"Back on the Road again" - South to Grafton

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We luckily left Qld a day early (Tuesday) which meant we arrived in Grafton before the road was closed due to bushfires.  It was 38 degrees that day so not surprising.  Fortunately the weather has since cooled significantly and the fireman work ceaselessly to get it under control.  Smoke is in the air but not too bad although today you could see the smoke in the sky West of Grafton (Thursday).   

We drove down through "the Scenic Rim" - Boonah and Casino rather than Warwick (which is the area where the fire was really bad on Tuesday pm) and was a lovely drive.



Grafton

We decided to stay in Grafton and go out from there.  We didn't actually get to spend much time here till today (Thursday) afternoon and as luck would have it the town was celebrating its Jacaranda Festival which was lovely.

Glen Innes

Wednesday we took the 4 hour drive to Glen Innes and back.  The tourist office had said what a lovely town it was with its Scottish heritage and they had their own version of Stonehenge which they called the "Standing Stones".  Whilst Glen Innes was a little disappointing the drive there and back was not.  Up hill and down dale - just the type of driving David loves with absolutely spectacular scenery.



One of the things which fascinates us is all the different types of mail boxes we have seen on our travels.  Karen only recently thought to try to get photographs of them as there was a small town down from Cooktown which had turned theirs into little types of cats and dogs which were really cool.  We can't get over how many old microwaves are used but really sensible when you think about it.


Yamba

Only an hour's eastward drive this morning to this beautiful town at the mouth of the Clarence River.  I found my favourite house so far which competes with my Aunt and Uncles which is on Bowen Island overlooking Vancouver - obviously not seen inside so probably in no-way compares and I couldn't see a hot tub on the rocks!


A surfers' favourite spot and David and I enjoyed both watching them and the various wildlife - turtles, lizards and birds.  Unfortunately no dolphins today.





Maclean

We didn't want to drive back to Grafton the same way so we went via MacLean who are very proud of their Scottish heritage.   Their lampposts all had tartan painted onto the bottom of them - very cool.











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