The Christmas holidays is a time for friends and family to get together and celebrate the special time of year. With time off from your usual routine of working life it is nice to sit around eat too much food and just relax for a while.  It’s what your mind, body and soul needs to get ready for the next year ahead. Nearing the end of my holidays the adventure bug started itching and with a quick and easy phone call to a good mate a trip was planned for a few days camping to a new location. The place we decided on is called The Gorge and is located in the upper reaches of the Clarence River.

Flight Path

With the destination picked and route planned a 4.5-hour drive seemed like nothing once underway. The route we chose took us both by surprise as we were not expecting to see the sites that we saw along the way. There are two ways of heading down to our destination, first is along the coast and second takes you more inland. For something different and extra special we chose the inland route and I can say I’m glad we did. From Brisbane’s CBD you need to head out of the city along Ipswich Road till you reach Beaudesert Road. Beaudesert Road turns into Mt Lindesay Highway (13) and with this transition you are around 64km way from your next turn. Turning off Mt Lindesay Highway will see you onto Innisplain road and this is where the magic of the drive starts. Driving through valleys, over many river crossing (its ok there are bridges at all of them) and even look out for the old train bridges that you drive under, you can only marvel at the old steal work and height that some of them are at.

Innisplain Road changes its name four times, but no need to fear as long as you stay on the main section of road it will lead you to a T intersection, turn left onto Summerland Way (B91) and then stay on this road all the way to Grafton. Along this road you drive through Kyogle and Casino, two great places to stop and stretch the legs or have a bite to eat along your journey. Kyogle was my favourite town with all the old buildings it is a photographer’s dream. From Casino it’s around a 1.5-hour drive to Grafton where you can get your last supplies, and then form there another hour drive to the homestead. Head back from Grafton and follow Summerland Way (B91) till you reach Grafton-Tabulam Road. Stay on this road till it takes you over the rushing Clarence River this will put you onto an unsealed road, turn right, this is Grafton road and follow for around 40 min till you see the house at the homestead.

Food

While you are camping at the gorge all last bits and pieces you need for your time there has to be purchased in Grafton.  We found this the most convenient stop and with the long trip down it gives you plenty of time to work out what your menu will be for your stay. With fires allowed for cooking purposes it is also a good idea to bring a gas cooker just in case it rains, like it did for us on the first night. With all our experience camping we have found simplicity to be the best and thus an arrangement of butterflied chicken, steak, lamb roast, bacon and eggs and traditional sausages on bread is all that we need to eat like kings while camping. One handy trick we did this time was taking a can or two of stew. Great to take in a backpack if you’re going out for the day on an adventure or while fishing.

Location

Driving along the road to the homestead a four-wheel drive is preferable due to if there has been some rain in the area the roads can be washed out and low lying vehicles will not make it all the way. Reaching the homestead you are greeted by Neil and Sue, a lovely couple who will help tell you about the area and places where you can make camp. With a fee of $20 per night per car it is a small price to pay while camping, and for a location that has toilets and showers available. While driving in and around the property be mindful of the cows and horses that are freely walking around as the property is still used as a cattle station. When choosing a location to set up camp be careful if you would like to camp close to the river, with the amount of rain that can come down in the area the river can rise quite dramatically. As one story Sue told us of the day before our arrival, where a guy was out in his boat picking up bits from his camp that were floating down the river.

Once a campsite has been chosen it’s time to unpack and settle down and start enjoying your time here. Going for a walk to get to know your surroundings and to collect kindling is not hard, with all the trees that are about and with wood being provided for your fires there is not much more work to be done. While walking around it is recommended to have closed in shoes on at all times due to there are some interesting animals around that you wouldn’t like to run into with bare feet like we did. Half an hour into being there we ran into a red belly black snake, being the first time I have ever seen one of these in the wild it was an amazing experience but put the thought in the back of our minds to be careful while you are walking around. With the Clarence River right in front of camp, kayak, and even boats are able to be used on the water whether it is for fishing for bass or estuary cod, or just getting on the water to explore up or down the river. The property is dog friendly just watch out for in the mornings you could be woken to the barks of your dogs as the cows wonder into your camp spot eating the grass as they pass by.

Rainbow Falls

A must do while on the property at The Gorge is to take a walk up the gorge section of the Clarence River to what is called Rainbow Falls. The name given to these falls comes from the way the sunlight hits the spray of the constant flow of water that is seen over the falls. Unfortunately while I was there I was unable to see the rainbow but it was as good of a place as any to have a rest and take in the power of the river system after an interesting walk up to the falls.

Leaving from your campsite near the homestead I would allow up to 2.5-hours to walk up to the falls. With so many interesting sites to see on the way it is best to look at them on the way to the falls while you have lots of energy, the journey home could see you a bit tired and just wanting to get back to camp for a rest and a cold drink of water. I would recommend leaving for the falls as early as you can in the morning, as temperatures can get very warm through the day it can make adventuring around interesting. Making your way from the homestead follow the car tracks that head up river until they turn into little goat tracks, these will then be your route all the way to the falls. A must item that YOU NEED! To take to the falls is a lot of water, sunscreen and hat because you have a long journey back to your camp and you need to stay hydrated and as comfortable as you can while being out in the sun. Good hiking shoes is also recommended for the walk, with some rock sections that you need to climb over you just never know what can be lying in some of the holes you step over. With these rock sections, part of the way you need to make your own track but with some of the flatter sections you can see the different colour of the rocks where people have been walking on over the years.

 The constant echo of crickets, cicadas and grasshoppers fill your ears the whole trip up, the only time this sound changes is as you start to approach the falls. Coming closer to Rainbow Falls it is a good idea to find a nice high rock that you would be able to climb up, to view over the trees to find a path over to the falls. Once reaching the falls always be careful being close to the edge of the river if you would like to take a photo or two. With some loose rocks, you do not want to be falling in as the water rushes so fast, it’s a situation you don’t want to see yourself in. For the ultimate cool off after your hike up I would recommend walking further up past the falls to where you can find some nice still water to have a dip in. I wouldn’t recommend doing this with small children as the water does rush past very quickly making it very dangerous for small children.

With the main attraction of the area ticked off, there are still many other things to do while you stay on the property. As I have said before the river is the main attraction for people looking for some excellent fresh water fishing.  This can be done by kayak or boat, just remember it is a catch and release area so please do the right thing. If fishing isn’t your thing there are many walks that you can do around the property that can lead you up to great lookouts and with many little river run offs that come down through the mountains there are also a lot of awesome places to have a dip in and cool off. These rock pools are a much safer way to have dip if you have small children or feel uneasy getting into the Clarence River.

 

With your time finished at The Gorge you are left with some amazing memories of the landscape, people and even some of the animals you may have got friendly with over your stay. Before you leave for home, make sure you clean up your campsite and leave it the way you found it, and with bins on site there is no trouble cleaning up and making it nice for the next people coming to spend time there. With your last stop at the homestead before you drive home, it’s good so say goodbye to Neil and Sue and thank them for such a special place they have along the Clarence River. I hope you have enjoyed my account of my time in this special location. It has defiantly sparked my urge to come back to this area and see what else the place has to offer. Till next time see you then.