A pleasant city on a horseshoe bend of the Clarence River.
Where is it?: North Coast. Grafton is approximately 630 kilometres north of Sydney and 340 km south of Brisbane. Grafton and the Clarence Valley can be reached by road, rail or air.
Events
National Trust Heritage Festival - April
Grafton Agricultural Show - May
International Philosophy, Science and Theology Festival - June
Sunshine State Navex Air Race (South Grafton to Maroochy) - August
Grafton Artsfest - October
Jacaranda Festival - October
The beautiful purple-flowering jacaranda trees are an integral part of the image of Grafton, and their flowering is celebrated in the famous annual Jacaranda Festival. A vision of Grafton with its numerous brilliantly-flowered trees in bloom, is immortalised in Australian music culture in Cold Chisel's song 'Flame Trees'.
Things to see and do
Susan Island, in midstream opposite the city, is a recreation reserve covered with rainforests containing giant fig trees and stringing trees, It is rich in bird life. During the day, the island is a fascinating place to visit, with barbecue and picnic facilities for family fun and the rainforest and island to explore for children of all ages. Access is by private boat or on the Clarence Islander. Houseboats and larger craft can tie up at the wharf on the eastern side.
Surrounding area
Grafton is a great base for explorations of the many national parks in the region, and those within a one-hour drive are Yuraygir and Bundjalung on the coast and the World Heritage-listed Washpool and Gibraltar Range parks to the west.
Solitary Islands Marine Park off the coast from Coffs Harbour north to the Sandon River, marks the zone where warm tropical currents meet cool currents from the south, creating an incredible diversity of marine life for scuba divers and snorkellers to explore. This is one of the best locations in Australia for whale watching, both in autumn and winter when the humpback whales make their way north to calve in warmer waters, as well as in spring, when they swim south again to their Antarctic feeding grounds.
Clarence Gorge is surrounded by a 8314 acre property which fronts onto the Clarence River for about 10km. The property itself is originally and still today, a working cattle station, in more recent years has become a tourist destination for those seeking fresh mountain air with a gorgeous view.
Clarence River Scenic Drive: a pleasant day trip. From Grafton, take Grafton Lawrence Road on the north side of the Clarence River. The road crosses the river by car ferry and Lawrence, then follows the south bank of the river into Maclean. From Maclean, continue following the river to its mouth at Yamba. Return to Grafton via Pacific Highway on the south side of the Clarence.
Another road trip to take from Grafton is the Old Glen Innes Road Scenic Drive. The 244km loop trip takes in the picturesque junction of Nymboida and Boyd Riversand the old township of Dalmorton, the heart of an abandoned gold mining area. In its heyday, there were reportedly 5,000 inhabitants in this area and 13 pubs!
Many of the surrounding hills are studded with abandoned gold mine shafts dating back to the 1860's. The remains of the old butcher shop are still standing on the left as you enter the town. Not far from Dalmorton is the Historic Tunnel, hand built and carved out of rock in the 1860's with convict labour.
About Grafton
In 1851, Governor FitzRoy officially named the town after his grandfather, the Duke of Grafton, a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Grafton was proclaimed a city in 1885. Local industries include, logging, beef cattle, fishing/prawning, sugar, manufacturing and tourism is a growing part of the local economy.
Grafton is known for its double-decker road/railway bridge, opened in 1932, completing the standard gauge rail connection between Sydney and Brisbane, and also forming a vital link for the Pacific Highway. This bridge is a one of a kind and is a major feature on the Clarence River in Grafton. The road deck is on top of the bridge above railway lines which occupy the lower deck within the bridge's ironwork.
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