge
  • Business and Tourism
  • Digital Media and Information Technology
  • Music and Creative Arts

For more information, please contact us:

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