Uralla’s claim to fame, apart from being a very cute little town, is that it’s the final resting place of Frederick Wordsworth Ward, better known as Captain Thunderbolt. He ruled the highways and byways of the New England High Country for much of the 1860’s and was the longest roaming bushranger in Australian history.
We stopped at the Alternate Root, for great bacon and egg rolls and each of us got a thought for the day with our drinks …
We then set off down the Thunderbolt Way, a tourist scenic drive which runs all the way to Gloucester.
Having been definitely in cattle country so far, the ground here is drier and better for sheep, with a number of premium breeds raised for their wool.
First up was Dangar Lagoon where we stopped for a quick photo op …
… then on to Walcha to see it’s streetscape with sculptures and sculptured verandah posts which was made to sound somewhat more interesting than the reality, but it didn’t hurt to stretch our legs!
Our final waterfall was next and we walked the Oxley Walking Track in Oxley Wild Rivers NP, just a modest 3km! The walk took us over a bridge then round to several viewpoints. We even spent a while collecting stones to see if we could cause a splash in the water before … and finally Chris managed to cause ripples!
We can also give top marks to the Coffs Harbour bananas which ripened beautifully and provided a great mid walk snack.
We got some great views along the way …
The next part of the Thunderbolt Way was built by Eric Carson, a Gloucester sawmiller and road builder so he could bring out the magnificent hardwood from the forests on the Great Divide. Carving the 32km route out of some of the steepest and most rugged countryside in the state was fraught with danger, but by 1961 it was complete and Carson’s Lookout commemorates his work.
Having reached the summit, we then had to drive down the other side … carefully!
We found the Gloucester Country Lodge Motel just out of town, with lovely views from the terrace as the sun set, then went to Minnie’s Brasserie in the Golf Club for dinner.
Our road trip almost over, next day we took the Bucketts Way from Gloucester back to the Pacific Highway, just stopping once for breakfast in Stroud.
We drove through a section of forest …
… and there it was, the road back to Sydney …
… and when we arrived home, we got out of the cool air conditioned car into a 43 degree day … the warmest on record for some 70 years!
Off Travelling Together 