Bikes in trees, a criminal's hideout, the railway going nowhere... 

...and some new four-legged friends ~

Call this altitude with attitude if you like, but it's autumn, and so we felt no excuse was needed to head north for some 'high discoveries'. Please come along, too! 

Onwards and upwards, we drive, on the New England Highway, discovering that it's not difficult to imagine the note of homesickness (or was it, perhaps, sarcasm?) as early settlers in Australia dubbed this rocky and mountainous area New England.

No one really knows where 'New England' begins or ends. The New England Highway begins at Hexham in NSW, and finishes well over the Queensland border and, until the 1950s it was the only 'all weather' road from Sydney to Brisbane.

The New England tableland is known for its granite boulders and outcrops, such as Bluff Rock (above), south of Tenterfield.

Read about Bluff Rock's tragic history...

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Although British settlers arrived here in the mid-nineteenth century, we need to remember that several tribes of indigenous people had already lived in this region for thousands of years.

This highway traverses only a smallish part of the rugged Great Dividing Range, which begins in the Grampians in southern Victoria, and extends to the tip of far north Queensland. In all, it stretches about 3500 kilometres. It is the third-longest land-based range in the world and almost entirely borders the eastern seaboard of Australia.

Travelling north, rising all the time, we realise that the air does indeed begin to feel cleaner and cooler. As you would expect, it gets even chillier at small-town Guyra, 60 kilometres south of Glen Innes, and with its own claim to fame.

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Glen Innes -  Highland heritage

Glen Innes is a bustling highland town with a population of around 6000. Justly proud of its rich farming and mining heritage as well as it Celtic roots, an annual Celtic festival is held each May, as well as others throughout the year.

Inside the Town Hall we were shown the magnificent auditorium. Its stage, with these rich decorations, has been the backdrop for many community festivals, formal debutante balls and concerts over the years.

After many years of travelling the world we believe, if you want to gain a quick opinion of a town, try its cafes. This day, we applied another belief too, reckoning that one with a jaunty name like this would not disappoint.

And we were right! The blackboard menu featured dishes we'd expect to find in a city cafe, and yet its unique artwork and other little touches spoke of homespun talent.

Make sure to have your own Coffee Incident when you pass through here.

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There's other talent also to be found, such as these handcrafted panels on the street side walls of a supermarket, formerly the Mackenzie department store on the main street.

There are a number of these panels, many featuring indigenous art and culture.

Take a look and see more HERE...

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And by way of comparison, in the main street, we discover a furry cow! All the locals understand this, of course. Located at one of the highest points in the northern range, here the cows' hides develop thicker hair to withstand the often-frosty sub-zero night temperatures.

The climate is also ideal for growing strawberries, as Cecily Tarrant and her husband, David, discovered over twenty years ago.

Almost every Australian town has a Commercial Hotel, and this is Tenterfield's Commercial Boutique Hotel, still busy and serving very good meals, as we discovered one evening.

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If the name seems familiar, it is because this man became known as Australia's Father of Federation. 

Proudly posted in Tenterfield's School of Arts, these words outline how he affected the entire country.

The School of Arts has brought together a fascinating collection of memorabilia connected with Sir Henry Parkes, but just to show there is something for everyone, a sunny courtyard cafe at the rear of the building is a favourite place to relax.

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Here's the one you've been waiting for! 

Australian singer, Peter Allen, made this small town famous with his song about the Tenterfield Saddler. People from all over the world now visit his tribute to a local identity, the saddler himself, George Woolnough. Read about him (below).

Inside, the tiny building is crammed with century-old memorabilia - leather goods, of course, including handmade saddles, boots and bridles, as well as priceless items such as this handwritten music score (below).

Not everyone knows that Australian bush poet, Banjo Paterson, married the daughter of the owner of Tenterfield Station, and kept strong links with the town. Although the idea for Waltzing Matilda was conceived in inland Queensland and first performed at Winton, this piece of sheet music is exhibited here, in the saddler's cottage.

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The little railway that could 

Of great importance to Tenterfield was the opening of a rail link from Sydney to the town in 1886. In 1888 it was further connected to Wallangarra on the Queensland border, linking Sydney and Brisbane by rail for the first time. 

Rail services to the town ceased just over a century later.

Fortunately much memorabilia and rolling stock was retained, allowing the station to remain, so that now the almost intact nineteenth century railway precinct operates as a Railway Museum.

For a small donation, visitors may enter and be transported back through time. Especially interesting to watch is a DVD of the last train to use these lines, but don't miss the addictive model railway either! More...

See more...

Market days in the forecourt of the station are always worth visiting, and we had fun mingling with the locals.

After all, who could resist some homemade jams to take home to share with friends and neighbours?

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A local giant

Not every town has a special tree like this one!

Not only is a cork tree rare in Australia, but also the spread of its branches is enormous.

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Tenterfield cafe culture

For a town of 3300 people, Tenterfield offers plenty of options for coffee-lovers.

This is the Bohemian Tearoom, almost next door to the Jumbuck Motel where we were staying.

A sign in this cosy cafe assured us that all food is made on the premises.

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Not far away (nothing in Tenterfield is very far!) and down the main street was OP Our Place that, because of its great coffee and meals and winebar, also became a favourite.

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This little gem - a cafe-plus - at the far end of the main drag was especially popular, and we could see why.

See more...

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Well-named, The Corner life & style store and cafe also caught our imagination. 

And what a magnificent selection of beautiful upmarket temptations in plain sight of the cafe!

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Dining by night

The nightlife of many Australian small towns is limited, but Rosenhof is one to put on your list.

There are several stylish dining rooms in this old house, and the menu celebrates heritage German dishes.

This marinated almond-crusted pork cutlet was as juicy and tasty as any you could find on the Rhine. Paired with a German Riesling, it was outstanding.

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However, visitors to a town may want some fun and a quick inexpensive meal and it is here that the local clubs come in. The first night after a long drive, we simply wanted tom relax, so headed for the Bowling Club (locally referred to as 'The Bowlo').

It is always fun to mingle with locals and chat to them about life in a town, and although the place was busy, our monstrously large (and well-priced) meals were ready quickly.

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A local specialty

Because Australia has almost the world's range in climate and terrain - think, deserts and tropics, alpine and coastal -  there are few foodstuffs that cannot be raised or grown. 

Recent additions to Tenterfield's offerings are these tempting shiny chestnuts that we saw being grown on the outskirts of town.

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A walk in the park

Over the years, the banks of tiny Tenterfield creek have been turned into a gracious and relaxed park that suits everyone, from fitness lovers...

...to photographers...

...to families who simply want to relax in the shade and have lunch.

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Exploring some wilder landscapes

Many years ago we lived in Tenterfield for a short time and greatly enjoyed heading off into the wild and beautiful valleys and hillsides surrounding the town. Even now this is still a largely unexplored area, but we eagerly took some time to see as much as we could.

You only need twenty minutes or so to drive to this outlook on Mount Mackenzie with its panoramic view.

Mount Mackenzie overlooks the town of Tenterfield as well as landmarks on the horizon.

Mount Mackenzie nature reserve was created in 1999, and here is one of the local residents!

Getting around the area is quite easy, as there are signs in the town to various points of interest. But who knew there was once a F111 crash once?

Many Australians have heard of Captain Thunderbolt, an illustrious bushranger who terrorised the New England region in the mid-1800s.

Twelve kilometres out of town we find his cave just beside the road. Notice that it is large enough for him to also stable his trusty horse out of sight.

If his story fascinates you, this book will answer many questions...

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The terrain is mostly not useable for farming, so most of the wild, boulder-strewn and sometimes impenetrable land around this part of northern New South Wales has been declared national parkland.

If you are wondering how to pronounce Boonoo Boonoo - it's Bunna Bunoo. That's Australia for you!!

Bald Rock, a massive granite monolith, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, is 29 kilometres north of Tenterfield. The three local aboriginal tribes regarded it as peaceful neutral place that they used for trading and negotiation.

The base of it is easily reached and the summit can be reached by a circuitous via a 2.5 km track. Those more athletic may choose to ascend the face of it.

At the top there are granite archways, boulders, ravines and the Granite Titans, smooth balancing stones.

Small is beautiful too, so keep your eyes peeled for local wildflowers along the track as well.

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And now for some weird and wacky whimsy.

As we drove back to town, we came across these bikes ...

...obviously placed here with much care and attention. The longer we stood there, the more we kept noticing, and last count was around 30 bikes in this bush 'installation art'.

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Making and reviving memories

Yes, we did live in Tenterfield at one time, and yes we had spent some spare time exploring.

These bouldered hillsides always fascinated us, and it is amazing that any farmer can make a living from this land.

When we saw this sign, it was a clue to how the land was being utilised.

And yes, we had got ourselves lost and eventually turned back for town.

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Time, then, to revive some memories of a long-ago hike along the banks of the Rocky River.

Following a winding dirt road through farmland (inquisitive cattle this time) shuddering at almost vertical dropoffs in places...

...crossing creeks that had been flooding days earlier...

...avoiding cattle (and poison baits!!).

The distance seemed never-ending. We knew (eventually) that the road would finish at Drake, a town on the main road to Casino, but that would be an hour's drive away and it was heading towards sundown.

Finally found the sign we wanted.

And the Timbarra River, aka Rocky River, we had once enjoyed so much.

Back we travelled over that treacherous road (funny how a return always seems so much quicker!) stopping only to farewell those friendly cattle.

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Stepping across the border

The border between New South Wales and Queensland is just 20 kilometres north of Tenterfield. 

The railway line was closed in 1972 and Wallangarra Railway Station has since been carefully restored.

It is difficult to imagine having to change trains in order to complete a journey, but this is what happened until 1930. Sir Henry Parkes and the Prince of Wales once had to do this, as well as many other passengers over the years until a standard gauge was built.

Only occasionally is it possible to stand with feet in two states, yet here you may do this.

Originally, the railway station was built to accommodate lines with two different gauges, one on either side of the building. Passengers would simply leave one train and walk across the platform to the join the train using the other gauge line.

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Leaving the north...

Perhaps due to the name of this region, or maybe because of the cooler climate and rolling pastures, we have discovered many allusions to Britain. Standing stones in Glen Innes and also at this roadside welcome park, underline the Celtic heritage brought here by British settlers over 150 years ago.

After several days of travel and exploration, we decide to finish this trip in Armidale, a university city towards the southern end of the New England region.

We have to admit that a major drawcard to staying overnight at the Deer Park Motor Inn, was being able to handfeed the motel's small herd of fallow deer - a truly delightful finale.

See more about Armidale....

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Farewell, New England, until next time....

Text & images: © Sally Hammond

Video: ©Gordon Hammond

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Sally and Gordon Hammond travelled independently on this trip, self-driving and staying in accommodation at their own expense. All opinions are their own.