Welcome to the dome - Tenterfield is an alternative to Ayers Rock

Jan 5, 2010, 11:24 GMT

Tenterfield, Australia - Do not expect to get a warm meal around these parts after 8 o'clock in the evening. In the small town of Tenterfield in the north of New South Wales in Australia, eating at such an 'unearthly hour' is a real problem.

Everyone has had their dinner already and the bars serve only beer. Inside local punters listen to country music and watch cricket games on giant TV screens.

Yes, Tenterfield is a well and truly provincial Australian town yet the neighbourhood of this community of 3,200 souls some 770 kilometres from Sydney on the New-England-Highway to Brisbane, is well worth exploring.

Just a short car journey to the north lies Bald Rock, the largest granite monolith in the Southern Hemisphere. For visitors to 'Down Under' who prefer to stay on the East Coast and not venture to see Ayers Rock in the interior, this huge, exposed granite dome is an fascinating alternative.

Bald Rock does not rise spectacularly above the landscape like Ayers Rock and the panoramic view into the Outback from the latter landmark remains unique. Vegetation prevents a full 360 degree view from the summit of Bald Rock yet in contrast to its counterpart in the Outback the aborigines have no objection to visitors clambering around the batholith. It dates back to the Lower Triassic age, over 200 million years ago.

The highest point in the New England tableland was an important meeting place for the aborigines since the watershed marked the confluence of various groups and dialects, explained local tourist authority director John Sommerlad.

From 1971 onwards Bald Rock has lent its name to a national park and since then a metalled road leads to its base. The improved access has encouraged many more travellers to make a beeline for it in their hired cars.

The granite sentinel stands more than 200 metres tall. It is around 500 metres wide and 750 metres long. Two trails lead to the top of Bald Rock, a steep variant known as 'Summit Walk' and the gentler 'Bungoona Walk,' which takes about a hour to complete. The terrain along the way is wild, with granite boulders strewn between the trees like oversized marbles.

Once out of the forest, the walker feels nothing but pure granite under his boots. The view is panoramic, extending far across the verdant territory to neighbouring Queensland state. Girraween is another national park which runs up to Bald Rock and further to the east is Boonoo Boonoo, a third protected area.

The major attraction here are the spectacular Boonoo Boonoo Falls. A narrow path leads to the head of the falls through spectacular high-country scenery. Walkers used to be able to descend into the gorge but a barrier now prevents this - clambering down is considered to be hazardous. The dangers inherent in exploring this area became all too apparent in October 2009 when a German tourist died in the wilderness.

Visitors to Tenterfield will come across some relics of German immigration too. A total of 61 families came here in the 19th century to begin a new life and once every two years the locals stage a Bavarian beer festival. The money hereabouts comes these days from tending cattle and sheep, a source of revenue shared with so many small towns in this East Coast hinterland.

Those interested in the history of this vast continent might like to call in to Tenterfield School of Arts which also contains a cinema and a lending library. The building is dedicated to New South Wales politician Sir Henry Parkes who declared 'a great national government for all Australia' during a famous speech at the school in 1889. This earned Tenterfield the tag of 'birthplace of our nation.'

The building has changed little since then but visitors will have to hurry if they want to see inside. The doors close at 4 o'clock in the afternoon - which leaves tourists with ample time for an early dinner and an opportunity to round off a visit with an obligatory visit to the pub.