"It's only an hour away from home" a Grafton Travel Page by unravelau

Grafton is only an hour or so North of Coffs Harbour on the Pacific Highway and it is famous for its avenues of beautiful Jacarandah trees. I have always loved the Jacarandah and even planted one in my garden 20 odd years ago. The new owners must like it because it is still growing steadily and is one of the larger trees in the street. How beautiful.
While researching this beautiful place I discovered some information that I hadn't been aware of.
- The floral festival (for Jacarandas) is the oldest in Australia having first started in 1943. The festival is held during October and November every year.
- In a neighbouring Susan Island rain forest there lives the largest flying fox colony in the southern hemisphere.
- WINSTON CHURCHILL has links to Grafton in a most unusual way. Just upstream of the Clarence River on the Southern side of the bridge you will find the rusty remains of an old ferry........must get a photo. It, (the ferry called the SS Induna) had an early life in Africa and to quote the Great Australian Gazeteer of 2003, ".........earlier life in Africa weekly steamer that
played a part in the escape of a young war correspondent - in 1899 Winston Chrchill escaped
from a prison in Pretoria and rode the Induna to safety in Durban ......"

So GRAFTON is not just a pretty face.....er sorry.... place.

More information on this interesting and old township may be found by copying this link.............
<http://www.graftoncity.nsw.gov.au/>