Yamba (5)

A magnificent day in Yamba today, 27 degrees and slight balmy breeze.  Good day to head inland and see the country around Yamba.  First stop Maclean right in the middle of the sugar cane area.  This is a nice little village, with friendly people and the usual historic society, coffee shops, pubs, and all things to do with fishing.

Next we drove alongside the Clarence River and crossed by ferry to the town of  Lawrence.  Similar outlook with every house owning a boat, and car.  Houses on stilts.  Nothing here has had a coat of paint for years, and judging by the rusty roofs there is not a lot of spare finance.

Next stop Grafton, a thriving community with beautiful views of waterways spilling out from the Clarence River.  As is typical in many small towns, the Shire Office commands the best property right on the river.  We crossed the river into South Grafton and found the ex-servicemen's bowling club which had an array of lunch time meals but all deep fried.  And of course many, many poker machines and a separate room with 18 screens showing every horse race across Australia live 

As we drove through the countryside, we saw a few horses, a few alpacas, paddocks full of beef cattle, and endless sugar plantations.

View from our apartment on the Yamba hill.

Crossing the Clarence River by ferry on our way to Lawrence.  Large semitrailer on board was a trifle unsettling!!

View from the balcony over the river at our South Grafton lunch stop.

A cane cutter without a knife !  The sugar cane is very tall.