Tours - Manning River Mar 2016
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Tour - Manning River - 13-18 March 2016
Note: To see a collection of photos from the trip, scroll to the bottom of this text.
Our group of 38 left Sydney on Sunday morning, heading initially for lunch at Nelson Bay. Lunch and a cruise. The objective was a pleasant lunch with friends and a cruise around the Bay. We had both of these, but weren't prepared for the enormous bonus of a large number of dolphins deciding to spend a large part of our cruise with us. Whether they were just swimming around or breaching close by we all had plenty of opportunities of seeing the up close.
After this beautiful start to our tour we headed further north to our accommodation at Harrington Waters. I think everyone was delighted with the quality of our rooms and the wonderful position of the hotel on the water’s edge, in exquisite gardens with a pool that many of us quickly got into before dinner.
The next day started with a really brilliant breakfast - at least for those of us who enjoy eggs and bacon, with the trimmings, cooked to order! We had a very interesting visit to the head of the Manning River where we could understand what incredible people our forefathers were because of the building of breakwaters to redirect the treacherous waters of the entrance to the river, where many ships were wrecked throughout the 19th Century. Then on to Diamond Head for lunch (gourmet sandwiches) where we had our second awesome meeting with the local fauna, in the form of a really beautiful monitor, who definitely approved of our sandwiches and for a moment seemed to be very interested in Jeni Locke!
We returned early to Harrington. The pool was very popular, especially when Eva Morris shared her aqua-aerobics skills with a group of enthusiastic followers! Help came soon after when champagne, cheese and biscuits turned up. This event was highlighted by the contrasting dress code of those in wet swimmers and gowns and those neatly showered and dressed for a cocktail function. So, as I write this, sitting on my veranda overlooking the Manning River, I reckon the first two days with friends, conversation, interesting visits and lots of fun have been a success!
We woke to fog on day 3! But of course, being a Probus tour the sun quickly appeared and we all made off to Wingham. John Huggart hails from there and Ian Davidson from just up the road in Taree. News of old boys returning, after about 50 years as far as I could make out, soon spread and in no time they were being interviewed by the local newspaper!
Continuing our native animal theme our first stop was at Wingham Brush, an area of old forest which is home to thousands of flying foxes. The noise was deafening, the smell evident, with great activity in the tree tops. Then into town for morning tea and a very good conducted tour of the local museum. Our guide was 5th generation Wingham, which means at least 150 of family connection. No wonder she is President of the Wingham Museum! We then toured the town and surrounding area, which proved to be more interesting than was anticipated, followed by an excellent lunch in a local restaurant. Taree and Old Bar followed and then back to the hotel where many of us enjoyed a swim. Wes Dayton visited us swimmers at pool side, I think to take photos, but when asked why he wasn't coming in for a swim replied he could’t find any swimmers with braces! So another lovely day, lots seen and enjoyed with heaps of laughter and good conversation. BBQ for dinner tonight!
Day 4 turned out to be another happy day! We concentrated on Port Macquarie. On the way, just as we passed the Golf Club the paddock next door we saw a large group of camels happily grazing! Evidently they give rides on the beach. So the fascination with animals continues, particularly as a first stop was the Koala Hospital, which opened 40 years ago. And what a wonderful visit this turned out to be. We saw great work being done with injured and sick koalas, some who can be returned to the same area they came from - this is very important, and sadly some whose situation was so bad they will remain at the hospital. Our guide turned the visit into a highlight of our trip by her interesting insights into the operation of the hospital. For instance there are 900 species of eucalyptus but koalas will only eat 60 species, but of these only the type in their particular area of habitat, so specialist gatherers are engaged daily collecting specific supply for three koalas in their care.
For something completely different, after a ploughman’s lunch in a park by the water, we went cruising up the Hastings River. We boarded a rather elderly vessel, about which I had my doubts, but again what a fabulous trip we had. The boat, which just held our party of 38 was able to sail in shallow waters, so we could go up through the oyster farms, close in to the mangrove banks and view dolphins, black swan and pelicans close up.
To finish another great day we stopped for wine tasting at the Cassegrain Winery on the way back to our hotel.
Day 5 started with the threat of rain, We didn't take it seriously as each day this week has been beautiful despite the possibility of showers. We were right! Missed it all the time, particularly as we cruised around Wallis Lake and out in the ocean where we tracked down even more Dolphins. They have followed us everywhere on this trip - just beautiful. After this great cruise of 2.5 hours it was time for lunch. Wow - what a lunch it turned out to be. John, our driver from On Course Tours, produced, as if by magic, prawns, oysters, smoked salmon, beautiful salads, coleslaw, and French bread, washed down with a choice of wine and soft drinks. All served in a park on the water’s edge at Forster.
A tour of the local area followed, before we were back at our hotel. It was St. Patrick's Day, so dinner had a strong Irish theme, a great Irish band entertained us and - Jean and Ian Lucas dressed up so well they won the best costume competition! Another great day for everyone, especially Prue Dayton who shared her birthday with us.
Day 6 and farewell to the Manning River. A gentle drive home mainly on the back roads. We broke for morning tea in Gloucester, lunch in Hamilton and dinner in our own kitchens! It is always amazing to see how beautiful our country and the coastline are. The Manning River area, new to me, but an old friend to others turned on a treat for us!
So, time for reflection. Our accommodation was first class, the coach very comfortable and driver John fantastic. We all had a great time together. Personally I always find our Tours so interesting, in the places we visit, but perhaps most of all because of the time we spend together. There was lots of laughter, stories told, great conversation and even a few significant exaggerations!
A big thank you to everyone who came on the Tour. For those that didn't - you missed an excellent few days with friends and if you are a new member there is no better way to get to know a lot more people in the club.