Category: nature

Jo’s Monday Walk

Not done a walk yet for Jo, but yesterday I did have a roam around South Grafton waiting for my car air-conditioning to be serviced. I guessed it was about time as I hadn’t had the cars air conditioner touched since I bought my ute in 2007. It does get a good work out in Summer living here.

I dropped the car off and headed off to a nearby cafe for a coffee and to think about where to go for the morning while waiting. The cafe I was in was one I used to part own many years ago. One event that we put on was a Music Cafe on a Friday night. Local musicians would put their name on a blackboard, younger readers can ask their parents, and the food was a set small menu so it was affordable and fun for us too. It is good to see the new owner bring the Music Cafe back.

I walked up the road to the river to see if there was any water action happening. Above me I could hear this bit of soft chatter. Looking up I saw two Little Corellas sitting very close, warming in the morning sun. It is a pity one turned around as they looked a sweet couple together in the tree. Little Corellas are typical parrots and will partner for life.

This is looking upstream at Susan Island in the middle of the Clarence River. I have been on Susan Island but only allowed a short distance from the end you can see, into the islands vegetation. Most of the island is a Womans Place. One thing I do know is there is a very old fig tree which is known as the Birthing Tree.

Heading to the bridge, I walked over the eastern side to see how the new bridge looks from this side. There wasn’t as much traffic as I would have thought for the time of day. The old bridge was a constant rumble over head.

I considered crossing the bridge but then decided that I haven’t really looked around this side of town. I headed down to the railway station. The Grafton Bridge is rather unique as it is a double deck bridge. The lower level is where the train line runs and the upper deck is the road. The walkways are level with the train line.

A sorry thing is that there has been a demise of rail networks throughout the whole of Australia. This is at the side of the station where busses park. These busses take passengers to where the track no longer is usable or has been removed. Some have become rail trails. The bus looks like it has taken a bit of a hit. Good on the repair shop having an almost matching colour duct tape.
While I was there I asked what time the next train was due. It was forty minutes and I didn’t feel like hanging around. The station has been modernised and no longer has that charm I remember.

I had to walk back the way I came as the road I would have to cross is very busy and is only for the very brave or foolish. Anyway there was a few things I spotted walking back that I didn’t really notice before. How could I miss a bit of my favourites – rust.

I can’t help myself getting a perspective photo when I am on the bridge

I had to walk under the bridge and there has been a bit of street art around. I liked this one

This one made me laugh

This more than a photo fetish – perspective and rust, there is a story. Remember that the train was going to be a long time coming. In order to get this I had to reach above my head and try to get it right. My camera has a flip screen that can rotate 360 degrees. The original photo was crooked I have straightened it as I could hear the train coming.

I had no chance but to just shoot without doing anything else. As you can see I had to lighten the photo otherwise the train was too dark. I am lucky I was at the start of the walkway and didn’t have any pillars in front of me
So here’s one for our resident trainspotter Martin at Images from Finchley.
I guess this is the 2014 from Casino to Sydney XPT

On the way back I went through a little kids park. That’s over at Terri’s Sunday Stills if you want to have a look. All looked quite in the fire station. They had a big training exercise on the weekend. That’s why the hoses are hanging out to dry.

Of course I spot the wildlife no matter where I am. I used to watch the Square-tailed Kites hunt around town. My office was on the riverbank in Grafton with a view over the river. That’s right, it was hard to take. They sometimes work in pairs and swoop the bridge, scattering the hundreds of pigeons that sit there all day and night, and then dive into the confused flock of pigeons.

This is one of the Councils garden beds they have on the roadside at the entrance to the bridge from the south side.

While I was taking photos tramping around in the garden bed, my phone ran to say my car was ready. Thanks for coming a long.