The Lower Clarence is a year round holiday destination with many wonderful attractions. The magnificent river is one of the mightiest waterways in Australia and a great fishing spot.

The area houses many towns. Grafton with its wonderful old buildings is the main centre. Maclean is the scottish town and is the home base for the river based prawn trawling fleet. The coastal towns of Brooms Head, Angourie, Yamba and Iluka provide year round beach activities.

Grafton is situated 650 kilometres north of Sydney and 320 kilometres south of Brisbane. Excellent racetrack facilities ensures the city the title of Country Racing Capital of New South Wales. The July Racing Carnival is the highlight of the year round sport.

The Grafton district was discovered by the escaped convict Richard Craig in 1831. For a pardon and 100 pounds he brought a party of cedar getters on the cutter "Prince George" to log the red gold.

The city, proclaimed in 1885, is famous for its graceful historic buildings on the banks of the mighty Clarence River and avenues of Jacarandas. The annual Spring Jacaranda Festival is Australia's longest running floral festival.

Other festivals include the Easter Jazz & Blues Festival, Eisteddfod and Artfest.

The Grafton Regional Art Gallery, located in a restored heritage home, houses the finest displays. The city's early history is well documented at Schaeffer House Museum.

Industry is well represented - sawmills, timber treatment works, brickworks and an agricultural research station.

The dominant feature of the region is one of the great rivers of Australia, the Clarence which surges into the Pacific Ocean at nearby Iluka and Yamba.

To learn more about our Marine Parks mpa.nsw.gov.au

The Far North Coast is a melting pot of cultures and the residents profound enthusiasm means that for visitors there's unlimited choices of entertainment. From Tweed's Banana Festival, Fishing Festivals in Brunswick Heads, Evans Head, Iluka, and Yamba, to Casino's annual 12 day celebration of the cattle industry and much more. There's markets to be found every weekend at varying locations where craftsmen and vendors of all ilks offer an amazing array of wares and services.

The annual Grafton to Inverell Cycle Classic provides a perfect excuse to discover the rich tablelands of northern New England. The 228km amateur road cycling classic began in September 1961 with just 35 cyclists and today boasts 130 to 150 competitors.

Maclean hosts the Highland Gathering each Easter and in September the Cane Harvesting Festival light the night skies.

Iluka's main event each July is the Amateur Fishing Classic whilst the Yamba Fishing Festival is on every October long weekend.

The annual Jacaranda Festival is the time to visit Grafton - a spectacular show of purple

Other annual events are the Byron Bay Blues and Music festivals, Grafton's Jazz and Lismore's Folk Festival.

MACLEAN

Maclean (695 kilometres north of Sydney) enjoys a beautiful setting beside the Clarence River, with a hilly backdrop providing a view of spectacular sunsets.

The large Scottish population came about because of the 1840 famine and the effects of the Highland Clearances which resulted in hardship in Scotland. Free passage was granted to 4000 highlanders who arrived at the time the Clarence was being opened up for selection. Many came to Rocky Mouth as Maclean was then known.

Maclean is the southern gateway to the Australian Sugar Industry. In September each year the Cane Harvest festival is celebrated and nightly fires light up the skies. There's also mad-cap entertainment and street parades.

The town's oldest building is The Gables and dates back to 1864. It's one of many that will please historians. The Stone Cottage Museum was built in 1879 and displays feature home life in the 1880's.

The town is also the headquarters for a prawn trawling fleet which works from the river mouth to the Ulmarra ferry.

Every Easter clans from all over Australia come to the Highland Gathering and enjoy traditional Scottish hospitality and sporting events. The oldest Free Presbyterian Church in Australia is located here. In the Herb Stanford Memorial Park, a large cairn has been constructed with rocks from Scotland and Scottish communities throughout Australia. The cairn was a bicentennial project of Maclean Scottish Town Committee. Many street signs carry the Gaelic translation. You'll find a range of souvenirs at the Scottish Corner Souvenir Shop & Information Centre.

Popular pastimes include water sports, sailing, general boating, houseboat hire and fishing.