F&F Tour, Day 3 - Jackadgery

The main mall in Armidale.

 After coffee at Michael's Cafe in Uralla, we set off north and an hour or so in Armidale.

Armidale will always have a special place in our hearts. It was here we met in Jessie's - a wine bar of reasonable reputation for all things except clientele. On the occasion of our meeting, it was full of musicians, students and high schoolers who were kicking up their heels after finishing their HSC trial exams. I sang, she complimented me and the reast, as they say, is mystery.

It was here my other most significant love affair began, that with Waratahs Cricket Club.

It was also here we returned and spent six years raising our children from nappies to school uniforms. 

Literally, many of our lifelong friendships had their origins in Armidale and we never tire of returning. On this particular day, it was mostly coffee and comparisons with changes and shopping for a selfie stick.

Pressing further north to Glen Innes, again over well-trodden ground and lunch at the Australian Standing Stones.

We had intended staying the night at Border Falls on the Gibraltar Range but a combination of better evening temperatures further down the Gwydir Highway and the commitment to stay at new places, took us down the mountains and to the Mann River Caravan & Canoe Park at Jackadgery. Perched beside the highway and immediately above the the Mann River where the high concrete bridge provides safe passage. Completed in 1959 by Theiss Bros, it is surprisingly current in its design. The caravan park was fairly empty and relatively cheap and although the amenities weren't new, they were clean and tidy and the showers hotter even than the afternoon.

Dry and dusty and unfortunately situated under Plain Trees, who offered wonderful shade except for the low, hot afternoon sun of mid Spring, their carpet of dropped pollen played havoc with my sinuses. Still, small price to pay for such a picturesque spot beside the river and had we chosen to traverse the dirt track down to the river's edge, swimming, fishing and lounging about were freely available.

The following morning, I caught the sunrise. Early in trips, while I adjust to the slight differences in bedding and light and noise, I usually wake early and this particular morning, the rising sun and low mist over the valley were definite compensation for a little lost sleep. A long snake skin at the very edge of the mown area of the caravan park, on the top of the steep decent to the Mann, was a good reminder to not let my wits be totally absorbed by the scenery. 

It felt good to be on the road again and an active participant in the view.

Click to see today's photos