Grafton

Grafton
Grafton is a picturesque town with solid 1800s architecture, cruises on the Clarence, as well as white water rafting and canoeing.
It gets pretty packed (and just plain pretty) late October and early November for the Jacaranda Festival. Fishing, prawning and surfing are popular at Yamba and Evans Head. Inland on the Richmond River, Casino is a typical country town with wide streets and verandahed hotels, and nearby Lismore is the regional centre. Ballina is a fishing town with good family beaches and river cruises. Lennox Head is a charming, seaside village with Seven Mile Beach and a freshwater lake. Surfers head for The Point.
Byron, as the locals call Byron Bay, has an eclectic mix of people – hippies, ‘ferals’, wealthy retirees, artists, backpackers and well-heeled tourists. There are excellent beaches, many fine restaurants, good scuba diving and a hinterland. The prime dive location is Julian Rocks where you may come across turtles and you will come across sharks, usually harmless.