What an adventure we had!
Our first stop was Glen Innes, on the way explored the famous Australian Standing Stones. We enjoyed a cosy dinner at the Highlander Restaurant.
The next morning, we made our way to Tenterfield, visiting the Tenterfield Saddler and the famous Tenterfield Railway Museum, where we were treated with a wonderful morning tea organised by Lois and her team of volunteers.
The next destination was Stanthorpe for 2 nights, stopping on the way at the Jam Works for a light lunch. The next 2 days, we spent exploring, tasting liqueurs at Glen Castle Distillery, where Cedric indulged us with many liqueurs, and ended up with quite a bit of shopping. Then there was the experience of cheese tasting at Stanthorpe Cheese Co !
We visited the magical Granite Christmas Farm, where we had afternoon tea. An absolute delight, a real wonderland! We immersed ourselves in the joyous spirit of Christmas, so many themed gifts and decorations, and trees, not to mention the farm animals.
On our drive south from Stanthorpe we visited Ballandean Estate Wines, the home to some of Australia’s oldest Shiraz vines, and rarest wine varieties. We again enjoyed some wine tasting and of course came home with a bottle or two!!!
On our travels, we encountered a giant stone Pyramid, the Ballandean Pyramid, man made built from blocks of local granite, which stands about 17metres high.
We continued south towards Armidale via Guyra. Our last abode was the Moore Park Inn, a lovely motel situated in an 1860’s country house, set on picturesque gardens in the outskirts of Armidale.
The next morning we made our way home, visiting Saumarez Homestead, the heritage jewel of New England, a historic Edwardian mansion surrounded by formal gardens dating back to the 1830’s. A wonderful place where we stepped back in time and learnt a bit of local history from the very knowledgeable volunteer tour guides.
We then made our way to the Dutton Trout Hatchery, and thoroughly enjoyed our visit, we watched an introductory video about trout breeding and then toured the facilities. The staff were so welcoming and passionate it made our visit even more memorable.
Our last stop was Ebor, we had a chance to inspect the amazing work of the upgrade of the Falls area and ended our sightseeing with lunch at Ebor Falls Hotel.
We had a Grand Time! And ready for our next Granite Visit in 2025!
We once again, by popular demand paid a few visits to Nana Glen, a small quaint historical village inland from Coffs.
Our main stop was the Idle Inn Café at Nana Glen, a charming place with a lot of character, where we relaxed and enjoyed a lovely lunch.
Thank you, Alison and Team, for your kind hospitality always!
During September-October we took a few scenic drives along Waterfall Way to Dorrigo, a quiet rural town surrounded by rich agricultural lands.
Our destination, the Heritage Hotel, a classic example of Australian hotel architecture of the 1920’s, where we indulged in a delightful lunch.
Once again, from mid-October we commenced our pilgrimage to Grafton, driving through the streets and parks where the Jacarandas were in full bloom, painting the town purple. We even witnessed white jacarandas!
We concluded our visit with lunch at our favourite Ulmarra Hotel situated on the east bank of the Clarence River.
Thank you, Dane and team, we just love visiting your venue!
Our latest Musical! Wicked! What an engaging performance it was.
Once again, we attended QPAC in Brisbane, staying at Hotel Diana for 2 nights.
Tina and Sue, our friendly Brisbane Greeters took us on a most enjoyable tour of Brisbane!
Ending with lunch at the Mount Coot-Tha Café.
On our return home from Brisbane we visited once again Tropical Fruit World at Duranbah. We enjoyed some more fruit tasting, followed by a guided plantation tractor Safari tour, stopping along the way for the hanging bananas….
We then had a delightful lunch at the Café and concluded our visit with a bit of shopping!
We eagerly await 2025 for our next Musicals at QPAC!
Nicole, Ella, Victoria, Amelia, Phoebe, Alice and Ruby our OT friends from Newcastle Uni joined us in November for a fun and interactive morning.
And what an artistic morning it was! Not to mention the Mocktails the girls put together! We could not decide our favourite!
A real sip and arty morning with 50’s music, lots of laughter, morning tea and Socialising, the best part !
Thank you all for a wonderful experience, we look forward to your next visit in 2025 !
In November, we had the pleasure to attend the new musical by CHMCC. We Will Rock You, based on the music of Queen.
What an experience! The energy, the talent our local amateurs displayed! It all came together to create an unforgettable afternoon! The demand was so great from all our clients we ended up reserving 80 seats over 3 weeks.
Thank you CHMCC, we look forward to your 2025 Season!
We thought Christmas would not be Christmas without the Nutcracker!
So when we had a chance to attend the Ballet at the Glasshouse in Port Macquarie we grabbed it! And what a superb performance it was!
Off we went with 2 bus loads, staying at the El Motor Inn for the night.
On the way we synchronised our times and met at the Heritage Hotel for lunch.
We indulged in a bit of shopping in Port prior to Showtime!
The next morning, we took a leisurely cruise on the Hastings River whilst enjoying morning tea and a light lunch.
On the way home we once again stopped at Ricardoes for a bit more shopping!
After this successful escapade we now look forward to more visits to Port Macquarie in 2025!
We visited Valla a few times, situated north of Nambucca Heads, A small coastal community that is a very popular tourist destination with its caravan parks.
We enjoyed some lovely lunches at the Nourish Café & Grocer. Surprisingly not many had visited Valla prior! Thank you, Grayson and staff, for making us feel so welcome and for the yummy food!
We will be back!
We ended our busy year with various Christmas Lunches at a mystery location! Full of old-world charm perfect for a magical Christmas setting.
Thank you, Tania, Alan and Staff, at the Old Bank in Gladstone for your warm hospitality and having made our mystery surprise destination so memorable!
We will certainly be back for many more visits! However, no longer a surprise!
WHAT A WONDERFUL YEAR WE HAD! WE LOOK FORWARD TO AN EVEN BETTER 2025!
