I don’t remember now why we decided to make Grafton the main destination for a spring road trip, but I’m glad we did. From the moment we drove into that lovely provincial city , we liked it. We stayed for two days and three nights, and if we have a regret it’s not being there for the Jacaranda Festival which is on from October 29 to November 6. That will have to go on the must-see list for the future.
What we loved…
The river
The mighty Clarence River is the sparkling jewel in Grafton’s crown. We spent plenty of time walking along it’s banks with our cameras, just admiring the many views. We even took a day to travel from Grafton to where The Clarence empties into the sea between Yamba and Iluka – but that’s a different postcard which we’ll bring you soon. The Clarence River is both friend and foe to Grafton bringing fertility to the agricultural flood plain, but also destruction from time to time. Regular floods are clearly reflected in the local architecture – with many buildings built above flood height in one way or another. Flood stories permeate the culture of the place.
The bridge
You can’t talk about the river without talking about Grafton’s gorgeously quirky bridge with its strange bendy bits at either end. The bends are a bit challenging really – especially for wide vehicles – and it seems they are there so the road bridge at the top can clear the rail bridge underneath. The high iron sides, and the narrowness of the roadway obscure vision briefly. The upper level of the historic bridge is for road traffic while the lower level caries the trains and a water main, and has footbridges on either side. It’s a great place from which to admire the river and its many moods. There’s talk of building a new bridge some time soon – but we hope they keep the old one as well. Once over the bridge into Grafton, the road continues into town while the rail veers off in another direction to cross the city by a series of bridges further on.
The tree lined streets
Grafton is well known for its beautiful tree-lined streets. Even when the jacarandas are not in bloom – it’s a leafy, green, spectacular. Some of the avenues of figs are quite remarkable – and some individual fig trees around the town are absolutely massive. If you do give a fig about street trees, don’t miss Briemba Street. We were constantly pointing at one fabulous speciment or another as we walked around town or down yet another beautiful avenue. Some lovely parks and gardens in Grafton as well – nice for a stroll. It’s a city that clearly values its trees.
Historic streetscapes
If you enjoy an historic streetscape – then you will be in seventh heaven in Grafton. Many of Grafton’s buildings have been classified by the National Trust, including the Christ Church Cathedral, the infamous Grafton Gaol, and some lovely historic homes. We downloaded a heritage trail map for the city which took us to many points of interest. We found this map useful – but would have liked to be able to read a little more about each site as we arrived there. The trail map was lacking in this background, and for history buffs like us, that was a bit frustrating at times. Grafton is rich in Art Deco architectural gems and there are many interesting examples of post WWII architecture from the 1950s, 60s and 70s as well. In fact there was an exhibition of photographs of some of this post-war building design at the Regional Art Gallery when we were there.
Where we stayed…
We were looking for something a bit relaxing and different, and we found it at Belvoir B&B Cottages on the southern outskirts of Grafton. There are two little self contained cottages and we stayed in the one-bedroom Dairy Cottage. Owners Lorraine and Tom Raven have decked this little house out in an eclectic collection of vintage furniture and fittings that was really charming. It’s only five minutes out of town and came with a resident mob of kangaroos who came in in the evening to graze in the surrounding paddock and entertain us with their antics. The cottage has it’s own well appointed kitchen (with a fridge full of breakfast goodies) which meant we could stay in for dinner if we chose – or head out. There’s an outdoor area with barbecue and lovely rural outlook if that takes your fancy. We would arrive back there to find some home made biscuits or cake from our hosts – little touches that made us feel very welcome.
Where we ate…
After an eight hour drive on day one, self contained kitchen or not – we were heading into town for a meal that somebody else cooked. It was a Monday night, so not everything opened, but we found good service and well prepared pub-style food at The Clock Tower Hotel in the middle of town (find the town clock, and you’re there). The other two nights we dined in and enjoyed the rural setting and a bit of telly over a couple of glasses of wine. Heart and Soul Wholefood was great for breakfast, the Tilted Teaspoon served nice coffee and we enjoyed a lunch at Toastespresso.
Coming up soon…
Don’t miss our next post as we day tripped down The Clarence until we reached the ocean.
