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| THE GORGE |
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| In the autumn of 2002, My new friend Mac invited me on a camp at "The Gorge." This is on the Clarence River about 1 1/2 hours drive north west of Grafton. Mac reckons its a pity that Grafton people can live in Grafton for years and never venture up to this beautiful spot. It is one of those hidden treasures that hasn't quite been overrun by tourists. |
| This is the biggest set of falls on the Clarence. Most people picture the Clarence as a broad, flat, quiet river quite unlike this raging torrent. |
| This is my mate Mac. What a character! He's full of energy and encouragement - something I aspire to when I get to his ... err ... wise stage in life. Note the halo. |
| "Bacon and eggs!" Mac's favourite brekky. |
| This was a church men's camp. It had all the facilities - pit dunny, garbage bag, grass, trees, fire - all right alongside the river. |
| The pastor was a baker and turned out an awesome damper from the camp oven. |
| We paddled up from the camp site to the first set of rapids. There was some excellent scenery with tall cliffs lining the gorge and long deep tranquil pools. |
| I got to paddle for a while with John Stanmore. A man who used to win long distance canoeing comps in Australia. He's probably twice my age ... and twice as powerful with the paddle. I think my old canoe felt young again soaring through the water with John at the helm.! |
| So after a half hour paddle we tie up our canoes and Mac says, "Follow me!" You can't stop this man. Note the essential flippers in the backpack for ease of movement through rapids... |
| Mac - in all his glory. |
| You gotta love him. |
| After an easy twenty minute walk we reach the main falls. We admire these for a while and imagine what it would be like to go over them in a canoe. People get killed paddling over this water fall. Then we rig up for the return journey: floating down the river |
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| What a great day! |
| At this spot, the whole of the mighty Clarence surges through its rocky banks that are not more than four or five metres across. When you jump into really bubbly water like this you can sink down and stay down for ages ... ooo... scary. |
| Thanks Mac, for showing me The Gorge. |