With some unfenced farms, cattle roamed freely about the road. Once over the border into New South Wales more winding road took us past more spectacular scenery. We caught some good views of the heritage-listed Spiral Loop railway line, a serpentine rail line that includes two tunnels – a 1.6km tunnel at the summit and a shorter one that passes under itself. After checking in to a very nice motel in Kyogle we joined Helen's 93 year old uncle for lunch and later did a bush walk through the local botanical gardens which consist mainly of revegetated creek environments. |
Prior to European settlement the area around Kyogle was home to the Bundjalung Aborigines. It is claimed that the Bundjalung word 'kaiou-gal' means 'the place of the bush turkey or bustard'. It is said that the first European use of the word occurred when a nearby cattle station was named Kaiou-gal Station.
The first European into the area was Sir John Jamieson who established the Richmond Head run. When he died the property was purchased by two Irishmen, Charles Fawcett and Henry Mayne, who renamed the property Fairy Mount.