My Five Days of Escape                                                                                                     10^th July 2019

It is July and well into Winter now and our house is up for sale but no one is venturing out so my brother (Kerry) & I decided to do our previous annual trip back into our homeland primarily for the Grafton July Racing Carnival (Horse Racing). It was purely an escape, as the last 2 months since arriving back from my fantastic South American treks has been a survival of being in limbo. Doing little or nothing is very hard. I had missed the previous 2 or 3 racing carnivals so this time was opportune.

I still have South American blogs to do however, I thought I would like to interject the routine and share some of my recent homeland encounters, albeit I should have taken more photos of course.

My brother and I live on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia and our birth city is Grafton, a city in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales some 3hrs of car travel heading south along the Pacific Highway currently in a major replacement programme. Can’t wait for the highway to be fully operational where it will be dual lanes all the way to Sydney some 1,000klms away.

Grafton is a city of some 19,000 people and 33,000 if you combine the outer areas and historically the major city hub founded in 1851. The city is world renowned for having approx. 2,000 purple flowering Jacaranda trees of blooms that eventually fall to the ground creating a sea of purple. The city is divided by the mighty Clarence River, Australia’s largest east coast river system starting from Mt Lindsay in Queensland forming Grafton and South Grafton. The river has the most number & the largest inland river islands in the world plus the largest island, Woodford Island, is the only one in the world to also have a mountain range on it.

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Ferries were first used to cross the Clarence River at Grafton with one of the longest Bascule bridges constructed in the same year as the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932. It is heritage listed and accommodates a railway line underneath the road bridge and a section has a wind-up system to allow large yachts to pass under.  A new bridge is being constructed 70m away at a cost of $240Mil and will be completed early 2020. I am strongly against this bridge location as it will cause too many issues for Grafton. I issued 6 written submissions in the approval phase but ultimately the politicians & co already had their decision secretly decided. Wait till Grafton residents wake up.

Grafton celebrates many events throughout the year including, but not limited to:

The Jacaranda Festival in the last week of October which is the oldest flora festival in Australia dating from 1935 with some Jacarandas being first planted back in 1879.

The July Racing Carnival, the richest non-metropolitan carnival in Australia originating in 1910 with race days of Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. The main race days are The Ramornie Cup on Wednesday & The Grafton Cup the next day on Thursday.

The Bridge to Bridge water skiing powerboat race in October. A fast trip downriver to Maclean and the finish line back in Grafton.

The Big Trucking Weekend Parade also in October

The Grafton Show in April/ May

By the time we decided to go to the July Racing Carnival every motel and pub was fully booked out (there are a lot of motels & pubs) so our Plan B was to book an ensuite unit at our cousin’s backpackers’ resort at Yamba some 40klms from Grafton (YHA Yamba Backpacking Resort). Yamba is located on the mouth of the Clarence River and it such a great location we very rarely tell anyone about it. More on Yamba later just for you but don’t tell anyone.

We awake on Wednesday pre-dawn, pack the van and head to Yamba stopping at the Chindera BP Service Station for a pitstop breakfast. We note all the new Pacific Highway roadworks and bridgeworks along the way. Alas, not much of it has been opened yet so it remains a rough drive on the old road and lots of 60 and 80klm/hour speed limits. Ultimately, and with road patience, we approach the completed but not yet opened giant Harwood Bridge over a wide span of the Clarence River. The construction of this bridge was amazing. Immediately, at the end of the old bridge still in service we turn left & then right (under the giant new bridge land spans) to Yamba Road. Some 15mins later, we enter the village of Yamba and check into the Backpackers. Rapid “Hello’s” to all and we dress into our suits and head into Grafton in time before the first race on Ramornie Day.

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Due to further roadworks towards Grafton and the new Grafton bridge construction debacle we cleverly decide to travel the back road through the village of Lawrence and take the ferry over the Clarence River thereby enabling us to avoid the construction areas and enter from the northside and straight to the race course. A very wise decision. The ferry was an added bonus and so many miss out on this unique form of transport. The ferry is large enough for semi-trailers and buses and still room for cars and it runs 24/7.

We arrive with plenty of time before the first race. Met up with plenty of cousins including a very dear cousin and her husband who have the naming rights sponsor of the Grafton Cup (G McMullan Contracting) who generously provided ticket bands to the Member’s Stand and bar area which includes entry fees for the next day too. We’ve won already and not a race started yet. This day is a perfect winter’s day .. more like Spring actually. We have been at the races previously with rain, freezing 20knot Westerly winds and it becomes freezing conditions. The poor jockeys in silks too.

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My brother is in betting form however, I’m more the socialising person seeking out cousins and friends and possibly lose my voice at night’s end. By the time a race is won and the return to the back behind the stands for the sun and more socialising it’s time for another race and so it goes. All of a sudden, the last race is over and we find ourselves in the Member’s bar and too late to venture back down to the public area to say good-byes as the authorities shut the bars almost simultaneously to the last race conclusion. Ridiculous Liquor Laws in place. The Member’s Bar is allowed to continue for another hour or 2, hence more socialising and last beers for the population. I’m driving back to Yamba so my alcohol intake is minimal and legal, of course.

We originally planned to have dinner at a pub before heading back to Yamba however, with the famous State of Origin Rugby League series decider on TV at 8pm, we travelled back and arrived 5mins before the start of the game. Such precision; and our cousin, Shane was able to get a great dinner for us from their in-house restaurant. Another win on top of the New South Wales team winning the decider against Queensland. Another win!! What a day. Now to see the World Cup Cricket Semi-Final between England and Australia. OK .. we can’t keep winning … Australia failed miserably and England now off to the final.

Thursday; and the alarm awakes us and with urgency we both get ready and have our breakfasts with backpackers from all parts of the globe. It can be a bit trying to back up again the next day after a huge race day; but someone has to do it. We both check our suits and ties are up to standard and order two coffees to go and hit the road again towards the Lawrence Ferry and to Grafton racecourse for another full day.

The weather again is stunning but there is a southerly coming up and lasts for about 2 hours thank you. Freezing breeze at best. Again, plenty of cousins and friends to catchup with and loads more people arriving, as this is Cup Day. The track is rated a “Soft 9” so a lot of punters finding it hard to gain winners on Ramornie Day however, they rock up again to try out their new found wisdom and form analysis. The day fly’s past at a rate of knots and the 2^nd last race (R7) of the day is the Grafton Cup at 2350m.

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The crowd fills the two grandstands plus the front lawn areas and the announcer informs us of our National Anthem is now due. A local singer (singing between races) is now called upon but wants a choir behind him to make it authentic. For the thousands of voices at the ready the anthem is sung with loud gusto!!! What a great feeling and result and ultimate love of our great country; the horses are loaded into the barrier ready for the race.  With the race set at 2,350m the horses start down the straight in front of the huge roar of the crowd and then continue to do a full lap of the circuit and finish in front of the grandstands again. Sacred Day, a New Zealand horse is the winner with finally a local jockey, Ben Looker, on board. My cousin, Mr & Mrs G McMullan are involved in the presentation held out the front of the winning post in full view of everyone. Such a great occasion.

The winning jockey, Ben Looker accepts his trophy and when the ceremony is finished; like a racehorse he races towards the mounting yard, changes his silk shirt & cap and immediately mounts another horse and sets out to the barriers just in time. How do these jockeys do such work? After the last race we are back into the Member’s Bar meeting another cousin (more like a sister), Annette and her friends where we join them later at a reserved table in the Grafton Hotel in Fitzroy St for a fabulous dinner. One of the friends at the dinner was a lady I last saw in school a very long time ago. Kerry was later at the bar catching up with a school friend of his who is such a character. An indigenous soul who plays a lot of local music and also a relative of Troy Casser Daley. We finally arrive back safely at Yamba at 10.45pm. What a day!!!

We have 3 full days of recovery now at Yamba thanks to Annette’s upcoming 60^th birthday on Sunday for lunch at Ulmarra near Grafton to celebrate with more friends and cousins. The weather is starting to turn cloudy and a lower temperature, so I use the recovery day and walk some 4klms around parts of the lovely beachside of Yamba while Kerry is at the local Golf Club with another cousin and his friends. Kerry, not bringing his golf clubs due to an ongoing back injury.

Yamba is one of those special places where we try not to promote it as it is becoming more popular and housing a lot more expensive. Terrible place we say. Walking around Yamba is quite simple if you stay on the level ground where the main street (Yamba St), Clarence River and Turner’s Beach is. The walk to Main Beach and headland, well that’s a different story. Very steep hills leading off the main street, that on your first attempt causes some major lung activity and cardio work. These streets are High St, Coldstream St, Convent Ln, Beach St and coming from the west is Clarence St. Once you navigate these streets to reach Clarence St the views at the ‘summit’ are well worth the walk.

There is a large park area including tennis courts, restaurants and further down a carpark & access road to Main Beach. This area of sloping grass is where my cousins set up the giant slide for the backpackers every Xmas Day to show how Aussies go “nuts”. They use a product from the Harwood Sugar Mill & the speed they get on that slippery plastic film is insane. Heading down to Main Beach you will find one of the oldest surf clubhouses’ in the world (Yamba Surf Club), plus an ocean swimming pool nearby, both located directly on the sands of Main Beach. The clubhouse now occupies a fabulous kiosk run by the immortal Andre’, a former backpacker who fell in love with the place. The Kiosk Yamba is perfect on any day really but especially a Winter’s day being protected from the cold westerly winds. It’s a bit of a walk down there but well worth it and Andre’s food is sensational.

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Back to the headland you will find the Pacific Hotel built in 1934. It is possibly the best located pub in Australia with magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean, Main Beach and the mouth of the Clarence River along with the lighthouse. The pub is upgrading their accommodation rooms there too plus they have an excellent restaurant. In the main drinking and eating area there is a wall of large B&W photos of yesteryear that are truly amazing of days past.

Walking North along Pilot St you will find the Lighthouse Captain’s residence and Pilot Station with a scaled down replica of the original lighthouse behind it (originally built 1866 and later demolished) plus walking out to the headland you can see the current operational lighthouse built in 1955 replacing another poorly located lighthouse built in 1880 and manned till 1920. From the lighthouse you have magnificent views of the mighty Clarence River mouth and its two outreach bar walls. The Yamba side one is now fully bitumen sealed to provide a great walk or cycle ride out into the ocean. Near the lighthouse is a frequent spot used for weddings. A friend had their wedding there and 2 whales came right up close to the shore. What a sight!! Once the visit of the lighthouse is completed you can find a short walking trail down to Turner’s Beach which offers great surfing and family beach activities along with bbq areas and a rocky outlook to climb. At dusk most days a pod of dolphins come in to show friendship.

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Away from Turner’s Beach you can see more carparks where the weekly Farmer’s Markets are held on a Wednesday and out from there is Whiting Beach which is formed from the Clarence River, not the ocean. Great for boat mooring, paddle boarding & sailing. Venturing further on to the south you can see the Old Gorman’s Seafood Restaurant which is derelict now until the local indigenous group decide what to do with it. Directly behind Gorman’s is the estuary from the Clarence River plus the Calypso Caravan Park where I have camped there at Christmas holidays for some 22 years or so. This caravan park is entered via the main street, Yamba St. There is a wide concrete pathway between this park and the estuary which was originally the tram lines for the quarry trucks when building the river walls out to the ocean from Angourie back in the 1890s. The caravan park area used to be the estuary until it was filled in after the quarry/ rock wall works were completed early 1900s.

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I continue along the walkway for about a kilometre passing the caravan park, sailing boats and Coast Guard vessels, Iluka Ferry wharf where it is a meandering journey to the other side of the river to Iluka (another sleepy village with a famous historical pub). Adjacent to the wharf is another large park where the monthly markets are held and then up to Kay Cottee’s Marina (She sailed around the world solo, non-stop & unassisted in 1988) where I stumble upon a huge fishing vessel moored and about to depart. The size is unbelievable looking at its twin hulls and twin exhaust pipes. Apparently, a family own it out of Port Macquarie some 200klms away.

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To avoid suburbia, I do a u turn at the roundabout that can also take you to another famous beachside village called Angourie some 4klms away. It is a famous surf beach with the best right-hand point break in Australia according to world best surfers. The owner of Billabong has a very elaborate house there. Also, at Angourie, are the famous rock pools some 50m from the crashing Pacific Ocean. They were the quarries for the headwall construction in Yamba and overnight the quarry had punctured an underground spring and they both filled up with fresh water leaving all the mining equipment at the bottom (a long way down). They are called the Blue Pool & Green Pool (slight algae colour). Here, almost everyone would scale the surrounding cliff faces and jump into them (25m+ high). Not, & never me. Friends of mine own and operate a beautiful restaurant close by called Barbaresco at Angourie and must not be missed. Absolutely superb!

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From this roundabout I walk along the incoming Yamba Road passing the large bowls club and then turning right to enter the Golf Club on the other side of the cricket/ rugby ground and skate park. Called into to see Kerry and all is good so I continue to walk the streets past the Yamba Museum (Not to be missed) and then return back to my cousins’ Yamba Backpackers and chill out in their public café space and review the photos I took. Again, should have taken more so I may use some of my previous photos with this blog.

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This backpacker resort has already won several awards and is quite unique having multiple room options on Level 1, separate backpacker kitchen, lounge and outdoor area on Level 2, Manager’s residence on Level 2, in house commercial laundry, carpark at the rear, public restaurant and a convention area on Level 3. It is also unique in that it is owned and operated by my cousin and his wife plus the 2 sons & their wives. The 3^rd son is married and live in England. A real family affair that the backpackers truly love, hence they stay as long as possible. The backpacker resort really started getting Yamba kicking and becoming more vibrant. The Greyhound buses now venture in for travellers since then. Shane, the eldest son conducts a surfing school plus Shane’s Tour which is world famous and a must do.

Saturday came and was much the same .. another walk (to keep some fitness), talk to cousins and friends, write some blog material .. all low key of course.

Sunday comes; and in speaking to Andre’ the other day I said I would come down for a coffee to experience the added warmth of Main Beach in Winter time around 10am. Kerry is keen too, and he was confident of walking up the steepest hill (Coldstream St, past the movie theatre) to the Yamba Pub and walk down the cranked pathway adjacent that takes you down to the surf club at Main Beach. Andre’ was right; it was warmer and lots of happy people all enjoying their breakfasts and coffee. Even Shane & his family were there (a bit of a rare outing for them) and it was a surprise for us to catchup with them. Andre’ looked after us as per usual however, he didn’t organise the whales too well. There were none to be seen from sea level. Maybe from the outlook above at the pub you could see them.

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We stayed for as long as possible soaking up the warm sun and watching the keen swimmers out in the ocean and the ocean pool in front of us. More people than I imagined but Shane said the water temp was a nice 22°C. We had to start the walk back to the backpackers and then drive back onto the highway heading south towards Grafton to the small historical village called Ulmarra for Annette’s birthday lunch at the Ulmarra Pub built 1906. Ulmarra has a ferry as well but we will not be needing this today.

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We arrive right on time at 12.30pm. Cousins, Aunts and friends abound but of course Annette has the record for always being late. She is one of a few that has the least amount of travelling to do, coming from Grafton. The pub caters well for the weekend trade with outdoor seating and food/ liquor handy and it is in full swing with so many customers. The outdoor area abuts the river shoreline and the river was calm and of mirror glass which to me is quite unusual as I’ve never seen it this way in this part of the river. Down further towards Maclean, yes where they do row boat training and races but not here. It is a great afternoon and the time surely flies. Good byes are soon upon us and we return back to Yamba. On the way, I said to Kerry I think we just broke the law? We had been at the pub for 5+hrs and not one drink was had. Surely, that’s a law not to be broken!

Monday, is now here and we find ourselves kicking and screaming leaving Yamba, knowing we have to return home however, remembering a conversation yesterday I make a phone call to our Aunty & Uncle in Alstonville whether they are up for a visit knowing Uncle is not too well. I had hoped they would have been there at the lunch. All is good for a visit so we do the detour about 1hr up the highway near Ballina. Aunty has a wonderful soup on the table (food always present there) and some 5hrs later after talking ourselves silly, we are on the road again.

We note, the people we know along the highway and commented if we called into everyone, we wouldn’t be home till late tomorrow. Another time then. We arrive home at 7.30pm after some pickups of groceries at a local store to find the house hadn’t missed us. Darkness and a cold house.

All in all, we managed to have a great 5 days away in paradise so now we buckle down until our house sells then we can return to paradise permanently … soonish I hope.

Footnote:

Photo 1 Onboard the Lawrence Ferry adjacent to a semi trailer

Photo 2 Grafton’s Bascule Bridge with railway under. Far end is the lifting area for yachts to pass through. The new bridge is 70m on the other side and the same height as the railway so no yachts can access this part of the river now.

Photo 3 Jacaranda Festival street photo

Photo 4 The new giant Harwood Bridge next to the existing one dwarfing it which has a lifting panel for yachts so the new bridge is set at that height.

Photo 5 Race 1 parade. Note, sign at rear for G McMullan Contracting sponsor

Photo 6 Grafton Cup presentation with my cousin, her husband and daughter with jockey, Ben Looker.

Photo 7 Grandstand Photo around the anthem just before the Grafton Cup. Photo from local Federal Member Kevin Hogan MP. Note; Kerry & I at right-hand side.

Photo 8 Backpackers slippery slide at Xmas

Photo 9 Current lighthouse on the headland

Photo 10 Yamba side headwall with new bitumen seal

Photo 11 The Estuary behind ex-Gorman’s restaurant building

Photo 12 Pelicans awaiting their friends for supper on Calypso’s marina

Photo 13 Coast Guard vessels. Note, fisherman in between trying to get the big fish under

Photo 14 Huge fishing vessel from Port Macquarie

Photo 15 The estuary looking back towards the Calypso & Gorman’s building

Photo 16 Turner’s Beach with headwall behind

Photo 17 Turner’s Quarry area with surf behind this natural wall. Sometimes huge waves splash over.

Photo 18 The two headwalls stretching out to the ocean from the Clarence River mouth

Photo 19 Mangroves in a small estuary near the roundabout at Yamba Road

Photo 20 Information sign at the Iluka Ferry wharf

Photo 21 Pelicans having dinner now their friends have arrived

Photo 22 Pilot’s Captain’s residence, with water tank and lighthouse repca behind located near the current lighthouse on the headland

Photo 23 View of Main Beach with surf club almost visible. Wedding being setup

Photo 24 Photo taken from the balcony of the Pacific Hotel with surf club under & ocean pool in background.

Photo 25 Halfway down Coldstream St looking towards the backpackers on the left (3 storeys) after crossing the main street. I can stand at this roundabout and literally walk to 5 beaches including a river beach (Whiting Beach) plus Golf course, Bowling Club, shops, pub and parks. Don’t use my car virtually.

Photo 26 Looking south along Main Beach from Andre’s kiosk showing ocean pool in background

Photo 27 Looking north along Main Beach from Andre’s kiosk showing lighthouse in background

Photo 28 Rear of Ulmarra Pub with Annette’s party under the pergola

Photo 29 Clarence River view from rear of Ulmarra Pub

Photo 30 Inside the Yamba Backpackers showing the video slide of previous backpacking highlights at Yamba. Definitely worth a watch.