Tamworth to Tenterfield via Warialda, then on to Casino

Its cold in the morning at Tamworth. Pat has left early to attend a training course around 7 am. I need to turn on the heater in my home and then check my email and other internet stuff. Alison is coming up the drive to enquire about breakfast and my preferences. Well scrambled eggs sounds just about perfect. We sit on their back porch in the sun, enjoying each others company before I need to jump behind the wheel again to drive north to Warialda.

Autumn colours on the way to Tenterfield

Its grassland all the way, lots of cattle, occasionally sheep as well. I stop at Warialda for one night. Yes cold here as well, glad to be on power so I can turn on my heater. I leave the following morning to drive east to the town of Tenterfield, quite an interesting town with lots of historical things to see.

Tenterfield main road

At the Visitors Centre I check out any interesting places to check out and decide, after a cycle through town to go and see "Bald Rock", about 35km to the north the following morning.

Colour even in the side streets of Tenterfield


After Breakfast I drive out into the National Park. When I arrive mine is the only vehicle in the parking area. It is very quiet. I grab my camera and start my 2 hour walk, first on a path through Eucalypt forests but soon come to a fork in the path. I choose the steep climb straight to the top of Bald Rock. I am impressed by the size, in fact its quite a bit larger than the rock formations at The Humps in WA, I visited last year.

View from the top

This is also a giant Granite Rock, rising to 1255m above sealevel. (Tenterfield is at 880m) I zig-zag my way up its face, then on a less steep path to the top.

Granite in a multitude of shapes and sizes
Great views, some wildlife and sparse vegetation all the way to the top.

Quite amazing that rock has not fallen yet

I take the long way around to get back to the parking area, drive back to Tenterfield, re-fuel and drive east to Casino.
The road is winding its way around parts of the Dividing Range hills, so its slow going for part of the way. Casino is much closer to sealevel and so its much warmer here than at Tenterfield, a circumstance I much appreciate. After a hot shower its short sleeves and shorts again.