Grafton
Population 16,500
Grafton is situated on a bend of the Clarence River, 660km (410 miles)
north of Sydney, 320km (199 miles) south of Brisbane, and 160km (99 miles)
east of Glen Innes.
Climate
Average temperatures: January max 32C (90F) - min 19C (66F); July max 17C
(63F) - min 7C (45F).
Characteristics
Grafton, the Jacaranda City, has tree lined streets and graceful old buildings.
The district was originally discovered by the escaped convict Richard
Craig in 1831. For a pardon and one hundred pounds, he brought a party
of cedar getters to log the huge cedar stands.
The stories of the 'red gold' spread, and John Small arrived in 1838 and
first occupied land on Woodford Island. The settlement was established
shortly after, and the first sale of town blocks took place in 1851. Governor
Fitzroy officially named the town after his grandfather, the Duke of Grafton,
and it was proclaimed a city in 1885.
How to Get There By Bus
Greyhound Pioneer and McCaffertys stop at Grafton on the Sydney/Brisbane
routes.
By Rail
There are daily Countrylink services from Sydney to Grafton.
By Road
From Sydney and Brisbane, via the Pacific Highway.
Tourist Information
The Clarence River Tourist Association is on the corner of Spring Street
and the Pacific Highway, 6642 4277. They can give tips on the best parts
and offer you directions on how to access them, and whether road conditions
require 4WD at your time of visit.
Accommodation
For a holiday with a difference, visitors can hire a houseboat accommodating
up to eight adults in comfort, and cruise up and down the Clarence River,
stopping at many of the 100 islands. No licence is required to operate
local houseboats. For more information contact Clarence River Boats,
Clarence Street, Brushgrove, 6647 6232.
As regards more conventional accommodation, Grafton has motels and hotels,
and South Grafton has motels, hotels and caravan parks. Here is a selection,
with prices for a double room per night, which should be used as a guide
only. The telephone area code is 02.
Reilley's Hideaway Grafton Farm-stay, 218 Reilly's Lane off Pacific Highway,
6642 6008. 3 rooms, cooking facilities, fireplace, play-ground, table tennis,
pool, spa - $110.
Bent Street Motor Inn, 62 Bent Street, 6643 4500. 20 units, barbecue,
licensed restaurant, car parking, spa, pool - $70-90.
Abbey Motor Inn, 59 Fitzroy Street, 6642 6122. 24 units, breakfast room
service - $65-70.
Fitzroy Motel, 27 Fitzroy Street, 6642 4477. 21 units, spa, pool - $70-105.
Hi-Way Motel, Pacific Highway, 6642 1588. 31 units, playground, pool -
$55-75.
Roches Family Hotel, 85 Victoria Street, 6642 2866. 14 rooms, licensed
restaurant, barbecue - $40.
Caravan Parks
The Gateway Village, 598 Sum-merland Way, 6642 4225. 90 sites, pool, practice
golf, barbecue - powered sites $20 for two, cabins $60-85, on-site vans
$40-45 for two.
Grafton Sunset Caravan Park, 302 Gwydir Highway, 6642 3824. (Pets allowed
by arrangement) 70 sites, barbecue, kiosk, pool - powered sites $15 for
two, on-site vans $30-35 for two, cabins $40-45 for two.
Eating Out
Most of the hotels are open for counter lunches and counter teas from Monday
to Saturday, and the Bowling Club, in Kemp Street, is open for lunch
and dinner Mon-Fri, while the District Services Club in Mary Street,
is open for lunch and dinner daily. In South Grafton, the Golf Club is
open for dinner Wed-Sat. Here is a selection of restaurants you might
like to try.
New Oriental Chinese Restaurant, 127 Prince St, 6642 7888.
Kuppazz Family Restaurant, Shopping World Shop 40, 6643 1003.
Lea-Mar's Bistro, 93 Prince St, 6643 2290.
Clancys Restaurant & Bistro, Grafton Hotel, 97 Fitzroy St, 6643 3411.
Jarmers Restaurant, 85 Victoria St, 6642 2866.
KFC, Fiztroy Street, 6642 1621.
Points of Interest
Grafton has a bus service operating hourly tours that pass many of the
historic buildings and points of interest (no service Sun or after noon
Sat), 6642 3111. Buses leave Market Square at 20 minutes past the hour.
There are also regular bus services to Yamba, Maclean, Ulmarra, Lismore
and Glen Innes
Clarence River Ferries, 6646 6423, have a fleet of three passenger ferries
with individual capacities up to 160 people, servicing the needs of residents
and visitors from Grafton to the river mouth, during special events like
the Jacaranda Festival. Every day a minimum of four return trips connect
Iluka and Yamba. The 30 minute river crossing is a popular scenic alternative
to the lengthy road journey. The services from Yamba are met at Iluka by
a courtesy bus provided by Iluka's Sedger's Reef Hotel, where passengers
can enjoy a top seafood luncheon.
Regular river cruises also operate from Yamba and Iluka including a weekly
visit to Maclean (Monday) and Harwood Island (Wednesday and Friday). There
are plans to have regular river cruises and ferry services to Susan Island
from the wharf at the river-end of Prince Street, beginning in 1991.
Susan Island is situated in the Clarence River, with its tip almost opposite
Prince Street. The northern end of the island has a rainforest with walking
tracks, and the largest fruit bat colony in the southern hemisphere. It
is a spectacular sight when the colony departs at dusk each summer evening.
The southern section of the island has barbecues, picnic and toilet facilities.
Grafton Regional Art Gallery, 158 Fitzroy Street, occupies the restored
Prentice House (1880), and has a variety of exhibitions from many notable
artists and crafts people. It is hopen 10am-4pm Wed-Sun. Schaeffer House Museum, 192
Fitzroy Street, is in another fine old homestead, and has
exhibits tracing the history of Grafton and the Clarence
Valley. hOpen 2-4pm, Tues, Thurs & Sun.
Christ Church Cathedral(1884), is designed along Gothic lines with towering
arches and a spacious interior. The Cathedral is open 7am-5.30pm daily.
Saraton Theatre in Prince Street, is a restored traditional picture theatre
which also hosts live shows, conventions and community functions.
The National Parks of the Clarence Valley are Yuraygir, Bund-jalung, Gibraltar
Range and Wash-pool. Yuraygir and Bundjalung are coastal parks, and Gibraltar
Range and Washpool to the west offer a variety of scenic drives, camping
areas and walking tracks.
Grafton is very proud of its trees, and 7000 of them line the avenues and
shade the 24 well-maintained parks. The Visitor Centre has a brochure on
trees and parks, but the most popular parks are: Market Square, adjacent
to the clock tower in Prince Street; Memorial Park and Boulevarde, river
end of Prince Street; South Grafton Boulevarde, Through Street; See Park
Arboretum, Pound Street.
Festivals
The Jacaranda Festival was first held in 1935, and is Australia's longest
running festival. The Jacaranda Queen is crowned on the last Saturday
in October each year, heralding the start of the major festival week.
On the first Saturday in November there is a spectacular street parade
for the close of the Festival, but not the end of festivities, as people
flock for weeks before and after to view the trees and the many exhibitions
and events.
Facilities
Horseback trail rides can be taken through the coastal forests; the Grafton
racetrack has over 40 meetings a year, with the July Racing Carnival
rating as the richest country carnival in the nation; the July Carnival
at the nearby greyhound track is also a major event; lawn bowls are catered
for at four licensed clubs; the Big River Squash and Fitness Centre,
Hoof Street, 6642 6633, has a gym, swimming pool, sauna, aerobic classes,
masseurs and Tae-kwan-do training; Grafton Squash Centre, 39 Queen Street,
6642 2989, welcomes visitors; tennis courts are in Prince Street, 6642
5666; the Grafton Olympic Pool in Oliver Street has a waterslide, and
there is a heated pool in Armidale Street; Big River Ski Lodge at Seelands
caters for skiers and hires out boats, 6644 9324; and the Visitor Centre
can advise on local sailing clubs.
Outlying Attractions Ulmarra
Situated 13km (8 miles) north of Grafton, Ulmarra is a fine example of
a 19th century river port, and the township is classified by the National
Trust. It was chosen in 1986 as the location for the filming of the TV
mini series Fields of Fire, a story based on life in a 1929 Queensland
cane town.
In the early 1900s, Ulmarra was a bustling town with 4 blacksmiths, a killing
factory and bacon works, general stores, hospital, two hotels, two schools
and three permanent policemen to maintain law and order. Ulmarra wharf
was a major pick-up point for steam and sailing vessels serving Sydney
markets. The town thrived, but improved road systems and advancing technology
eventually finished Ulmarra as a major river port.
The Commercial Hotel is a magnificent old style country pub on the river
bank. Ulmarra boasts numerous antique, arts and crafts, and bric-a-brac
shops, and cosy little tearooms.
Maclean
"The Scottish Town in Australia," Maclean, 34km (21 miles) north of Grafton,
was first settled by Scottish immigrants, and the town's annual Highland Gathering
over the Easter period, and Free Presbyterian Church (the oldest in Australia)
are legacies of this past.
During September, the Cane Harvest Festival is celebrated with a Queen
Crowning, a street parade, and plenty of fun. A local cane farm can be
inspected every Friday, throughout the year.
The Clarence River is one of only two NSW rivers trawled for prawns, and
the river fleet works from the Ulmarra ferry to the river mouth using Maclean
as its base.
For tourist information look out for places displaying the blue "I" sign,
or call in at Scottish Corner souvenir shop in River Street. Attractions
include Maclean Lookout, The Pinnacle Rocks, and the Bicentennial Museum,
all in Wharf Street, and a number of historic buildings.
Water skiing, sailing and fishing are popular pastimes.
The Lower Clarence Visitors Centre is in Ferry Park, Pacific Highway, 6645
4121, email crta1@nor. com.au. It is open 9am - 5pm daily.
Yamba
Yamba is the largest coastal resort in the Clarence Valley, and is 14km
(9 miles) off the Pacific Highway, and 62km (39 miles) north-east of
Grafton. It is primarily a holiday town with motels, caravan parks and
hundreds of holiday flats and cottages. In the July school holidays the
Family Fishing Festival is held, and tonnes of fish are caught.
Yamba's main beach is patrolled during the summer season and has an adjoining
rock pool which is popular throughout the year. Neighbouring beaches are
also popular for boardriding, sunbaking and fishing.
South of Yamba is the village of Angourie, famous for its surfing, and
natural freshwater swimming at the Blue Pool. Angourie marks the northern
limit of the Yuraygir National Park.
A daily passenger ferry service operates between Yamba and Iluka, with
a minimum of four return services a day. There are also river cruises on
Wednesday and Friday.
Iluka
The town of Iluka is situated on the opposite headland to Yamba, and is
connected by the ferry service. Nearby is a rainforest that is World
Heritage listed. It has excellent walking tracks, with interpretive signs
for the most notable features.
West of Iluka is the world's southernmost coffee plantation, and they have
tours of the plantation on weekends and during school holidays. At the
plantation there is an intimate coffee house, and an arts and crafts shop.
Wooli
The third largest beach resort in the Clarence Valley is located 45km (28
miles east of Grafton with access from Ulmarra, or from the Pacific Highway
12km (7 miles) south of Grafton at the Airport turnoff. On the way to
the village you pass by Lake Hiawatha. Wooli is bounded by the Wooli
River to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. The river and beach
offer many ideal swimming and fishing spots.
Wooli River is probably the most unpolluted river in Australia, as it flows
completely through National Park. Party pontoon boats can be hired from
Bushland Caravan Park.
