VISITOR INFORMATION
We welcome you to our incredible city to celebrate all things Jacarandas! There is so much to see and do during Jacaranda Season and we know you will enjoy your time with us! Please reach out if you have any questions about the festival or looking for some local insight on what to do and where to go during your trip
GETTING HERE:
Grafton is just a few hours drive south of Brisbane, or an easy direct flight from Sydney, so come for a day or two, and experience the Jacaranda Festival.
DRIVE
The Pacific Highway (A1/M1) is the major highway accessing Grafton, Grafton is about 3 hours south of Brisbane and 7 hours north of Sydney. If your heading from New England you're in luck too, take the Gwydir Highway east for a lazy 2 hour drive from Glen Innes.
FLY
Qantas, Jet Star and Virgin Blue have daily flights into Ballina/Byron Airport and Coffs Harbour Airport. Yamba is just over an hour’s drive south of Ballina and Grafton is 50 minutes north of Coffs Harbour.
TRAIN
NSW Trainlink services from Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Moree travel to Grafton Railway Station, located in South Grafton, just near the bridge and within walking distance to a range of accommodation options.
BUS
Many bus companies travel the Pacific Highway and stop in Grafton, or if you live close enough a day tour to the Jacaranda City is a great option to get here and get around and take in as much purple as possible.
COACH TOUR
There are a number of daily bus tours that can take you on a day trip or a few nights stay to Grafton and show you around.
ACCOMODATION/EAT & DRINK:
There is plenty of accommodation across Grafton and surrounds but it does book out fast for Jaca Fest! Get in quick to avoid missing out. For all accomodation, food/drink or things to do in Grafton click the link below:
myclarencevalley.com/
The team at My Clarence Valley are always here to help out with visitor information. You can check them out on their website at myclarencevalley.com or call them on 02 6643 0800. Not only do they have information about Grafton and the Jacaranda Festival, if you have decided you would like to explore more of the Clarence Valley they can help you out with that too.
A visitor information outlet is located at the Clarence Regional Gallery on Fitzroy Street Grafton.
You can also follow My Clarence Valley on Facebook and Instagram, search @myclarencevalley.
Do you need more Jacaranda Festival information? Contact us
GETTING AROUND:
HOP ON HOP OFF BUS - The Grafton Jacaranda Festival features a Hop-On Hop-Off (Jaca Bus) service to easily explore the festival hubs, historic avenues and jacaranda lined avenues. Routes: The guided loop covers the iconic Jacaranda Avenue, local landmarks and See Park. Departures: Usually operates daily from Market Square. Cost: Traditionally offered by donation or free of charge, with loops taking about an hour. For exact timetables, dates, and booking information, check the Grafton Jacaranda Festival Official Website or the Grafton Jacaranda Festival Facebook Page as the spring festival dates approach. Proudly sponsored by Action Coaches.
WALKING TOURS - Stroll on a guided walking tour of Jacaranda Avenue, See Park, Prince Street and the Clarence waterfront. Historic tales both, sordid and amusing, will be brought to life by local Graftonian's hour and a half walk. The walk is an easy pace. Available Friday, Saturday and Sunday's of the Festival. $20 per person. As an incentive to finish, a famous Jacaranda Ice Cream is included at the end of the tour.
TREES:
Every now and then, you just have to stock up on the feelings that remind you that life – and the world – is beautiful. Grafton’s Jacaranda trees are a way to plug into that sense of wonder. In mid October and early November, the streets and parks of this Northern NSW city are transformed into something out of a dream when the Jacarandas explode in all their purple glory.
Jacaranda Season
Jacaranda season is surprisingly brief, which only makes the experience more rare and memorable. Generally speaking, the purple blossoms start to show themselves in early-to-mid October. The second half of October sees the Jacaranda-lined streets and parks of Grafton look like something out of a dream, with the trees in full bloom.
By early November, the roads and footpaths are carpeted in fallen purple blossoms as the Jacarandas prepare to don their lighter, green summer outfits. Seeing as Nature ultimately makes the call on such matters as blooming and blossoming, we consulted widely with Nature to identify the season as accurately as possible. Find out more at myclarencevalley.com
Where can you see the trees?
There are streets after streets lined with Jacaranda Trees around Grafton. Whether you want to take a stroll, ride a bike or drive a car, we would like to make your experience as easy as possible. Below we have a link to a downloadable map so you can easily lose yourself in the Jacaranda City without actually being lost.
See the map below or download it HERE
Live Tree Blooming:
For live tree-blooming updates please check My Clarence Valley socials by clicking the links below.
