Good to see that Sarah Whyte is no longer in the dark about the Byron hinterland's charms. Bit sad, though, to think that Lismore should now be counted as hinterland for the much smaller Byron Bay!
Carping aside, Sarah's story gives a reasonable picture of some of the attractions of the New England/NSW Northern Rivers region.
I also noticed that a new blog has just appeared, Taste Northern Rivers, that promises to explore some of the food of the area. I look forward to reading more.
I see from the Armidale Express that senior Sydney silk Chris Leahy has decided to tree change to Glen Innes.
For those who don't know Glen Innes, it is a historic town on the New England Tablelands with a population of about 6,000.
Chris had worked as a barrister for more than thirty years, ten as a senior counsel, and then he and wife Margaret decided that it was time for a change.
The change means that Chis will be working as a solicitor rather than barrister, but it gives them a chance to find a new life style without Sydney pressures. I quote from Peter Barrett's story:
Mr Leahy ... has ‘absolutely no plans for retirement’.
Indeed, he is looking forward to the challenging but interesting wider range of work in a country practice than he has been used to as a barrister.
The couple will eventually buy a property in Glen Innes but are currently leasing - a lovely old home 3km out of town on about 10 acres’.
While only in the town for two weeks, the Leahys are enthusiastic about what they have seen and are happy with the move.
“It’s the little things we have found pleasing,” Mr Leahy said.
“People are incredibly welcoming, and things like driving to work - no traffic, no traffic lights, it takes just minutes to get a park.
“And we have the impression that the important facilities are well covered, we’re pretty well looked after.”
I have commented before on this blog about the way in which Regional Australia offers professionals of all types new opportunities.
I have often remarked about the variety of regional life styles. As this YouTube video says, Moree may not be Paris, but it has its own unique style!
For those who don't know Moree, it is situated in northwest New England 640 kilometers from Sydney and 480 kilometers from Brisbane. Moree has an enthusiastic supportive friendly caring community with a great lifestyle and many great sporting opportunities.
The black alluvial soils of the Gwydir Valley are some of the richest in the southern hemisphere. Moree Plains Shire is the most productive agricultural shire in Australia. Major agricultural industries are cotton, beef cattle, pecan-nuts, olives, wheat, sheep wool, cereal crops.
Moree is famous for its Hot Mineral Baths which originated in 1895. The baths were discovered accidentally when searching for irrigation water. These mercurial waters are from bores sunk into our amazing great Artesian Basin. 300,000 visitors of all ages visit annually. Many believe in the healing powers of the Artesian mineral waters. There are two large hot pools with temperatures ranging from 39 to 41 degrees, A 50 meter 6 lane Olympic Pool, a Junior Pool and a Toddlers pool.
Enjoy.
Thus blog has been sadly neglected. It's not that I have lost my passion for the promotion of life outside Australia's metropolitan centres, more that the pressures of other writing and d
French born Sophie Masson grew up in Sydney and now lives on a small block outside the university city of Armidale. Sophie is a very successful Australian writer. Her new blog A la mode frangourou, subtitled a French Australian look at food, is an almost lyrical account of food and one version of regional living.
The photo shows her homegrown eggs. They look nice, don't they?
The New England wine region - essentially the New England Tablelands and its western slopes - is one of Australia's oldest wine growing areas but also its newest in terms of formal recognition.
In my post on New England Wine Regions - Hunter Valley I spoke of the role played by George Wyndham in establishing the Hunter Valley wine industry. I also mentioned that in 1831 he brought the 100,000 acre property "Bukkulla" near Inverell on the edge of the Northern Tablelands and there established another vineyard. Other settlers also planted vineyards and made their own wine.
By 1870 George had 10ha of vines bearing fruit which contributed to the total 11,000 gallons of Wyndham Estate wines being produced. By 1905, wine production from the Inverell area of New England was 227,000 litres from seven or eight larger vineyards and a number of smaller vineyards.
Between 1870 & 1920 wines from the area won many awards at wine shows in Sydney, Amsterdam, London, San Francisco, Chicago & France. A prominent English wine judge of the time wrote of the Bukkulla wines, “(They) have a character and quality above the average of most wine-producing countries. The lowest quality is better than a large proportion of the ordinary wines of Europe, while the best would not suffer in comparison to the finest known growths”.
Thereafter wine production went into decline, really re-emerging over the last ten years.
Now I see from the Armidale Express that it has had a bumper grape crop. I can't give you a link because this story is not on line.
The excellent grape quality is expected to translate into very good wines. Sadly, you won't be able to buy them in your local bottle shop because sales via cellar door or to local outlets take up most of production. If you want to try the wine, you will need to visit or contact wineries direct.
Lynne's story is a personal review of a series of blog posts about one slice of life on the north coast of NSW. I have included the link here because it provides a snap shot of regional life. This may not be for you, but then it may be.
Photo: Hele-hiking in the New England gorges.
In my last post, Have Australians lost their sense of country?, I bemoaned the fact as I saw it that so many metro Australians were losing their sense of country. Thinking about it, perhaps I should say more accurately, losing their familiarity with country.
If so, how would I describe the sights, sounds and smells of the Australian country that people have now lost? Here there is a difficulty because Australia is a very diverse country, so that the sights, sounds and smells actually vary from place to place. However, I can at least indicate some that are important to me, many from childhood when our sense of place is especially formed.
Early morning at our Aunt and Uncle's place. The cow has been brought in for milking. There is the steady squirt splash, squirt splash, squirt splash as the milk squirts into the metal bucket. There are good health reasons for our treated milk. However, the taste of fresh creamy milk is very different from the bottled variety.
Still early morning, same place. We are in the orchard. While the sun is bright and the day will be hot, the night chill is still in the air. We pick the cold crisp apples from the tree and eat them, the juice running down our faces.
Fruit and fruit trees feature in many memories.
There were the trees in our garden and those around. We knew every tree within a ten minute bike ride. There were big old apricots suitable for climbing as well as fruit supply, there was the big mulberry tree in a backyard just down the road, there were plum trees, apple trees and many vine fruits.
We might not eat fruit when given it, but we sure ate a lot of fruit that we collected ourselves, green or otherwise!
Bikes were central to our lives. I was in primary school before I learned to ride one, envious of friends who already had them. We could walk or run long distances and did, but a bike gave much greater freedom. They could also be a challenge for the mechanically incompetent like me. Still, I did learn to put the chain back on and to repair the inevitable punctures.
The hot smell of dust floating in the air in little particles, or kicked up by bike tires. A familiar pleasant smell in small quantities, but sometimes a choking nuisance when thrown up by cars.
I learned to drive on dirt roads and still like them. Speed up if there are corrugations, slow down if there are potholes, but what do you do if there are both?
The ritual of Sunday drives and of family picnics, mostly within a thirty kilometer radius from home. We knew every road, all the swimming spots, every change in the country side.
Armidale lies in the centre of the New England Tablelands. To the east, the water flows down through the gorges to the coast. Just to the west is the divide. From there, the water flows west towards the Darling.
Drive a little west from Armidale, and the country suddenly changes - becomes drier, the vegetation and colours are different. Drive a little east, and the rolling Tablelands are suddenly broken by huge gorges. This is now all national parks country. We picnicked at the various falls and lookouts, explored the mining remains at Hillgrove, clambered down hillsides and valleys.
Turn south and you find the Arding lanes, Uralla and the old mining centre of Rocky River. This was much more English country side, tailored by the European settlers to fit with memories of home.
Once I learned to drive and could borrow the family car, I used to take my university friends out to explore, to show them the changing countryside.
New England was sheep country, fine wool merinos. I still love the feel of wool - thick jumpers, fine wool suits, scarves.
Sheep clothed us and fed us - steak was expensive, lamb and mutton plentiful and cheap. Graziers butchered their own animals for home consumption, something I watched but cannot say I really enjoyed. Often the butchered animals were quite old: people became expert in various ways of cooking mutton.
Sheep strike me as very dumb animals. Trying to move along a flock of skittish lambs can be a challenge! A good sheep dog was highly valued.
We loved wool sheds. They have a very particular smell developed over years. As kids we played in them. Later they were often the venue for parties, with fires burning in 44 gallon drums outside to keep some of the night cold away.
Shearing time was always interesting. Then the sheds came alive with sheep and shearers. The shearers quarters were generally galvanised iron huts - I stayed in a lot of them on camps or while working on archaeological digs, in so doing acquiring a liking for rum toddies as a way of keeping the cold at bay!
Memories.
Photo: Australian sapphires
Some Australians like digging round in the dirt, some don't. For those that do, Australia still offers many opportunities just to find that magic nugget or gem stone.
I mention this because the folks from Big Sky Country have put together some material on fossicking in New England, one of Australia's major gem areas.
For details see Fossicking in New England.
Photo: Piper, Clarence River, Maclean.
Fascinating short piece in the Grafton Daily Examiner (10 January 2008) on Maclean's problems with its flying foxes.
For those who do not know Maclean, it is a town of 3,254 people on the Clarence River in the Northern Rivers district of New England/New South Wales.
More normally know for fish and its Scottish Festival, Maclean has a problem with its flying foxes. They keep on roosting in the wrong spot!
The town fathers have tried to move the colony, but they persist in trying to do their own thing. Pesky varmints!
Twelve months ago I carried a story on country shows triggered by Gordon Smith's great photos of the Dorrigo Show in New England. Now Gordon has visited the show again, with more photos.
This photo is of the lady doing the cattle judging. It somehow fits with my perceptions.
The judging is a formal occasion, so she is wearing a hat that would go well on a race course, along with what looks like a rather nice set of pearls. Then there is the coat. But if you went down, I bet you would find something like a pair of riding boots. So a mix of the formal and informal.
A confession.
Growing up, I was a rather bookish kid from an academic family. The country girls with their practical approaches, pearls and style used to terrify me. It took me years to realise that they were in some ways as insecure as me!
I was fascinated to read that the University of New England, the oldest university located in Regional Australia, is advertising no less than 10 professorial heads of schools.
The move is one outcome from the University's latest strategic review during which it redefined its role as "achieving regional and global impact", thus trying bridge and integrate two key elements that have always existed within the institution.
All of Australia's universities have been, to use the old quote, "living in interesting times." Because of demographic change, numbers in the traditional feeder cohorts are down from their peak, increasing competition for students. Funding has been squeezed, making universities more reliant on international full fee paying students. There is also more competition for research dollars.
In all this, Regional Australia's universities continue to offer a more personalised alternative than many of the metros.
Part of the reason for this lies in size. Some of the major metro universities are simply huge.
According to the latest stats that I could find, in 2006 the University of Sydney had 45,848 students, UNSW 38,776 and UTS (Sydney) 32,712. In theory, size allows the universities to offer a wide range of courses. In practice, size often translates to bigger classes and tutorials, to remoteness, to lack of contact with staff.
Overseas, full fee paying students, is another variable. In 2006, Sydney had 9,680 overseas students, UTS 8,954 and UNSW 8,618. These are big groups. In theory, the presence of overseas students should enrich campus life, and indeed it does in some cases. The problem in practice, however, is that the very large number of overseas students makes for lack of integration and interaction between them and local students.
In all this, the University of New England faces a particular challenge because of the small size of the immediate population base surrounding the University. New England has to persuade its internal students to move from home to live on or near the main Armidale campus. While this makes for an intense student experience, the University still faces a significant challenge because of the stay at home nature of a high proportion of the nation's metro young.
Despite the problems, the University's collegiate, residential, feel remains one of its greatest strengths because it clearly differentiates the University from its metro rivals.
Photo: Golf at Gunnedah
My thanks to Niki Payne from John Campbell Communication & Marketing for bringing this to my attention.
Now I am not a golfer. More precisely, I enjoy golf but rarely get to play it. So I would never have thought of golf tourism.
Well, it's not quite golf tourism as such. More an excuse to move from one golf course to another while having some bloody good fun!
Now here Niki pointed out that New England's Big Sky Country - the Northern Tablelands, Western Slopes and Plains - has a golf course in almost every town.
A round of golf is not only an essential holiday activity, it‘s an easy way to meet some of the locals.
Remember that while golf is fun, allow some time to sample some of the other attractions. The individual towns are not too far apart, there is a range of things to see and do, while the countryside itself varies in interesting ways. While travelling, do also drop in at some of the growing number of local vineyards.
So rough guide to the golf courses follows, Tamworth north to Tenterfield and west to Moree, along with some recommended attractions while you’re there.
ARMIDALE
Golf Links Road
(02) 6772 5837
Holes 18 Par 72
Busiest day: Saturday
The only course in the city known for its four distinct seasons is particularly spectacular in autumn and spring, with its mix of native and exotic trees. Its own water supply, from two dams, ensures the course always looks in lush condition. Snow can blanket the course occasionally in the winter. Locals say the 14th hole is one of the most difficult Par 3 holes in the district.
Essential activity for visitors: Armidale, long the prospective capital of the proposed New England new state, is a historic grazing and education centre with a range of attractions. Free heritage bus tour of the city; for the non-golfing partners, the shopping is appealing here.
GLEN INNES
Hutchinsons Road
(02) 6732 1555
Holes 18 Par 71
Busiest day: Weekends
Glen Innes is located in the heart of Celtic Country, given this name because of the number of Scottish settlers. The Glen Innes course is well set out with consistently green fairways that are often home to resident wallabies and roos. As in Armidale, each Glen Innes season is special, so the course is most appealing in autumn and spring. The sixth and tenth holes, both Par 4s, are the most challenging.
Essential activity for visitors: Among other things, the Australian Standing Stones, the national Celtic monument dedicated to the pioneers of the region.
URALLA
Plane Avenue
Holes 18 Par 70
02 6778 4059
Busiest day: Weekends
Uralla is located 20 kilometres south of Armidale and grew with the nearby Rocky River goldfields. , the Uralla Golf Course is set in natural bushland and looks sensational in autumn. Reputed to be one of the best courses in the district, there’s three dams and well maintained greens. The 16th hole with a Par 5 is the challenging one.
Essential activity for visitors: Visit the unique McCrossins Mill Museum including its Chinese Joss House; try a Thunderbolt Pie, made to the recipe that bushranger Captain Thunderbolt apparently liked when he roamed these parts in the 1860s.
GUNNEDAH
George Street
(02) 6742 2111
Holes 18 Par 70
Busiest day: Saturday
Located in the centre of Gunnedah, the golf course’s koala population makes it a bit of an unofficial tourist destination. The course is reasonably green most of the year, although in summer the fairways can dry off, making red earth a common sight. There’s a nice gentle slope away from the clubhouse and the trickiest hole is the fifth – a Par 4 with a couple of trees and dams to negotiate.
Essential activity for visitors: Koala spotting; self-guided Poet’s Drive and the Lyrical Loos.
GUYRA
McKie Parkway
Holes 18 Par 73
(02) 6779 1015
Busiest days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday
Situated around the Mother of Ducks Lagoon, a wetland reserve for birdlife that measures 14km in diameter, the Guyra course offers plenty of watery challenges. The Par 5 14th hole, an uphill dogleg over a dam, is usually cause for concern. Guyra is the highest town in the New England region, so wind can be a factor when playing here. The course is green year–round.
Essential activity for visitors: Trout fishing in one of the local rivers; visit one of the nearby national parks.
BINGARA
Bombelli Street
Holes 9 Par 66
(02) 6724 1206
Busiest day: Sunday
Bingara is located on the Gwydir River. The course is a long and narrow riverside course that is well maintained year-round by a band of local volunteers. The Par 4 fifth hole with a narrow approach to the green guarded by a river red gum causes a few headaches. There’s a honesty box at the front gate for players, as the club house is only staffed most week days after 4pm and on weekends after 12noon. The Bingara course hosts a Veterans Week of Golf in the first week of October each year.
Essential activity for visitors: Tour of the art-deco Roxy Theatre; Rocky Creek Glacial Area.
INVERELL
Tingha Road
Holes 18 Par 70
(02) 6722 1574
Busiest day: Saturday
Home of the Sapphire Cup, a two-day competition held each January, the Inverell course offers undulating hills on the front nine and a flatter back nine, with water hazards on the last seven holes. The greens are relatively fast.
Essential activity for visitors: Fossicking for sapphires; Inverell Transport Museum
MOREE
Greenbah Road
Holes 18 Par 72
(02) 6752 1405
Busiest day: Weekends and Thursday.
In the western-most town of Big Sky Country, Moree’s golf course is a green retreat, with tree-lined fairways and the Mehi River running through the back nine. The recently renovated clubhouse offers some good views and the 17th and 18th holes are the most picturesque. This club offers regular competitions for all levels of player, including nine-hole contests on Tuesdays.
Essential activity for visitors: Swim or soak your post-golf aching muscles in the thermal Artesian water at the public pool or at one of the many hotels with a pool tapped directly into the thermal water supply.
NARRABRI
Gibbons Street
Holes 18 Par 71
(02) 6792 2344
Busiest day: Saturday, but this course is very accessible seven days a week.
Narrabri is known as Australia’s sportiest shire and its golf course welcomes all visitors with open arms. It’s a fairly straightforward course with a challenging back nine, the most difficult of these being the Par 4 15th. Narrabri hosts a Veterans Week of Golf each May.
Essential activity for visitors: Mt Kaputar National Park and its geographical icon, Sawn Rocks.
TAMWORTH
Mahoney Street
Holes 18 Par 70
02 6765 9393
Busiest days: Wednesday and Saturday
A traditional course with tree-lined fairways, plenty of bunkers and some water hazards. Look out for the Par 4 second hole, with water on the left hand side and out of bounds of the right; and the sixth, with the large dam.
Bear in mind that during the Country Music Festival in January, it can be difficult to get a game.
LONGYARD GOLF CLUB, TAMWORTH
Greg Norman Drive
Holes 18 Par 72
02 6765 2988
Busiest days: Wednesday and Saturday
Designed by Greg Norman, Longyard is gaining a reputation for being somewhat testing. With a flat front nine, a hilly back nine lined with mature olive trees and Moreton Bay figs, the links style course has 59 bunkers. The par 3 16th, over water and surrounded by bunkers, will be your biggest challenge.
Wildlife is abundant here.
Essential activity for visitors: Tamworth is a major regional centre with a wide range of attractions - A photo at the Golden Guitar: Walk A Country Mile Interpretive Centre at the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre; a night of live music at one of the pubs.
QUIRINDI
Werris Creek Road
Holes 9 Par 72
02 6746 1209
Busiest day: Saturday
The Quirindi course is a softly undulating course with two dams and two bunkers, this nine-hole course has grass greens and a tricky third hole where the ball often finds the water. The clubhouse is only open on Saturdays so the rest of the week it’s an honesty box system.
Essential activity for visitors: First Fleet Memorial Gardens; Australian Railway Monument in nearby Werris Creek.
TENTERFIELD
Pelham Street
02 6736 1480
Holes 18 Par 71
Busiest day: Saturday
The Tenterfield course gets some glowing reviews on http://www.iseekgolf.com.au/ for its condition and views, and justifiably so. This is a superbly maintained course that is never crowded, with tree-lined fairways that look their most spectacular in autumn and views towards the mountains. The Par 4 10th hole is the most difficult and there’s a dam on the 7th to look out for. A motel on the course provides views from your verandah and offers “stay and play“ options.
Essential activity for visitors: The Tenterfield Saddlery, the inspiration for the Peter Allen song; a tour of the local wineries.
WALCHA
Oxley Highway
Holes 18 Par 70
02 6777 2143
Busiest day: Sunday
A hilly, rain-watered course with views to the mountains, Walcha is sometimes the host course for the NSW sand green titles. There are a few dams and only the one bunker. The Par 5 12th hole with a dog leg and dam running beside it might frustrate you. An honesty box operates during the week, with the clubhouse open on weekends.
Essential activity for visitors: Sculpture walk; Apsley Falls and Apsley Gorge in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.
NUNDLE
Crosby Street
Holes 9 Par 70
02 67693268
Busiest day: Sunday
In the historic village of Nundle, this course is long, at 5,660 metres, with synthetic greens, no bunkers and no water hazards. The Par 4 third hole is a slight dog leg with a man made rise at the front of the green that creates some challenges. An honesty box system operates here through the week, with the clubhouse open for dinner on weekend nights. The course is amalgamated with the Bowls Club.
Essential activity for visitors: Lunch at the Peel Inn; a tour of the Nundle Woollen Mill.
Photo: Autumn glory, Walcha
I wasn't sure that I should run this story. I have known of the road now called Thunderbolt's Way for a very long time. It is, among other things, by far the shortest route between Sydney and Brisbane. But no-one knows about it, and that's to my advantage!
Now they have gone and launched a website, www.thunderboltsway.com.au! This provides information for travellers on each of the towns on the route, along with some essential history on the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt himself.
Thunderbolt robbed mail coaches, carriages, stations and hotels around the New England area throughout the late 1860s before being shot and killed near Uralla in 1870. McCrossin’s Mill in Uralla depicts his story and there are a number of other Thunderbolt-related attractions in the area.
Beginning at Port Stephens and finishing at Goondiwindi, Thunderbolt’s Way passes through the Great Lakes, Gloucester, Nowendoc, Walcha, Uralla, Armidale and Inverell. The website is a result of the collaborative efforts of these towns.
The homepage on the easily navigable website consists of a map with a click through facility to the website of each participating town.
With revolving emotive imagery and several pieces of history pertaining to Captain Thunderbolt, the website provides a compelling incentive to explore the areas between Port Stephens and Goondiwindi.
Highlights of the journey include: the beautiful beaches of Port Stephens, Great Lakes and Taree areas; the history of the villages of Stroud and Nowendoc; the beauty of the World Heritage listed Barrington Tops and the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park near Walcha; Armidale’s beautiful heritage buildings and gardens; Uralla’s museums; the sapphire fossicking in Inverell; and the monument to Gunsynd in Goondiwindi.
Walcha Tourism Manager Charlie Winter said Thunderbolt’s Way is rapidly becoming a popular alternative inland route to the Pacific Highway. Blow. Not too popular, I hope.
“It’s a peaceful country drive with breathtaking views and plenty of good reasons to stop along the way,” Mr Winter said.
Photo: Eucalyptus Radiata, Banalasta Plantation
Banalasta is the world’s largest organic eucalypt plantation, and a decade after being established, it can’t keep up with the demand for eucalyptus oil.
Situated in Bendemeer, half way between Armidale and Tamworth in New England, Banalasta is a successful mix of business and tourism, producing eucalyptus oil, a wide range of eucalyptus and lavender-based products and boutique wines. It is also a popular tourist attraction, with a Visitor Centre and café.
Kim Hawksford, from Banalasta, says the demand for their premium eucalyptus oil is so great that they just can’t keep up the supply.
“With our export market, it’s a matter of first in, best dressed,” Kim explains. “We just fill the orders as they come in but unfortunately we’re not in a position to produce a greater quantity to meet the intense demand.”
Banalasta currently produces three tonnes, or 3,000 litres of eucalyptus oil per year. Most of this oil is exported to the USA, Hong Kong and Europe, while the remainder goes into its eucalyptus-based products, which are sold via its website, direct from the Banalasta Visitor Centre at the plantation, or at selected outlets.
There are one million eucalyptus trees growing on 150 hectares here but the entire property, once a sheet and cattle property, is some 3,000 hectares.
Eucalyptus trees grow to around three metres before being harvested and take 12 months to grow to this height again for re-harvesting.
The species grown at Banalasta, eucalyptus radiata (australiana) or the narrow peppermint leaf, produces a premium, medicinally classified oil. It is particularly suitable for cosmetics and medicinal purposes, as opposed to the lower quality oils used in household cleansers and the like.
The oil has a wider anti-microbial spectrum than common eucalyptus oils, such as globulus and blue mallee. Its properties enable it to be used as an active ingredient in a wide range of goods, which in Banalasta’s case, means therapeutic, medicinal, skin care, hair care, pet care and household products.
One of the aims of Banalasta’s founder, Rolf Blickling, was to bring some eucalyptus oil production back into the Australian market. He has also strived to increase awareness of organic farming and the excellent uses of their end commodities, as well as conservation.
Spanning 40 hectares of the property is the World Forest Plantation. This is an ongoing environmental initiative to assist carbon sequestration, combat global warming, and help save endangered native flora. To date there are 35,000 trees of 40 different native species planted. People are able to “buy” a tree and have it planted here in honour of a baby’s birth, to remember someone who has died, or as a gift.
Lavender is the secondary product grown at Banalasta, with the oil used for some of their skin care products. It’s a French hybrid variety, Intermedia Lavendula Grosso, the leading producing plant for lavender oil worldwide.
Rolf Blickling once imported Australian wines into his native Germany so it was inevitable that he would plant wine grapes here and produce his own wine.
There are 16,000 vines in the high altitude vineyard, where the ripening process is slower, giving the wine a fuller and fruitier flavour.
Six varieties of red and white wine are produced under the Blickling label. The wines are currently available via the internet, in larger restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne, and should be available in the Brisbane market soon.
Visitors to Banalasta can tour the oil distillery, eat lunch at the café or cook their own by purchasing a barbecue pack and using the outdoor barbecues. Wine tasting is on offer, along with cellar door sales. The Visitor Centre stocks the full range of eucalyptus and lavender-based products.
Banalasta’s café actually attracts as many locals as tourists who often use it as a meeting ground because of its ideal location between Armidale and Tamworth.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Banalasta Plantation is at Bendemeer, off the New England Highway, 55 kilometres north east of Tamworth heading towards Armidale. It is open seven days from 9am to 5pm. Banalasta Visitors Centre: 02 6769 6786 or visit the website: http://www.banalasta.com.au/
Photo: Muloobinda Girls Dance Troupe
Considering the length of time that Australia's indigenous people occupied the land, it's not surprising that there should be so many signs of occupation across the country despite the impact of later European settlement.
For much of the European period, Australia's indigenous heritage was largely neglected. Fortunately this has changed in recent years as Australians of all backgrounds have come to recognise the importance of our indigenous peoples and their past.
Here I was pleased to see that the Big Sky Tourism people have developed a tour of Big Sky Country from an Aboriginal perspective, offering ancient and modern artforms, memorials, cafes, bushwalks, crafts and museums. In the spacious spread of country stretching from Tamworth to Tenterfield and out to Moree, indigenous history and culture has a distinct and diverse presence.
Here’s a town by town guide to the Aboriginal cultural heritage of Big Sky Country.
The Studio, Moree
The Studio is a working art studio and base for around 30 Aboriginal students practising art as part of their Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander Cultural Arts studies through TAFE. The student artists practice a range of art including painting, sculpture, woodcarving, wood burning, screen-printing and digital photo manipulation inspired by both Traditional and Contemporary Arts. Entry is free and the students’ works are available for sale. The Studio is open from Monday to Thursday 8:30am-3:30pm during school term, or by appointment.
Moree Plains Gallery, Moree
Amongst its extensive collection, this gallery showcases contemporary and traditional work, featuring local Aboriginal artists. Phone Moree Tourism 02 6757 3350. http://www.moreeplainsgallery.org.au/ or http://www.visitmoree.com.au/
Myall Creek Memorial, Bingara
The Myall Creek Memorial was dedicated on June 10, 2000 in memory of the Aboriginal people who died in the massacre on June 10, 1838. A gang of stockmen led by a squatter rode into Myall Creek Station on that date and brutally murdered about twenty-eight unarmed women, children and old men.
Located on a knoll which overlooks the site of the massacre, the memorial includes seven plaques outlining the story, with illustrations by Aboriginal artist Colin Isaacs. The plaques are in English, with a summary in the Gamilaraay language. At each plaque, stone benches enable the visitors to sit and reflect on this tragic event in history. Accessible year round, during daylight hours. Phone Bingara Visitor Information Centre 02 6724 0066. http://www.bingara.com/
Wee Waa Museum, Wee Waa
This museum contains Aboriginal artefacts along with more recent historical items from the region. Open Saturday from 10.00am-4.00pm or by appointment. Phone Narrabri Visitor Information Centre 02 6799 6760. http://www.visitnarrabri.com.au/
Goonoowigall Bushland Reserve , Inverell
Situated about 5km south of the town, this is a unique wilderness area of 900 hectares with marked walking trails. The name Goonoowigall means “plenty rock wallabies” so you may spot some of these creatures. Within the Reserve is the Nhunta Karra Kara Track, commemorating the Aboriginal families who made the Goonoowigall area their home until the 1960's. Brochures are available from the Inverell Visitor Information detailing the reserve and its flora and fauna. Accessible year round.
Stonewoman Aboriginal Area, Tingha
The Tingha Stonewoman Area is a rock feature used by local Aboriginal people as a teaching and ceremonial site. A sign prepared in collaboration with local Aboriginal groups tells the story of a young woman punished for breaking traditional marriage laws. The carpark to access the 1km walk to the area is 6 km south of Tingha village, which is 22 km south-east of Inverell. Accessible year round. Phone Inverell Tourism 02 6728 8161. http://www.inverell-online.com.au/
Amaroo Museum And Cultural Centre , Walcha
Amaroo Museum and Cultural Centre has a range of locally designed Aboriginal products for sale, many of them made on the premises. They include clothing, homeware, unusual gifts, jewellery, arts and crafts. Look out also, for the unique collection of artefacts representing the local Aboriginal people's past and ever changing culture. Open Monday to Friday. Phone Walcha Visitor Information Centre 02 6774 2460. http://www.walchansw.com.au/
Yinarr’s Classic Black Coffee Lounge, Quirindi
In the Kamilaroi language, Yinarr’s means Aboriginal women. The Coffee Lounge is an all indigenous staffed café owned by the Quirindi Aboriginal Corporation, offering traditional Australian as well as distinctive Aboriginal cuisine to cater for all tastes. The idea of this unique café originated when local Donna Sampson decided to run hospitality training for local Aboriginal people. Phone 02 6746 1755. http://www.visitquirindi.com.au/
Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre And Keeping Place , Armidale
A community based gallery where everyone can experience the diversity of Australian Indigenous arts and culture. The Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place has a permanent collection and also holds exhibitions of traditional and contemporary Aboriginal Artists. The Centre houses the Green Valley Collection, an extensive display of Aboriginal artefacts, artworks and utensils from throughout New South Wales. It offers a number of unique experiences to groups or individual visitors, although these must be booked in advance. They include cultural talks, Koori painting workshops, story-telling by local elders, bush tucker, dance, didgeridoo playing and instruction, as well as guided tours of current exhibitions and the permanent collections by Koori staff.
Guided tours of local rock art sites and horse riding in the gorges with the Buglun-gula organisation can be arranged through the centre. The Centre also has a conference centre with a bush tucker experience available on request. A small library, archival centre and research room is available for researchers. Open Monday to Friday; Saturday and Sunday – by appointment. Phone: 02 6771 1249. http://www.armidaletourism.com.au/
Gamilarart Gallery Co-operative Limited , Tamworth
Gamilarart Gallery was formed by a local group of students and teachers who came together in the pursuit of their love of art. By uniting Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists they have been able to put true Reconciliation into practice. The Gallery is a Non-Profit Arts Co-operative and exhibits and sells both local Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal contemporary art. Open Monday to Friday: 10.00am to 5.00pm Saturday: 9.00am to 1.00pm. Phone Tourism Tamworth 02 6767 5300. http://www.visittamworth.com.au/
Mount Yarrowyck Nature Reserve and Aboriginal Cultural Walk, Uralla
This is an easy, three kilometre self-guided walk that leads through one of the few remnants of natural bushland on the western slopes of the New England Tablelands. Visitors take in the cultural heritage of the Aboriginal people with signage explaining the various use of native trees, shrubs, rocks and caves. The rock art site, located 1.8kms along the track, is in red ochre and reveals a combination of circles and bird tracks.
The Mount Yarrowyck Nature Reserve, managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, protects both the Aboriginal site and much of the mountain and its natural environment. Accessible year round, during daylight hours. Phone Uralla Visitor Information Centre 02 6778 4496. http://www.uralla.com/
Woollool Woolloolni Aboriginal Place, Tenterfield
A protected Aboriginal Place situated in Basket Swamp National Park, 18km north east of Tenterfield, featuring a balancing rock which has religious and mythological importance. Phone Tenterfield Tourism 02 6736 1082. http://www.tenterfield.com/
Cumbo Gunnerah Gallery, Gunnedah
Cumbo Gunnerah was the legendary warrior and wise leader of the Gunn-e-darr people of the Kamilaroi tribe. This Gallery, opened in 1992, is of great significance for the local and outlying Aboriginal people of the district. It was set up as a Cultural Keeping Place for the curation and protection of local Aboriginal artefacts and culture. On display are stone artefacts, carved trees, weapons, shields and utensils. Open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm and after hours by appointment
Red Chief Memorial, Gunnedah
Dedicated in 1984, this is the first memorial to be erected in honour of an Aboriginal historical identity. The Red Chief was the name white man gave Cumbo Gunnerah, who was immortalised by Ion Idriess in his book titled, “The Red Chief”. Phone Gunnedah Visitor Information Centre 02 6740 2230. http://www.infogunnedah.com.au/
Photo: TAS's new overseas student leaders: Shean Huang, Jason Jeong, Timothy Lau, Chaiwat Sattong, Nicholas Poon, Jin Choi and Tony.
In an earlier post I talked about the advantages that Australia's regional universities could offer international students as compared to their metro equivalents. The same thing holds at school level.
In my last post I mentioned The Armidale School (TAS), one of Australia's leading private schools.
To help overseas students, the school selects senior international students to carry out the function of overseas student leaders.
This position carries two very important roles.
First, these senior students are charged with providing advice and guidance to the younger and newer overseas students. This is a role that is best carried by those who have shared the experience and understand the challenges that language, culture and distance from home and family present.
Second, they meet with the Headmaster on a regular basis to offer advice and refer matters which particularly relate to overseas students.
Photo: Sunshine Coast Grammar School Under 12s in action, TAS (The Armidale School) National Primary Rugby Carnival, April 2007
In an earlier post I commented on the strong performance of the University of the Sunshine Coast in the student satisfaction measurements.
Browsing around, I came across another story that pleased me because it linked some of the things I write about on this blog, the richness and diversity of life in Regional Australia.
Last September I wrote of the remarkable history of the Winifred West Schools. TAS (The Armidale School) is another such story.
Founded in 1894 to meet the needs of the children of New England landowners, TAS has evolved into one of Australia's premier boarding and day schools for boys. The school now has superb facilities and a rich campus life.
In April, the Sunshine Coast Grammar School's Under 12s (22 boys and 35 parents and supporters) travelled by bus to Armidale, having been invited to compete in the annual TAS National Primary Rugby Carnival on the weekend of the 20th April.
The School reports:
The Sunshine Coast boys played well on this initial outing, finishing their Pool games with wins over Tudor House and St Patricks College (Sydney), narrow losses to Tamworth Juniors and Kings School and a draw with eventual winners highly fancied Brisbane Grammar. They then played a heart-stopping 1 point win over previous conquerors Kings School in the playoffs to finish third."Our boys joined such illustrious Rugby Nurseries as The Kings School, Riverview, Knox Grammar, and Tudor House from Sydney; Brisbane Grammar, The Southport School and Toowoomba Prep from QLD, and regional powerhouses Kinross-Wollaroi from Orange, Dubbo Roos, Tamworth Juniors, and Moree Juniors...25 in all."
The School report concludes:
"The boys had a wonderful chance to experience life at one of Australia's premier Boarding Schools, boarding in Croft House and eating with the other players in the magnificent TAS dining hall."
In my last post I mentioned Australian state borders and the strange case of Jennings, a little known NSW and/or Queensland town depending on where the border is.
Jennings' twin town, Wallangarra, is better known because it is on the New England Highway. Wallangarra is also the most southern town in Queensland's Granite Belt, the Queensland part of the New England Tablelands known for its fruit and wine. I mentioned in an earlier post that I had just visited the Granite Belt and would write some stories once my photos were back.
While Wallangarra is better known, I suspect that far to few people stop and visit the railway station. It is worth a visit.
Wallangarra was the junction on the Great Northern Railway, once the main Sydney-Brisbane rail line, between the NSW and Queensland railways with their different rail gauges. Upon arrival, passengers used to carry their luggage across the station to join the train on the other side.
The differences in rail guage carried through into differences in architecture.
The photo below shows the Queensland side of the station, still a sometimes working platform. Sadly, NSW abandoned its part of the railway in the 1970s. The roof shape and hanging baskets are typical of Queensland stations.
Now look at next photo. This is the NSW side. The flat roof is typical of NSW stations of the period. One railway station, two very different feels carefully maintained to preserve the difference. Very much worth a visit.
This photo is taken standing in Wallangarra, Queensland, looking across the border into the NSW village of Jennings.
Letters of patent dated June 6 1859 defined the boundary between Queensland and New South Wales as lying between Point Danger, following watersheds and rivers, to the line of parallel of 29° South.
The border was surveyed between 1863 - 1866, from Point Danger to the Dumaresq River by Francis Roberts of Queensland, and Isiah Rowland of New South Wales. The two were supposed to work together but fell out, each then completing a separate survey. NSW records of the survey were destroyed in a fire, and both state governments settled on the Queensland survey.
In 2001, modern surveyors retraced the steps of Rowland and Roberts as part of a Centenary of Federation project, and found a 200 metre error. On the surface this might not seem like much to be concerned about, however the error occurs at the point where the twin towns of Wallangarra (Qld) & Jennings (NSW) are located, on the New England Highway.
It appears that the originally intended boundary would put most of Jennings squarely inside Queensland. Jennings locals did not take kindly to the idea. Public sentiment is that Jennings has always been in New South Wales, and always will be.
Australian Herbs, Spices from Vic Cherikoff and Dining Downunder.
