Distance: 12.3Km
Drove into the centre of Grafton. Traffic jam crossing the bridge and anyway I still managed to take the wrong turning (if I was coming again I would try to stay on the north side of the river). South Grafton streets seem to have lots of short stretches with quick turns – very easy to take the wrong turning.
Drove the circuit of Jacaranda lined streets and they were very impressive. Finally parked next to Market Square which seems to be one of the festival centres. It too is filled with Jacaranda trees.
We were just thinking of leaving when a couple of kids started playing guitar and singing on the open air stage in the park. I think it was pupils from Grafton High School performing (unless I misheard). Some of them were very good but all of them performed very well. It was a pity they only performed in front of a small audience comprising their school mates and half a dozen of us old folks. They deserved better. I have to be honest and say I only recognised one piece they sang (a Missy Higgins composition) but I presume they were all contemporary songs.
They were followed by a primary school who started off with a school orchestra. Obviously the days of the screeching recorder are over; these kids had flutes, trombones, saxophones, clarinets, drums etc. The orchestra was followed by a Year 2 choir and dancers then Stage Two (?) choir. While this school performed there was a big audience of doting parents and grandparents.
After all this free entertainment went shopping in the local shopping mall to buy important ingredients like milk, tomatoes and nuts (forgot bread) before returning mid afternoon to the caravan park for a late lunch and recovery time. Then planned tomorrow’s excursions which will involve more driving and less walking.
Spent a little time trying to improve the TV reception in the camper but the local transmitters are over 35km away and seemingly too weak for my aerial. The TV knows the signal is there but can’t make head nor tail of it.
Disaster! The power supply for the HDD seems to have failed. No TV and far worse – no films or TV series for late evening. To be fair I did know that this power supply was dodgy but I thought it was just a connection glitch, I hope it hasn’t taken the drive with it.
