GRAFTON MIDDAY ROTARY DALMORTON OUTING

24TH April 2021

 

 

Tripmeter             Destination Point

Reading

 

        Important note: Quite a number of the historic spots we will be viewing are on private property. We will not be accessing any property signposted as private, or any location surrounded by a fence with a closed gate. We will view these from the street. This will be done for legal and/or safety reasons

 

0 km Starting Point - Lorikeet Place, Waterview Heights. Turn off Gwydir                                Highway onto Old Glen Innes Road then immediately left into Lorikeet Pl.                     Meeting here at 8am. Departing shortly after briefing. The whole journey is on           the Old Glen Innes Road

 

7.6 km                   Bawden Bridge. Stopping here for a brief inspection. Bridge opened April 1874.

 

 

 

13.7 km                 Chambigne Post Office. Stopping here for a short viewing of the old residence of Mr FWA Rhodes  which was declared a post office in March 1945.

 

 

18.4 km                 St Lukes Church of England, OBX. Opened 18th Oct. 1911. Church service was once a fortnight. Please park left hand side of the road.

 

 

 

21.3 km                 OBX Creek Post Office. Postal service was offered from the residence of Athol and Alice Mulligan from 1945 to 1977. Stop here to allow stragglers to catch up.                     Observe from inside your car.

 

 

23.2 km                 ‘Estrelda’ Coaching Station, OBX Creek.

                                Home of John and Esther Mulligan. Part of the home was the coaching station - a stopping place for Cobb and Co Coaches in the 1800’s. John was killed in a horse accident in 1874. Esther died in 1904 aged 71. Their 2 sons pulled the         building down in the 1900’s and built the 2 homes now on the property.

 

 

30.8 km                 Gravel road starts. - safety guidelines

This road, while passable to conventional vehicles, is in quite poor condition             beyond Buccurumbi Bridge. Whilst travelling in convoy it will be wise to travel with quite a distance between vehicles to avoid visibility problems caused by             the dust and allow significant braking distances quite necessary should the vehicle ahead have to brake suddenly to avoid large potholes or serious  ruts on the road. This will be more essential in those very narrow, hilly and sharp cornered sections of the road. Additionally, the early morning shadows cast by the trees above the road, will make it very difficult to see any of these ruts etc      and obstacles (such as fallen rocks or oncoming vehicles) ahead of you. Care should also be exercised at the approaches, and departures, to bridges and concrete causeways. There are many serious ruts, caused by recent  floods,          at these points.

 

38.6 km                 Buccurumbi Bridge

        Whilst now only a causeway this was once a high decked timber, concrete and                    steel bridge which was opened in 1875 and destroyed by a massive flood in                         1947. Evidence of the bridges greatness and the destructive force of the flood                    can be seen on the down river side of the causeway with a number of sections                    from the bridges concrete and steel pylons remains are visible at the waters                        edge.

        A stop will be made here for a short while to observe these and admire the                      beauty of the area. Cross the causeway and park in the level ground on the left.

 

Warning    Beyond this point, until Dalmorton, the road is quite rough and there is a              potential for danger. Please observe the safety guidelines printed previously.

       

        Please travel at 40 kilometers per hour to give sufficient time to observe the                   obstacles already mentioned and give passengers a little time to take in the                    beauty that lays ahead.

 

47.4 km                 Dalmorton

Morning tea stop and exploring the historic ghost town area of Dalmorton.

Park on the right hand side of the road outside the park with a large National Parks sign with a map of the district and overview of the valley’s history. This is the most  significant stop on our trip at which we will spend 45 minutes - to an hour  - before driving on toward Newton Boyd.

 

 

Warning                On the journey from Dalmorton to Newton Boyd be very careful of the the         narrow and windy sections of road. These are very narrow and rough with a large number of wash outs and rather long drops from the side of the road to                               the river below ( These drops are hidden by very high weed growth and some                         sections of weed hide collapsed banks). One section of road was below the                          recent flood and the road surface has been eroded down to bed rock - travel                       this section very slowly.

 

 

53.7 km                 The Tunnel

        We will not be stopping here until our return from Newton Boyd. Enjoy the                         views.

 

82.1 km                 Newton Boyd

        Stopping for lunch at the World War 1 memorial. There is table and 2 bench                       seats near the memorial. Your own chairs, or rugs, will prove useful.

 

Return trip

 

110.5 km               The Tunnel (parking spot)

        Park clear of the road. Walk to and through the tunnel. Have your cameras                          ready.

 

117.1 km               Dalmorton . We will not be stopping here on the way home.

 

 

121.7 km               Cemetery

        Drive into the cemetery and park your vehicle. Once a quite large cemetery but                  now only 3 headstones visible. One of these is evidence of just how tough                            remote living in Australia was - especially for women.

 

132.8 km               A view of the Boyd River (our last stop)

        Please park off the road - on the left- before an amazing steep ‘snigging’ track.

        Walk across the road for a rather spectacular view of the Boyd River. Worth a                     few pictures but please be careful, the standing spot is narrow and it is a long                     way down.

163.8 km               Gwydir Highway

        You are back where you started this adventure. Hope you have enjoyed it.

        You may be tired but some of you will be more so when you have washed                              the dust - and possibly mud - from your vehicles.