We leave the high steep slopes of the rolling green hills joinng the rainforest mountains of Dorrigo to the lush valley below. A final walk along the Bellinger River was a lovely way to say farewell to a lot of Corrie’s distant childhood memories of her dad’s majestic hotel in the town’s main street.
Urunga is our next stop, where the 3km boardwalk is the highlight. And it was, as we leant over the side to gain our social distancing on a metre wide walking track. But when we saw hordes coming the other way we fled. Maybe it was because it was Sunday but what an opportunity to extend it a little and make it ‘Covid one-way’. If so, what a gorgeous walk it would have been over a wide lagoon heading out to sea.
Woolgoolga was next and what a change this town has seen over time. Well known for it’s large Sikh population who monopolised the banana market until a glut saw them just as successful in the ever growing Blueberry market. A couple of loose rock reefs add to its beach attractiveness as a young family swam in the reef’s protection.
Grafton probably deserved more of our attention but smaller places were our agenda as we followed one of this town’s main assets, the Clarence river. While controversial sugar production stretches along its breadth, there were little pieces of gold. One of these was the enchanting village of Ulmurra which has time standing still with its special car ferry and old bookshops. Many other uncrowded special places tickle the edges of the Clarence, a bit like our experience of Gladstone on the Macleay.
And now it’s Yamba, our home for the night to be explored tomorrow before we move on once again.
My poem reflects the drift of time which touches on changes made and hopefully will be made in the future. Today may soon be history, so it’s all the more special to be part of it.

There is a change that is the drift of time
While ties seem strong they flit and flow it’s true
The meaning moves, it’s tame, was once sublime
Is it ubiquitous or of the few?
Does love recoil and show its newborn state
Does hate replace the love that was not there?
There’s thought that these conditions we create
These movements lead to states that don’t seem fair
What if it’s true, decisions made don’t matter?
Thoughts come and go to please or simply sadden
Beliefs that rule our life may quickly shatteree
Do lives we really hurt or think we gladden?
Maybe a beacon’s there with greater light
Determining when, or if, to sit or fight.