About Armidale
Armidale is an attractive and graceful city of tree-lined streets where the academic world of the University of New England mingles with a major rural service centre at the heart of rich, old world pastoralism. It is the major centre of the Northern Tablelands and the major city in the New England area of northern New South Wales. The city has four distinct seasons and it becomes like New England in the USA when in autumn the introduced birch, ash and poplar set the district ablaze with reds, golds and browns. Although the university now dominates the city’s economy it is still in a rich and fertile area where grazing and the production of high-grade fine wool are the major source of local income.
Equally timber processing and the production of potatoes and stone fruits are also important. The historic agricultural wealth of the district is apparent in some of the city’s fine heritage buildings. The scenery around Armidale includes forests, mountain gorges, waterfalls (Wollomombi Falls are one of the highest in Australia) and four national parks. Armidale is also known for its gracious city parklands; its schools and its impressive Anglican and Catholic cathedrals. (sourced from the Aussie Towns website – click for more).
Armidale is a lovely town (maplink), after all it’s known for its impressive Anglican and Catholic cathedrals. We stayed at the Armidale Tourist Park which is a few km’s out out town but a nice caravan park. We were booked in for 3 nights so it was good to just settle in for a while.
Happy Hour Hiliarity
Happy hours were spent in the caravan park’s large games room. It was here that we played “Left, Right, Centre” as well as “Jenga” for the 2nd time and everyone had a ball.
Pete, Gary & Ray
Armidale Cathedrals
We took a visit to the city to stroll around their lovely parks and also check out a couple of the local cathedrals – Saints Mary & Joseph Catholic Cathedral (which we were fortunate to view the inside) and the Anglican Diocese of Armidale.
Wollomombi Falls
The district had recently had a bit of rain so it was fortunate for the group to visit Wollomombi Falls to catch some pretty spectacular waterfalls; located 42.4kms east of Armidale (maplink). The scenery is breathtaking, especially from the sky-bridge built to look over the valley and view the waterfalls from a distance.
Captain Thunderbolt Museum – Uralla
Frederick Wordsworth Ward, better known by the self-styled pseudonym of Captain Thunderbolt, was an Australian bushranger renowned for escaping from Cockatoo Island, and also for his reputation as the “gentleman bushranger” and his lengthy survival, being the longest and last roaming bushranger in Australian history. Wikipedia
The town of Uralla 23.5 kms south-west of Armidale (maplink) has a museum dedicated to Captain Thunderbolt, called McCrossin’s Mill Museum, so we trundled off, with Tim & Anne, to check it out. Well, it was a bit underwhelming but still worth the visit. The museum features a wonderful a series of nine paintings by artist Phillip Pomeroy depict the fatal events of 25 May 1870, when Constable Alexander Walker brought an end to the reign of gentleman bushranger, Captain Thunderbolt.
Uralla Pub
Moscow Circus – Premier Night
Our last night in Armidale coincided with the opening night of the Moscow Circus, so a group booking was made, for 37 of us who also scored front row seats. Woohoo!
The only animals involved are the dancing toy ponies at the beginning. The whole show is based around acrobats, clowns (of course!), trapeze acts. A truly amazing group of artists, with several of them performing in different acts. The clown was also on the trapeze, a knife thrower and rode in the “Globe of Death” (video below).
If the Moscow Circus comes to a town near you then go! It was totally awesome!
