Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens are 2 small towns located on the northern side of Port Stephens Bay. We stop overnight in the car park of the local bowls club for the sum of $5.50. And as we are now members we can stop there overnight for free anytime in the future. Hawks Nest was named after a large hawk’s nest in a tree on the Myall River that was used as a navigational aid by the local population. The area is renowned for its high volume of koala bears (of which we saw none!).
The Vintage Golf Club is a Greg Norman designed course situated bang in the middle of the Hunter Valley wine region of New South Wales. The facility has reciprocal rights with Pelican Waters so it was a perfect opportunity to play this quality golf course. And what an experience – the course was in immaculate condition and we had it to ourselves.
After Tenterfield, we have a week before having to get to Port Stephens for the next week of golf. So we overnight at Armidale, Tamworth and Branxton.
Armidale is a town on the very popular ‘Waterfall Way’ which drives through several stunning National Parks where many waterfalls can be viewed.
Tamworth is a large city, known as the “First City of Lights”, being the first place in Australia to use electric street lights in 1888. Tamworth is also famous as the “Country Music Capital of Australia”, annually hosting the Tamworth Country Music Festival in late January; the second biggest country music festival in the world. The city is recognised as the “National Equine Capital of Australia” because of the high number of equine events held in the city and the construction of the world class Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre, the biggest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
Branxton is a handy overnight free camp spot very close to the wine region of the Hunter Valley.
Tenterfield is a town in the northern part of New South Wales. It is located in the New England region of NSW (named after all the Poms who migrated there in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s). 3 hours north is Brisbane and 8 hours south is Sydney.
The town is situated on the north-western part of the Northern Tableland plateau, nestled in a valley, astride the Great Dividing Range and beneath the imposing Mount MacKenzie (1,287m elevation). At the 2015 census Tenterfield had a population of 6,986.
Sir Henry Parkes delivered his Federation Speech in the Tenterfield School of Arts on 24th October 1889. The speech is credited with re-igniting the debate that ultimately led to Federation on 1 January 1901.
One of Tenterfield’s other claims to fame is as the subject of the song ‘Tenterfield Saddler’ written by famous singer songwriter Peter Allen about his Grandfather.
On to the golf, Bob and Siobhan came third in the NSW mixed betterball stroke championships held over 2 days at the Tenterfield Golf Course. Siobhan was also runner up on one of the days of golf and Bob managed a nearest the pin prize.
Time to head south into New South Wales for some more golf and R&R.
The first 7 weeks will consist of 5 weekly Veterans Golf Tournaments starting with the NSW 4 Ball Better Ball Stroke Championships in Tenterfield. Then follows weeks of golf at Port Stephens, Kew Country Club, the NSW Highlands and finishing at the Young Cherry Festival Week Of Golf.
After leaving home our first stop is a free camp just south of Stanthorpe and then on to Tenterfield.
It seems an age since we were last on the road. In fact it has been just over 10 months – our longest spell without a caravan fix. A lengthy overseas family trip took up most of the summer but we were very keen to hit the road again.
Our first trip was a very short one and focussed on a Golf Carnival in the Wide Bay Region, which is only 400 Kms or so north of Pelican Waters. The tournament lasted 3 weeks and consisted of 9 rounds of golf at 5 different golf courses : Coral Cove, Bargara, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and Maryborough.
4 couples from Pelican Waters competed in the event and the ladies far out-performed the men. Siobhan had a fantastic result on the trip winning the overall prize for A grade Ladies. Marilyn Redman came runner up in B Grade and Frances McDonald won the C Grade overall.
Maryborough was the home of P L travers, the author who wrote Mary Poppins and the pedestrian crossing lights in the city have her image on them – very cute.
Whilst we were in Maryborough we watched a fascinating event – a 24 hour endurance race for pedal powered vehicles.
Then it is back home for 3 weeks and then we will be off again for a more substantial trip.
Once the car is headed home it seems to want to get there quickly. From Broken Hill to Pelican Waters is around 1,750 kms. We divert by way of Bourke and visit the Back O Bourke tourist centre, which brings to life the story of Outback New South Wales from the 1800’s.
After Bourke the road is well known to us so it is overnight free camps and re-visits to Walgett (aboriginal word for ‘the meeting place of two rivers’ and the home of cotton, wool and wheat industries), Moree, Goondiwindi (‘the resting place of the birds’ on the NSW QLD border), Toowoomba (the most populous inland city after Canberra) and finally home.
This trip statistics :
Days Away : 57
Car distance traveled : 7,268 kms
Caravan distance travelled : 5,776 kms
We leave Port Broughton and, after an overnight free camp at Manna Hill, arrive in Broken Hill for a 2 night stay. Broken Hill is an isolated mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales. The “BH” in the world’s largest mining company, BHP Billiton, refers to “Broken Hill” and its early operations in the city. Broken Hill has been referred to as “The Silver City”, the “Oasis of the West”, and the “Capital of the Outback”.
Just 20 Kms north west of Broken Hill is the iconic town of Silverton, known mainly in recent history as the base for the Mad Max movie franchise. The area was also used frequently in the Priscilla Queen of the Desert movie.
We celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in Broken Hill with a lovely dinner in town.
This is a picture taken at the place in the Priscilla movie where they stop the bus and get out to see the ‘entrance to the outback’.
Stansbury is the furthest south we will be going this trip and it is time to pack up and start working our way north and east to be home in time to get ready for Christmas. Still on the Yorke Peninsula is Port Broughton, where we stay for a couple of days. On the way, we pass through yet more small villages, all with their own local character, Port Julia, Port Vincent and Ardrossan. Unfortunately, the weather is not the best and neither is the fishing.
BOB AND SIOBHÁN'S CARAVAN ADVENTURES 