In case you hadn't noticed

I've been away.

Went south to Newcastle and met the three grandchildren I had never seen, ages 5,3 and 18months. Delightful kids.

Had to come back earlier than planned to Bris. because of a cardiologist appointment that Ana had and then caught a bug that laid me low for three days.

Several memorable things of note:

*The Kempsey bypass is fabulous.

*The butcher birds in Wauchope sing slightly differently to those in Bris and up here.

* There are still more idiots per kilometer of road than is reasonable.

Welcome back. I always enjoyed driving through Kempsey for some reason. That's progress. Unlike Albury, the bypass was the best thing to happen it :D

Most importantly I am pleased you got to see the grandchildren and I hope your children and you have become closer for it.

So Kempsey is open wow one day we will have that National East Coast route open all the way saving time and money which was an election promise when I was a kid.

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Originally Posted by Scott

Welcome back. I always enjoyed driving through Kempsey for some reason. That's progress. Unlike Albury, the bypass was the best thing to happen it :D

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Surely you jest good sire!!

As dictator I would have solved two problems at once the other being to push the place into the river. Always hated Kempsey for some reason.

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Originally Posted by artme

Surely you jest good sire!!

As dictator I would have solved two problems at once the other being to push the place into the river. Always hated Kempsey for some reason.

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Arthur why the river rises to drown the town.

My Dad lives just out of Kempsey at Crescent Head. The last time I was up there just before Christmas, I took the time to really explore Kempsey, and basically it is becoming a modern day ghost town. There really is nothing there!

Congratulations on meeting the Grandkids. :2tsup:

Taa.

Yep, Crescent head is on my to do list. Funny how i grew up on the Nambucca but many close by places
have never had my eyes laid upon them. That is something I intend to correct.

The only thing I know about Nambucca is the limerick about the girl from there.:D

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Originally Posted by AlexS

The only thing I know about Nambucca is the limerick about the girl from there.:D

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I'm having trouble thinking of words that rhyme with Nambucca. :think:

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Originally Posted by Scott

I'm having trouble thinking of words that rhyme with Nambucca. :think:

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Thank goodness for that!! :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by wheelinround

..So Kempsey is open wow one day we will have that National East Coast route open all the way saving time and money which was an election promise when I was a kid.

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Just a matter of time now. :U

Yes the highway is a vastly different drive to what it was when I started driving.

Just a few stretches to go and life will be bliss. For me the most annoying section
is that from Kempsey to Nambucca, particularly through Macksville and along the river to Nambucca.


Funny, I must have led a sheltered youth. I don't recall any limericks about Nambucca.:B:B

I'm thankful for the pakenham bypass.
I think pakenham is the new name for the olde english name "Hamlet of Puke" or pukenham.

Always hated going thru the town on the way fishing, Hated it worse coming back when the speed signs changed every 40 metres to a different number. And a traffic light every 60 metres when all I wanted to do was get back home.

Just for interest, a pic from the 1949 floods in Kempsey.
Attachment 270912

I have a few others if anyone's interested.

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Originally Posted by artme

Surely you jest good sire!!

As dictator I would have solved two problems at once the other being to push the place into the river. Always hated Kempsey for some reason.

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Why is that Arthur? I lived there for 15 years...couldn't wait to get out of the place once I turned 18.

I remember some of the floods, 63 was a good one and few through the mid sixties to seventies.

It's now going to 'ghost town' status. Not that many jobs in the town but plenty of welfare reciepents.

Just cleaned up the old mans place (he lived there for 50+ years) and now trying to sell the house..so far no luck.

OK bleeder here it is.

As a kid I was a rabid supporter of the local footy team -league that is. When Kempsey came to town to play they always had a bit
of a superior attitude. Loved it when they were given a drubbing.

They also had a few smart rectums amongst the younger ones who seemed to delight in giving a couple of young lads in town who
were disabled a hard time. Didn't appreciate that one little bit.

Also had a few run ins with some smart alek scouts at various gatherings, one in particular by the name of Haggis who originally hailed from Glasgow.
Tough and vicious bugger.

Silly I know, but some things just stick in your craw.

Just a couple of footnotes:

A.S Neil is an auctioneering firm that began in Kempsey and spread its wings to the Nambucca region, including Bowraville.
Not so many years ago a discovery was made of thousands of glass photographic negatives in one of the old A.S. Neil buildings
in Kempsey. These are of great historical importance for the Macleay Valley and wer e thought to be the greatest such number of this type of negative ever found.

The caves at Willawarren are a great place to explore.

Two great sounding aboriginal names from the valley are Bellimbopinni and Jeogla.

Roger Giffkins lived in the area for many years. Probably still does.

Always had a bit of sympathy during flood times for Kempsey. That massive catchment sure makes for a lot of water.
Thanks for the photo.:2tsup:

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Originally Posted by AlexS

Just for interest, a pic from the 1949 floods in Kempsey.
Attachment 270912

I have a few others if anyone's interested.

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I am interested!

Here ya go...
Attachment 271009
Attachment 271010
Attachment 271011
Attachment 271012
Attachment 271013

Great shots!!! Thanx!!!:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

The 3rd and 5th photos show just how fast the water moves.

Nice pile of firewood on the railway bridge.

I lost my left eye when I was Six and had reasonably frequent trips to Sydney for the
fitting of a prosthesis. I remember one trip where the train stopped before every swollen
river and then proceeded very slowly across. I was petrified by the sight of that muddy
rushing water.

The fact that no bridges ever failed in any way is testament to their fine engineering.

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Originally Posted by artme

I was petrified by the sight of that muddy rushing water. .

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At least you'd only see half of it :whistling2:

The Kempsey bypass is wonderful, but currently finishes at just north of Frederickton.
Prior to this, trying to get through Kempsey in school holidays and public holidays was a major undertaking with long delays. Now that the bypass is complete, these delays have now moved north to Macksville.
Outside of the holiday periods, the road is a dream. Roadworks from Coffs Harbour north through Woolgoolga are still a pain, but this will be great when finished and they are making very good progress.
Kempsey Shire is truly beautiful geographically. The people are salt of the earth folk who are friendly and affable. There is too much welfare there, and this has the same problems as anywhere else with too much welfare. Regular Kempsey people have to live and deal with this, and do so on a daily basis.
I like the town and its people, and I wonder how the bypass will affect them. The same problems existed in Taree and it has thrived after the bypass was complete, so there is hope that Kempsey will do so as well.
Cheers
SG

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Originally Posted by Scott

At least you'd only see half of it :whistling2:

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Some consolation for a small boy!!! :bricks:

Now gimme a hug and say sorry.:D:D

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Originally Posted by artme

Some consolation for a small boy!!! :bricks:

Now gimme a hug and say sorry.:D:D

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:hug:Sorry Uncle Art :D

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Originally Posted by Scott

:hug:Sorry Uncle Art :D

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Ta!!

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Originally Posted by AlexS

Here ya go...
Attachment 271009
Attachment 271010
Attachment 271011
Attachment 271012
Attachment 271013

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In the first two (2) pictures that has the bridge (Pic 2 & 4). Are they of the main road bridge, or the railway bridge?

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Originally Posted by cava

In the first two (2) pictures that has the bridge (Pic 2 & 4). Are they of the main road bridge, or the railway bridge?

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Photo 2 is the road bridge, which was the old highway until the bypass was completed. It had the dreaded traffic lights at the northern end - not in that photo of course.
Photo 4 is the railway bridge.
Cheers
SG

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Originally Posted by Scribbly Gum

Photo 2 is the road bridge, which was the old highway until the bypass was completed. It had the dreaded traffic lights at the northern end - not in that photo of course.
Photo 4 is the railway bridge.
Cheers
SG

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Thanks SG. It was the debris on the railway bridge that threw me.

As an aside, I remember the old timber bridge at Telegraph Point. :C

You are right about the geography of the valley SG.

The upper reaches of the river are glorious and there are some surprisingly large river flat ares up there.
The biggest flock of sulphur crested cockatoos I have ever see was up in that area.

I've driven the route from Willawaaren across to the top of the Nambucca into Taylors Arm. Quite a trip on
winding gravel roads!

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Originally Posted by artme

You are right about the geography of the valley SG.

The upper reaches of the river are glorious and there are some surprisingly large river flat ares up there.
The biggest flock of sulphur crested cockatoos I have ever see was up in that area.

I've driven the route from Willawaaren across to the top of the Nambucca into Taylors Arm. Quite a trip on
winding gravel roads!

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Beautiful country, and of course the gem in Kempsey's crown is South West Rocks. I don't think there is a more beautiful place on the coast.
Great perch fishing in the upper Macleay as well.

Thanks Cava for the memories of the old Tele Point wooden bridge. I drove across it back in the early seventies. Graham (Carry Pine) remembers it less fondly as it and his motorbike had a disagreement.
The old bridge and the old Tele Point railway station were quite a feature of this area.
I love living here.
Cheers
SG