Grafton to.....where?

[YBOD]

The wife and I have been spending every other weekend over the last couple of months travelling north out of Newcastle up the coast and each weekend skipping to where we got last time and the exploring a bit further. We have now reached as far as Nambucca Heads in this way. We have also done a similar exercise up the Hunter as far as Scone.

A need to travel to Grafton with Work on Wednesday next week has presented itself and so I am going to pack the copilot and baggage (wife and kid) and drag them along with me and take a few days off work and have a look around up there. At the moment I'm thinking of travelling to Grafton on Tuesday, Wednesday morning in Grafton (work commitments), rest of Wednesday looking around Grafton and then spend Thursday to Saturday evening travelling around to Armidale, Tamworth and then back down the Hunter through Scone, Singleton and Maitland to arrive in Maitland on Sunday for Steamfest (treat for my son).

Was wondering if anybody had recommendations of good to see places along the way they'd recommend we make sure we see?

Also, while we'll have to do most of this on the Asphalt in order to cover the miles I wondered if there were any detours on dirt track/fire trail/forest road worth taking to break it up a bit? Recommendations great fully received.

Cheers

 

[jjohn]

If you havn't been, I'd only say next time you're up the Grafton way continue north to the Tweed Valley beaches, farmland and mountain rainforest.
There is a 4wd park in Crystal creek with good camping facilities.

Warning with that is that many only go home to pack. Hehe

 

[LLadnar]

What ever you do don't break down in grafton and except the local Nissan dealer to fix it, cause you be disappointed haha.
I was stuck in grafton in November after my old Nav blow a injector pump, the useless dumb ass local dealer wouldn't even look at it for 7days. Luckily an ex Nissan mechanic started workin on it straight away.

 

[terryc]

very vague, but if you want a driving trip, tere is a Nw route out of Grafton that takes you along back roads to ???)on the Gwydir(?), then Tenterfeild, the a route sort of east of the New England, back towards Ebor, and the Waterfall way, then Walcha. either Thundebolts Way to Gloucester, or Tamworth, Dungowan, south through timor, etc.

Apps, but it is late ad I just trying to remember it all.

What are yo, wife and kids realy interested in.

 

[joffo81]

If you take the most direct route from Grafton to Armidale definitely stop at Ebor falls (signposted and only 30 seconds off main road) and also the Dutton Trout Farm and point lookout if its a clear day (15 km past Ebor). Then on to Armidale.

Otherwise take the scenic (longer) route out of Grafton on the Gwydir Hwy towards Glen Innes - but turn off the Gwydir and take the Old Glen Innes road. It parallels the Hwy but is a great drive close to the river and through an old convict tunnel in the rock (some easy dirt driving sections NOT 4WD). After this ends and you are back on the main road you will drive up the Great Divide through the Gibralter National Park. There are a couple of good lookouts and a nice short drive and walk to the falls at Boundary Creek (just after Rasperry Lookout).

There is a great strawberry farm that sells awsome milkshakes etc on the way out of Glen Innes and then you are headed towards Armidale.

 

[YBOD]

Cheers joffo that is just the sort of local tips we are after, and our sous very excited about the idea of somewhere to get milkshake.

llandar, so what you are saying is that the Nissan deal up there is as good as any other then ;0)

 

[mick087]

g'day mate, if you can manage it the clarence gorge is well worth a look. it may be out of you way a little but well worth it.

 

[Old.Tony]

There's the Waterfall Way - from Raleigh (just south of Coffs) to Armidale. Newell Falls, Dangar Falls, Wollomombi Falls, Bakers Crk Falls and maybe another I can't recall right now. There may be available camping (National Parks so no dogs) but Pembroke Caravan Park on the eastern side of Armidale isn't a bad place to stay.

There's also the Gloucester-Scone road. Takes about 5-6 hours from town to town, climbing the Barrington Tops peaking at Polblue Campground at 1550m above sea level (take warm clothes). There's a lot of dirt but it's easy in a 2WD (there are 4WD tracks up that way).

There's also Thunderbolts Way, Walcha to Gloucester past Bretti Reserve (free camping, road goes right beside it, road vans can get in easily).

Further south is Chichester State Forest with Telegherry Forest Park, Frying Pan Creek campground, Currawong Campground (via Telegherry, was closed a week ago) and Coachwood (a bit awkward to get in but quieter than Frying Pan). Nearby town of Dungog has a dump point in the showground (free).

Further northwest is the road from Willow Tree to Merriwa (lots of dirt, great views at the top of the Liverpool Ranges). From Merriwa you can stop @ Cassilis Park rest area overnight (watch the toilets, they can be stinky). Mudgee is about 75km southwest and Mudgee Riverside Caravan Park has reasonable rates, nice shady spots, good amenities and is a WALK from the shopping centre (with Big W, Coles etc). From Mudgee, Hill End is an hours' drive. Stay at the Village Campground ($20 per night for a powered site, pay at the NPWS ranger station) and it's a casual stroll all around the town. There's another campground way up the road but it's not easy to get a large rig into.

Further out at Wellington is the Wellingtons Caves Complex. Caravan camping or cabins available, it gets bloody cold in winter up that way. Cathedral Caves are absolutely worth the visit, so is the phosphate mine (which happens to be wheelchair friendly) but the third cave is a bit small to be exciting. They have Japanese gardens just outside and in the town itself, Kimbells Bakery make BLOODY good pies (and the coffee isn't bad either).

Gulgong is a good town to visit but don't stay at the Henry Lawson Caravan Park. We did and the amenities smelt badly of piss and the whore wandering around looking for business didn't look very appealing at all. Visit, then go back to Mudgee.

North of Dubbo is Gilgandra and just out of Gilgandra (about 80km I think) is Tooraweenah. About 7km out of town is Ados 4WD park. Camping is about $9 a night, they have flushing toilets, power if you need it, and numerous 4WD tracks ($20 per vehicle per day to drive on the tracks as much as you like). Peter and Louise run a decent site! Siding Springs Observatory is about 30 minutes up the road.

Halfway between Orange and Bathurst is Macquarie Woods run by State Forests. They deliver firewood for you, it gets bloody cold (1100m above sea level). Bathurst isn't far, take the rig around the mountain (we did, took 10 minutes).

That's a few for ya. Might bump in to you at Steamfest!

 

[YBOD]

Blimey Tony, thanks for the pointers I reckon that's my camping for the next few months sorted now. We went up to Bylong for the Mouse Racing a few weeks ago and have already decided we want to go back and do the trip through to Mudgee and down so with your pointers should be sorted.

Will keep an eye out for our truck at Steamfest and let you know what we are wearing nearer the time on the off chance you pass us.

Cheers

Steven

 

[YBOD]

Tony, a hearty thanks for the recommendations. We have just got home from the following trip:

Day 1: Newcastle to Sawtell, camped at the caravan park there. Got bloody soaked in torrential rain putting the tent up but the camp site had dryers so all good and great facilities.

Day 2: wednesday, got work out of they way by 12:30 and headed for the Old Glenn Innes Road. This was exactly the sort of driving we were looking for and absolutely loved it. No asphalt for most of the route, great views and found a cracking spot on the banks of the river to pitch the tent and settle in for the night.

Day 3: after a swim in the river packed up and got on the road and carried on through to Glenn Innes with a side detour up to Tommy Rock lookout. Scared the crap out of me as I suffer quite badly with vertigo/altophobia and hadn't realised just how high it was and how sheer the drop is as you walk out of the trees. Anyway, after a good sit down and calm down back on the road and through to Glenn Innes by around 4pm. Camped at Glenn Rest which wasn't too fancy but very reasonable price, good clean facilities and as much firewood as we could burn.

Day 4 (Friday) Glenn Innes to Armadale along the NEH but then shot off along waterfall way, saw a few falls and then into Styx River State Forest for more off roading, a failed attempt to reach wattle flats due to water logging and lots of mud (and knocking the rear bumper off the D40) so went on the Hyatt Flats instead. Great camp site by the river but got absolutely soaked once again so headed to bed early before the fire had burn through its first round of wood

Day 5: early start and packed up very wet kit. Made executive decision that the weather wasn't getting any better so scrapped the idea of heading into Oxley NP where we were going to camp at Apsley Falls and instead headed for Uralla for some lunch and hit the Thunderbolt Highway. Being a pomme I can recognise why it is called New England as the whole area up around Glenn Innes and Armadale is very reminiscent of home. Driving down the Thunderbolt and going from the bleak almost moorland scenery through the ever greener and less barren scenery down the Gloucester reminded me of Travelling the Welsh Marchs.

Brilliant trip, great scenery and thoroughly enjoyed even if the weather was crap for all but one night. And far more fun than doing the Gwydir Highway and NEH. Thanks Tony for a the recommendation. Will post some pictures tomorrow .

 

[YBOD]

Oh and shall be at Steamfest around noon with my 2 year old son and pregnant wife and will be wearing a black Dubai Rugby 7s jersey. If you see us say hello.

 

[YBOD]

For those interested in such things, the trip was 1291km long (according to the odometer) and took two full tanks of fuel (150l in all). According to the display we averages 10.5l/100 but by my reckoning that fuel and distance works out at 11.6l/100. Now I reset the trip and fuel consumption meters at the start so no previous averages coming in to play here. However if I factor up the distance by 10% (which is how far out the speed appears compared to my GPS) it becomes 1420 for 150l or 10.5.

This leads me to suspect that while the speedo is out the odometer is dead on accurate.

Sadly the GPS didn't record the entire route for some reason so can't check the distance on that.

 

[Old.Tony]

If I'm there I'll have my grandson on my shoulders, looking at the exhibits. Probably wearing a black Nissan jacket. Not sure now, we have a few things on our plate before Monday arrives.

I can't wait for the timetables to disappear.

 

[Old.Tony]

If you're using the Torque application on an Android phone which has a GPS, it will retain the trip in its entirety, with speed measurements taken every few seconds.

One of the things I feel like doing in my fuel spreadsheet is to allow for the maximum deviation that a bowser is allowed to have. This means instead of just having a column with 100 litres in it, I'll have another beside that one with "bowser value minus 3%" or 97 litres in my example. Then when I calculate LPHK I'll see what it might have been with maximum error by the fuel company - and let's take an example from my spreadsheet:

25 Dec 2011, Odo=74433km Trip=1118km Fuel=120.91 filled at Shell Launceston = 10.60279LPHK

becomes

25 Dec 2011, Odo=74433km Trip=1118km Fuel=120.91 to 117.28 = 10.60279 to 10.284708LPHK

Which basically means for that trip (4 adults, gross weight probably 2.8T but I previously estimated @ 2.7T - my car is 2.5T empty) we used anywhere between 10.3LPHK to 10.6LPHK. It's not a huge difference for a single trip but in the long run it means a lot - we've (so far) purchased 16,517.92 litres of diesel for our Navara and that might only be 16,022 litres - almost 500 litres that the fuel companies potentially ripped me off for and at $1.50 a litre, that's $750 into their hands!