Australian Traveller – August 2019

DRIVINGDOWNANUNSEALEDBACKROADintheNew

EnglandHighCountry,Iconsiderthecorrelationsbetweentherural

landscapehereandthatofitsnamesakenation.Sheepgrazeinflat-as-a-

tackpaddocksedgedbylowwoodenfencesandstuddedwitholdfarm

buildingsandrustingapparatus;sofar,sobucolic.Icanunderstand

whythiscool-climatepocketofnorthernNewSouthWales–perched

ontheGreatDividingRangeandfirstinhabitedbytheIndigenous

Anaiwanpeople–wasgivenitsnamebytheEuropeansettlerswho

trampledonthroughintheearly1800stoestablishalivelihoodfor

themselvesonitsfertileplains.

TheroadtakesustotheedgeoftheWorldHeritage-listedOxley

WildRiversNationalPark,wherewewalkafewmetresthrough

thewattleuntilthelandfallsaway.ThislookoutpointatDangars

GorgeandFallsrevealsasweepingpanoramaofdeepchasmshugged

byeucalyptustreesforasfarastheeyecansee.IhavenodoubtI’m

inAustralianow.

Thisisgorgecountry:aspectacularwildernesscarvedintothe

NorthernTablelandsthatformedovermillionsofyearsasrivers

andstreamscuttheirwaythroughtherockthatformstheplateau.

WeabsorbitinhugelungfulsaswewalkMcDirty’strack,asix-

kilometreroundtripthatfollowstherimofDangarsGorge;andgain

awholenewwide-angledperspectivelateronascenichelicopterflight

withFleetAdventures,tracingthesharpcontoursoftheridgesand

valleysandchasingriverbedslookingforwildbrumbies.

TheregionrivalstheBlueMountainsinbeautyanddramabutbeats

itbyacountrymileintermsofthesolitudeyoucanfindsoeasily.It’s

onthedoorstepoftheregion’scapitalandyetyoucanflystraightalong

thehighway–flankedbyprettypastoralscenes–andnotevenrealise

it’shere.Andit’sjustoneofmanysurprisestobehadfromafewdaysin

Armidaleanditsnearbytownsandvillages–anareathatdeliversonthe

promiseofwholesomeruralcharmbutpacksplentyofpunchontop. (^1) PHOTOGRAPHY:
IMOGEN
EVESON
(SAUMAREZ
HOMESTEAD,
COUNTRYSIDE,
MUSEUM
OF
PRINTING)
CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT:
Edwardian mansion
Saumarez Homestead;
Lewis Wheatley of
Charlie’s Last Stand;
This Armidale cocktail
bar is a live music hub;
Drive Thunderbolts
Way from Sydney.
OPPOSITE: Explore
NERAM’s quirky
Museum of Printing.