Can you believe it is September already?
I love spring, when we can appreciate living in the country by the sight of new life. I love seeing the little foals springing up all over the hills, and the spring flowers like daffodils, tulips and daisies. Being a food lover, I am also keen to see asparagus on the menu, yum!
Going out is a lot more fun too; the warmer weather gets people out of the house, and our great climate allows us to entertain outdoors. And of course, it’s all about the great clothes; it’s just wonderful seeing all the summery gear hit the shops.
Time for donning the sandals and getting that pedicure booked, and it will be no time before we can get our feet wet at the beach and feel the sand between our toes.
We were fortunate to get a gong to the re-opening of the Bunker Restaurant at Tallwoods Verve Resort on 31 July.
Michael James is a talented chef and Leanne is a delightful host, and we welcome them back to the area with open arms. Guests included Phillip and Dusty Walkom, Amanda and Charlie Kennett and Bob and Rada Kinkade from The Farmers Patch in Forster.
A wonderful degustation dinner showcasing Michael’s new menu was savoured by all. I thoroughly enjoyed every course and can’t wait to get back there for a meal. Good luck Michael and Leanne, and thanks for the invite.
The Other Side Gallery Teahouse at Ghinni Ghinni was the venue for the opening of the fabulous CAFÉ ART EXHIBITION on Friday 6 August. Twenty artists painted to the theme, with café scenes, cups of coffee, teapots and a real variety of paintings on display.
Gallery owner Wendie Patch said she felt privileged to have children’s book writer illustrator, Stephen Michael King exhibit one of his sketches ‘coffee, tea, cake and a unicycle’, which is also for sale – a very rare opportunity to buy an original, as Stephen doesn’t often part with any of his work. It was a wonderful turnout, with an enjoyable time had by all guests.
‘That night in Rio’, held at the Wingham Town Hall on Saturday 7 August was another successful costume event. Unfortunately, I was in Melbourne for the weekend and felt extremely left out of the picture, as this is the one event that I never miss.
The Moulin Rouge, Diamond Lills Texas Saloon and A Night on the Orient Express have all previously featured, and these guys know how to put on a great party. But this year I sent the tables, my partner Grahame, and my chef Greg, who stood Grahame up as he was suffering a cold, while I shopped and ate my way around my favourite city, feeling just a little homesick.
Top Sydney band, Cassy and the Bossa Beats provided a great beat until late, and the colourful night was complete with fire eaters and dancing girls.
The 2010 Countrylink North Coast Tourism Awards was held at Opal Cove Resort in Coffs Harbour on Saturday 14 August. Twenty-seven winners were announced, with special guest, Channel Ten’s Tim Bailey as MC.
The Manning Valley walked away with four gold awards and three bronze. In the Great Lakes, Tea Gardens Hotel was awarded a gold medal in the Tourist Pubs category. A very honoured Club Forster was welcomed into the North Coast Tourism Awards Hall of Fame, as they have won their respective categories in the tourism awards for three consecutive years.
Manning Valley gold award winners include Honeycomb Valley Nabiac, Bent on Food / Bent on Life Wingham, Old Bar Beach Festival and Wingham Motel.
Bronze awards went to Artisans Retreat at Mondrook, Australis Resort Diamond Beach and Bent on Food Wingham.
Big congratulations to all, and good luck to those entering the state awards.
A group of girls who worked together a few years ago in the finance department at Taree Hospital had a reunion breakfast at Bent on Food on Sunday 31 July.
The finance department is no more and some of these girls hadn’t seen each other for a while, so there was plenty of catching up to do, with lots of laughs.
I look forward to hearing from you with any events you would like me to write about.
Send pics and info to
donna.carrier@bigpond.com
Cheers, Donna.
It really has been a fabulous month for those who like getting out and about, and OK for soccer lovers too. The Manning Valley Winter Festival kept us away from our televisions and helped us experience some great cultural events.
I was starting to wonder if I was ever going to get to see any programs on my great big brand new television. The FIFA World Cup brought many people together in front of their sets, with sales of televisions going through the roof – but not before we had our fair share of festivals and events.
To prove that our region is a leader in the festivals and events arena, a recent study conducted by the University of Wollongong and supported by the Australian Research Council found that Greater Taree area hosted some 55 festivals, the fourth highest behind the Alpine region in Victoria with 60 festivals, Snowy River in NSW with 62 festivals and Ballarat in Victoria topping the events capital list with 73 festivals. That makes us a region of party goers, I would say.
Wingham Beef Week was the first festival off the rank, and of course the highlight of that week is always the Beef Barons Ball, where locals and visitors get dressed up to the nines to compete for the title of Beef Baron and Baroness. The Pride of Erin and the progressive barn dance are both popular, with many old hands showing us how it’s done. Of course, anyone can do it after a few drinks – some not particularly well – but many couples glide across the floor like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, leaving us slightly younger ones for dead.
Another week, another festival and we barely had time to take the beef off the menu when the Scots came to town. It was up with the tartan and on with the kilts for the Bonnie Wingham Scottish Festival, with whiskey drinking, haggis eating, shortbread making and bagpipes, followed by – yes, you guessed it – another ball, and more bagpipes. The rain bucketed down and the parade was almost a washout, except for the fact that the clans were here and they were determined that it would not rain on their parade. The brave women, men, children and horses came out to show us what they were made of, and although the parade was a bit smaller than last year, it was still wonderfully entertaining. The ball was a lot of fun, with a sellout crowd witnessing poetry, song and dance way into the wee hours.
One of the highlights of the Manning Valley Winter Festival was the Nikki Bennett show held at the Waterfront Room in Taree on Friday 11 June. I must confess that I did not know a lot about Nikki before that night, which is a shame, since she grew up in Taree and was just a few years younger than me. It may have been that I wasn’t so talented in the music stakes and didn’t attend many eisteddfods, which is where Nikki was performing from the age of seven.
Her voice is amazing, and when she sung ‘Memories’, it sent goose bumps up my spine. Thanks so much Nikki for coming to sing for us and to tell us more about your life growing up in Taree. Nikki was accompanied by Bob Berrigan, a local musican we all know and love, and the show really was brilliant.
On Saturday 12 June, the Wingham Hotel, more affectionately known as the bottom pub, was the venue for the closing event of the festival. ‘A Hot Winter’s Night’ was a Burlesque show made up of lots of sizzling vignettes of dance and song, along with fire eating and lots more spicy entertainment.
The festival ran from 4 June to 13 June with around 32 events, including Envirofair, Melbourne Comedy Festival, Poetry for the People and Sensational Sinfonia. Congratulations to the organisers of the Manning Valley Winter Festival and also to the organisers of Beef Week and the Bonnie Wingham Scottish Festival. These festivals bring people together and create a space for locals and tourists to enjoy great entertainment.
On Tuesday 15 June a busload of Asian business men and women from Hokubee Australia visited Mondrook Garden Café for lunch. The group was led by Peter Badgen, who was taking them on to Wingham Meatworks followed by a visit to Cassegrain wines, with a stopover in Port Macquarie.
A great day was had by all and they really enjoyed their lovely lunch, commenting on the beautiful garden and the lovely settings.
On Friday 21 May the UNE officially opened their new Access Centre in Taree. Around 60 guests attended the opening and included dignitaries Vice Chancellor of the University of New England, Professor James Barber, Robert Oakeshott MP, Peter Besseling MP and Mayor Paul Hogan.
Guests also included high school principals and careers advisors, members of local community groups and representatives from local health organisations. Guests enjoyed canapés provided by Bent on Food.
The 22 of May was the date for the opening of Cudgerie Little House in Elands. The guests enjoyed a wonderful meal cooked by proprietors Carol and Terence Golding, which included the beautiful Cudgerie Limousin beef. It was a cool day and the guest house was very cosy, with a beautiful fire to warm us while looking over the valley.
Dignitaries included Mayor Paul Hogan, Local Member Andrew Stoner and Wingham Chamber of Commerce President Janeece Irving. I was honoured to be invited to officially open the cottage.
The Biggest Morning Tea week opened all over Australia on 24 May, with Wingham Wellbeing’s Biggest Morning Tea held at Bent on Food on the Tuesday. Dr Jenny Draper was on hand to talk to clients, who enjoyed scones, coffee and cake with a proportion of the takings being donated to the Cancer Council. There was also a brief session on ‘How to perform your own Cheeky Check Up’ by Dr Jenny’s fabulous new practice nurse, Rachel.
The Peggy Van Zalm trio played at Bent on Food on Friday 18 June to a crowd of 41 people. Guests enjoyed great comfort food fitting for winter, including lamb shanks followed by a rhubarb quince crumble made from local fruit. A group of 13 girls from Stacks the Law Firm had an exceptional time and promised to attend the next music night; I am holding you to it, girls.
James Johnston will be our next guest musician in July.
I look forward to hearing from you with any events you would like me to write about.
Send pics and info to
donna.carrier@bigpond.com
Cheers, Donna.
May has been a huge month, and I am officially exhausted. I have grown in all the wrong places, drank far too much Chardonnay, exercised very little and worked too hard this month. And the word on the street is that it will continue to be busy here in our neck of the woods. Coming up is the Manning Winter Festival along with a trip to Coffs Harbour for the Restaurant and Catering Awards in June.
A major highlight of my month was a trip to Broken Hill. I have not been there before, and I did not realise that it was such a happening place. Can you believe it has 35 art galleries, with a population of 24,000? Now, that’s impressive. I was fortunate to attend the Community Economic Development Conference as the Manning Valley Community delegate with Manning Valley Tourism’s Kim MacDonald. I was inspired by some amazing people doing great things for their communities, but it is not my job to talk about the content of the conference. I am here to talk about the social scene.
The social highlight was definitely the Priscilla Ball, although just quietly I am still waiting for the band to play ‘I Will Survive’, as Crocodile Rock just didn’t cut it on a night when platform shoes and feather boas dominated the dress ‘sense’. Kim and I stayed in the salubrious Mario’s Palace Hotel in the famous ‘Priscilla Suite’, which was where the actors from ‘Priscilla Queen of the Dessert’ filmed some of their famous scenes. All I can say about this place is, WOW!. There are murals on most walls, except for the ones that have spiral carpet designs halfway up them.
On the Priscilla night, the pre dinner drinks were at our hotel, and we invited everyone to our suite for some great pics. The ball was at the Trades Hall, a place that stands out not just in architectural terms but because history was made within its walls and on the streets outside. The Trades Hall has been the home of the union movement in Broken Hill since it was built in 1905. We had a great time and met some great people.
The next big highlight was the weekend of the 15 and 16 May with My Kitchen Rules finalists Mossy and Gabe, who were kind enough to give up a weekend to visit the Manning Valley to cook up a storm and also to help us raise much needed funds for Snugglepot Day Care Centre’s nutritional program, which helps disadvantaged families in the Manning Valley.
On Saturday we cooked at the LJ Hooker Manning Valley Home and Leisure Expo, with Mossy and Gabe showcasing their ‘Turmeric Crusted Barramundi’, which was well received by the hoards of people who turned up to see these popular TV identities cook. The line up did not decline for the Bent on Food steak sandwiches either, which were cooked to perfection by Mossy and Bent on Food apprentice Bec House and assembled lovingly by myself and Gabe.
To top it off, Gabe gave out some of her wonderful brownies. If you ever saw the show you would know that Gabe is a wiz with sweets, and her lime cheesecake from the first episode gets huge hits on the MKR website.
We took them to Ems Thai in Harrington on Saturday night with the crew from the expo, where we had some of Ems fine cooking and great hospitality as usual.
On Sunday we visited Marrook Farm, where they were impressed by David and Heidi Marks’ passion for their craft. Mossy and Gabe agreed that their biodynamic yoghurt was brilliant. They also visited Wingham Brush, Ellenborough Falls and Artisans Retreat, and the night was topped off by some of Bev’s great hospitality at Tellers Restaurant in Wingham.
On Monday morning they cooked a barbecue breakfast outside Bent on Food – another great success and good fun. Finally, Bec shared her secrets to making a good scone, and they left the Manning Valley with good things to say about our region.
May is, of course, the month of Mother’s Day, where we spoil our mums for all the hard work they do during the year. I get to look after lots of mums on mother’s day, including my own ‘mums’. Bent on Food saw a steady flow of breakfast goers and a full house for lunch, with one of our favourite musicians Keith Bedggood, who played with John Boak on cornet, making the mums swoon with sounds from the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s by such composers as George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harry Warren, Irving Berlin, Les Brown, Louis Armstrong, Harold Arlen, to name a few.
The Inaugural Manning Produce Dinner was held at Bowers Café and Gallery on Saturday 15 May, with a sellout crowd enjoying food produced by Bowers own Cynthia Burke and Chad Simpson of the 3 Nippers Bistro, Australis Resort. The five course menu was designed to showcase Manning Valley produce, including Murray Grey Bowarra Biodynamic Beef accompanied by Wallambah Vale Chambourcin jus and hollandaise produced from Manning Valley Free Range Eggs. The next dinner will be held on June 26.
The penthouse suite at Rydges Port Macquarie was the perfect venue for Forever Young Management to hold the launch of new a financial year swimsuit calendar for men and women. Guests included the 12 models featured in the calendar, photographer Mason Rose, Gayle Price, Leo Gillespie, Candice Rose from Focus and a select group of guests who made the trip from the Manning Great Lakes. Canapés were accompanied by the flow of champagne and thank you speeches to celebrate this beautiful calendar. It was a great night, enjoyed by all.
Thirty members of Coomba Wine and Dine travelled by bus to Wingham to enjoy a 3 course meal at Bent on Food on April 27. The group like to enjoy a meal in various venues around the Great Lakes / Manning Valley and bring a selection of wonderful wines to accompany the menu items they select. They had a wonderful time and were a joy to work with. It was a cool night, and my Morrocan Lamb Shanks were perfect with their big red wine. Guests included Jan and Alf Irvine, Max and Hannie Clarke, and Rhonda and Martin Mahon along with President Bill Cooke and Val Cooke.
A few months ago a 30 year Chatham High School reunion was held at Wingham Memorial Services Club. This was my year, but unfortunately I was in Tasmania for the Tourism Awards and couldn’t make it to the event. According to some good sources, the night was a huge success and a wonderful get together for everyone; some haven’t seen each other since school and some still catch up, but all vowed to get together again soon, and I will be there this time!! Thanks for the pics, guys. Attendees included Donna Ballard, Michelle Brown, Graeme Emerton and Chris Bevitt, along with many more.
I look forward to hearing from you with any events you would like me to write about.
Send pics and info to donna.carrier@bigpond.com
Cheers, Donna.
I have spent some of March away from home, so unfortunately I have missed a few social events in the region, but I am catching up fast with lots happening over Easter and during school holidays. My time away was wonderful and I saw some beautiful scenery, but it also made me aware of the beauty that surrounds us on the Mid North Coast. We are truly blessed with our beaches and our hinterland.
Not only that, we have great produce, excellent entertainment from both visiting and local talent, and we really do have great people here – and that is why we live and work in this beautiful region.
Manning Valley Tourism are encouraging people to share the natural beauty of the Manning Valley with the launch of their latest marketing campaign ‘See where it takes you … the Manning Valley …Naturally’.
The campaign was launched on Thursday 18th March with an outdoor picnic on the lawn of the Visitors Information Centre for 75 guests. The theme was ‘local’ with donations and contributions from local producers. Guests included tourism partners, media, community groups, Greater Taree City Council representatives, and members of both the Manning Valley Tourism board and the Mid North Coast Tourism board.
Mayor Paul Hogan officially opened the campaign and Kim MacDonald spoke about the importance of these campaigns for the entire region. Kim explained some of the tactical aspects of the latest marketing campaign and encouraged operators to get involved with future promotions, as there is great value for money due to funding from NSW Tourism. Belinda Novicky and Kathy Balodis officially launched the seven local marketing campaigns under the umbrella of Mid North Coast Tourism. They applauded Manning Valley Tourism for integrating their campaign into the regional promotion. The weather was beautiful and everyone had an opportunity to network while enjoying lovely food and local wines.
It has been a whirlwind of a month for me and the team at Bent on Food. We had a great win at the 2009 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards held in Hobart on February 26th, where we took out the gong for Tourism Restaurants and Catering Services.
This was followed by a very relaxing but sometimes strenuous ten day holiday in Tasmania. We relaxed for a few days in a wilderness cabin at Lemonthyme Lodge near Cradle Mountain, which is a beautiful property boasting the biggest log cabin in the Southern hemisphere. We did a spectacular walk at Freycinet which took in Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach and also nearly killed me, I would have been OK if I was a mountain goat, but I am an unfit 40 something year old who drinks too much wine!
And on the subject of wine, we decided that during our stay, we would only consume Tassie wines. We tried some great Pinot Noirs and excellent Fizz, and we also managed to get to a few vineyards to see some old mates from the wine industry and try some of their special drops. Hobart was great and we had a wonderful time with all the other finalists from the Mid North Coast at the Tourism Awards. It was a special evening for the girls at Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse Holiday Accommodation, with excitement from our table as they won the very first category ‘New Tourism Development’ for their glorious property at Seal Rocks. We shared some glasses of sparkling with them on the night, with all of us on a high, texting all our friends and taking in the great entertainment which included the Qantas choir.
My first night back was all about the girls with a function at Great Lakes Council Chambers on March 8th to celebrate International Women’s Day. The theme was ‘Balancing Your Mind, Body and Soul with Your Business’ and guests speakers included Suzette Gaff from the Department of Industry and Investment, who gave a talk on the many funding programs available to small business and particularly for women.
Kerith Duncanson, a community Nutritionist and Lecturer in nutrition and dietetics, gave the audience some great nutrition hints for business women on the run. I spoke about maintaining balance in your life and staying passionate about your business.
There was a fantastic belly dancing display, along with a talk on the benefits of belly dance. Around 30 businesswomen attended and each of them gave a brief talk on their business. It was especially interesting to feel their passion for their businesses and it is great to share with other women.
The Green Cathedral at Tiona Park, Pacific Palms, was a beautiful backdrop for the wedding of Shaun Larken and Telisa Sweetman, of Budgewoi on Saturday 6th March. Shaun is a son of Christopher Larken, of New Lambton Heights, and Jennifer Dobosz, of Kotara. Telisa is a daughter of Paul Sweetman, of Kanwal, and Colleen Sweetman, of Buff Point.
The marriage ceremony was conducted by Forster civil celebrant, Joseph Court. Over 100 guests attended the reception at the Tiona Park conference centre, where the catering was in the capable hands of Catering by Blues.
Local author Joy Bell conducted a book signing at Books 2 in Wingham on 10th March. Joy’s book ‘The Pretty Place’ is a local love story set in the Manning Valley and is Joy’s first novel.
Thirty Japanese guests of Wingham Beef Exports had a casual barbeque at Bent on Food on Tuesday 16th March. They were here to look around the Valley and taste first hand our local beef. They were very excited to be at our place and enjoyed getting their photo taken with our new trophy.
On a final note, I would like to thank all our customers for their calls, emails and congratulations and wishes following our latest award. I look forward to hearing from you with any events you would like me to write about. Send pics and info to donna.carrier@bigpond.com
Cheers Donna.
February – Time to settle in
February always seems to me like the month when everything gets back to normal … the visitors go home, the kids are back at school and life settles down a bit. It is also Valentine’s Day month – a very special time for those in love and for those who want to tell someone special how they feel without even having to say a word. I pretend that it’s all American propaganda, but secretly wait for my long stemmed roses to arrive. No chocolates for me though; I am sticking to the resolution that I decided not to make on New Year’s Eve.
Many people I speak to are waiting until after the Australia Day festivities to start new regimes. Mid January was the right time for me to go back to Curves, start walking the dog, eat less cake and drink (slightly) less coffee. I also tried to give up wine, but I really enjoy a glass or two of an evening and if I have to give that up too, then I will be giving up not one, but two great loves – food AND wine.
The Manning River Summer Festival was another cracker this year, with visitors and locals enjoying the many events that were held over January. The riverbank in Taree was alive with people on New Year’s Eve to witness spectacular fireworks from floating pontoons (some say ours were better than Sydney!)
Large crowds visited Harrington for the Harrington Festival and John Gollan Fireworks on the 1st and 2nd of January, with some fabulous markets, carnival rides and again, fireworks to entertain the whole family. It was beautiful weather, which was a welcome change from the rain, and many were out taking advantage of the sunshine. As part of the festival, outdoor movies were held in three locations around the Manning: Old Bar, Harrington and Wingham. We packed our barbecue chook and headed to Central Park for a night under the stars with the Pink Panther, to see Pink Panther 2; it was an hilarious movie and a relaxing evening made even better by the icecream van that arrived with choc tops.
Scrapsidaisy Wingham held its first weekend retreat at the Wingham Golf Club in January. Guest Teachers were flown in from WA, Victoria and Far North Queensland to provide tuition and speciality classes to the 35+ attendees.
These scrapbookers had heaps of fun, with a challenge night on Friday where all participants were given the same materials (and a glass of wine?) and had to create a layout or card. They participated in Singstar on the Saturday night and a delicious afternoon tea on Sunday afternoon.
Participants agreed it was a fabulous event and would like it to be held yearly in Wingham. When the long weekend finished, the teachers enjoyed a couple of extra days of rest and relaxation in Wingham … shopping, dining and exploring.
They were particularly excited about the extraordinary friendliness of the town’s people and can’t wait to come back again!
The inaugural Head 2 Head swim was held at Blackhead Beach on January 3rd, with around 210 participants braving the rain and the cold water to compete in two swims. The first was a 700 metre swim at 9am, followed by 1.5 km at 10am. Hundreds of spectators surrounded the surf club to support and cheer for their favourite swimmers. The results were pretty spectacular, with 14 year old Kurtis Kavanagh from San Remo taking out both races. Forster’s Jake Loring came a close second in the main swim, with another Forster favourite, Zoe Dowsett coming third. Organisers were extremely happy with the event and particularly surprised at the number of participants, with many registrations on the day – despite the rough seas.
At Bent on Food’s last music night for 2009, we were fortunate to have some visitors from Drummoyne Water Polo Club, who were in town for the Manning Mug, held annually at the Wingham Pool. The group of twelve was looking for some fun, but they had to wear their florescent orange safety vests so that they could be identified from the other teams.
These guys and gals work hard in the pool by day and play hard in the evening, dancing and having a wonderful time, before heading to their home for the weekend, the Wingham Hotel. Peter Mullany, Helen Knight and Mike Brown played fabulously as usual, with their individual style impressing the visitors – who have asked for a repeat night next year.
Back to the festive season for a moment … the tenth annual Redhead Christmas party was held the week before Christmas on the picturesque Redhead Reserve. More than 100 local residents gathered to share Christmas goodwill and fellowship in true village spirit.
Co-ordinated by the executive of the Redhead Community Group Inc. and other local residents, barbecues were provided by BBQs Galore Taree and Ocean Dreaming holiday apartments, while Steve Aiken Electrical supplied Christmas lights.
James Johnston performed live on the grounds of Harrigan’s Irish Pub in December after his highly successful Idol journey. It was a fantastic night of great music and some laughs, while James shared some of his Idol experiences.
A crowd of around 300 fans were excited to see James and thoroughly enjoyed his interactive style as they danced and cheered under their umbrellas, despite the cold, rainy night.
James successfully plays a wide repertoire, from Country and Western to Jazz, which is a skill that sets him aside from other musicians. Local band the Hydrofonics were the support act and got the crowd rocking in the rain.
See you next month.
Please email me with any events you have attended or organised and send me some pics so that I can include them in the social pages. I can only write about what I am aware of so be sure to share some information with me.
donna.carrier@bigpond.com
Cheers, Donna.
Welcome to 2010 friends
Welcome to 2010, and welcome to all the visitors who have made this beautiful part of the world their home for the holidays. Our home is untouched and unspoilt; that’s what we locals think. So treat it well and come again any time; you are welcome here. Make sure you get out and explore while you are here, because you will enjoy our natural wonders along with our quirky shopping strips and award winning eateries and attractions.
I am not going to tell you my New Year’s resolutions; it will be too repetitive. You’ll all be saying, “Here she goes again with the work less, more play, less TV, less food, less wine, more holidays, blah, blah …”, stuff she says each year. One year I did give up smoking; that was a great feeling – instant health benefits and more cash in my pocket.
Whatever yours is, make it attainable, because there’s nothing worse than feeling like you haven’t accomplished any of your wishes for the year.
Speaking of accomplishments, I was privileged to be invited to be the Chief Judge of the Manning Taste Competition, held as part of the ‘Manning International Day of People with Disabilities, Celebrating Abilities’ which took place at Saxbys Stadium on Friday 4th December. I had the opportunity to taste a range of wonderful cakes, slices, scones and biscuits. The difficult part was choosing the best one (they were all so good) and making sure that the other judges, one of them being Rob Oakeshott, didn’t eat too much cake.
The overall winner was a plate of the most wonderfully decorated cupcakes that I have ever seen, and they were light and fluffy too. I also enjoyed some great speeches, line dancing, music, and I was able to pat some beautiful guide dog puppies.
Congratulations to the organisers of such a wonderful event, celebrating abilities and showcasing the talents of some really wonderful people.
The very special ladies from Fountain Gate, Prue and Trude visited Wingham for a short while on Thursday 3rd December to celebrate a shopping evening at Bent on Life, Ashlea Road, A Bella Vita and Books. They wore their very stylish chambray shirts and pearls, chatting with customers and gift wrapping Christmas purchases while Wingsong entertained the customers with some beautiful a capella sounds.
The Manning Valley Combined Chamber of Commerce shared a Christmas party with the Taree Chamber of Commerce at the Royal Hotel Riverview Terrace on Friday 27th December. A great barbecue was served, along with music by local group The Stowaway Pirates. There were prizes, raffles and lots of dancing. We had a great night. Many thanks to the organisers and to all of the people who dressed up, especially those TAFE employees who won the best dressed group for the evening.
Back in Wingham, the Annual Wingham Chamber of Commerce Christmas Carnival attracted a crowd of around 1,000 people on Thursday 11th December, with Bent Street full of chocolate wheels, raffles and food stalls all raising funds for local charities.
The rides were there along with the ponies and special guest this year was Prime Possum. Santa was there too, giving out lollies and chatting to the kids and the kids at heart.
My sister Natalie celebrated her 40th birthday on Saturday 12th December, with a private party at Bent on Food. Around 30 friends and family came along for canapés and music by ‘The Workshop’.
Our feet were numb the next day from all the dancing as Kev and the boys pumped out tunes from the ‘70s and ‘80s along with some of their own music. Happy birthday Nat!
For those of you having a break this month, enjoy your time off and see you next month.
Please email me with any events you have attended or organised and send me some pics so that I can include them in the social pages. I can only write about what I am aware of, so be sure to share some information with me.
Cheers Donna
donna.carrier@bigpond.com
Going anywhere nice for holidays?
The great Australian summer holidays … no holiday period on earth comes close does it? The sheer poetry of a couple of weeks (or more if you’re lucky), located smack bang in the middle of high summer time – conveniently amidst the height of the silly season, is hard to beat.
Slow summer days and even slower and longer summer nights … Beers and barbies, surfing, fishing and swimming. Kids and dogs and walks on the beach in the cool of the evening … It’s idyllic and unique to our hemisphere and coastal lifestyle. Sure there’s a downside – mozzies and sunburn and heat induced crankiness for a start. But, I don’t think there would be many Australians who would give it up for a white Christmas.
It’s as if the heat, festivities and enforced down-time hit a giant pause button on life as we know it. Everything literally gets put on hold, it can wait till February. Even in our email and mobile phone obsessed culture, it’s acceptable to switch it off and not check the inbox for a bit.
Sounds like bliss doesn’t it? If you work in an office, there’s a good chance of this happening, but if you run a restaurant in a holiday town … forget it!!
This time of year in the hospitality industry is the most crucial of the entire year. All the accommodation is packed to the brim. Hoards of hungry masses are swarming the town looking for fuel for their fires. Competition is fierce – how to get the most bums on seats, how to get them to come back. Tempers are frayed-for the management and for employees, it’s a question of how to stay sane as this season of leisure, family and sweat brings out not only the best in people, but also the worst …
As the cicadas scream and the waves pound, many sweaty workers are running around madly, many chefs are grilling, searing and roasting in temperatures that clock more than 50 degrees C.
It’s an oppositional world to the one that’s being catered for. Don’t get us wrong, we wouldn’t have it any other way. With the challenges and gruelling physical grind that is faced, we come out the other end in need of a good shower but also darn satisfied with the hard work and achievement of having yet another huge day.
Just don’t ask me if I’m having a break or going anywhere nice for the holidays …
It would be infinitely more apt to just wish me a commercially prosperous holiday season!
Happy Holidays from all of us at the The Stunned Mullet!
Welcome again friends
Do you believe it? It’s December already, and guess what, I am not anywhere near as organised as I promised myself. I am forever told that organisation makes your life flow more smoothly, but my question is when do you find time to get organised and what do you give up while you are spending your life filling your sock drawer? So once again I have decided that you need to be enjoying your life and sharing time with family and friends.
You are never going to look back and say, “I wish I worked more” but you may be wishing you spent more time with those you care about. We have come to the most appropriate time of year to do just that, so say yes to that Christmas party invitation, find some time just for you and catch up with those important people in your life.
An evening of music and transport was held at the Manning Regional Art Gallery on Friday, October 30th to raise funds for the gallery to purchase a much needed trolley for transporting their piano. The program ranged from classics by Telemann and Haydn to Folk Song and Swing, all performed beautifully by the talented choir.
We were treated to a wonderful array of canapés that were lovingly prepared by ‘Friends of the Gallery’. We were even treated to a glass of wine or two.
Still on music, Bent on Food’s monthly music night featured a newly formed group, ‘Alkemystyka’, featuring the combined talents of Bobby McCorkindale, Jessie Cowley-Martin, Hugh Cowley and Tracey McLeod. 35 Guests were transformed by the euphoric harmonies of the band while they dined.
Over 1,000 spectators attended The Forster Triathlon Multi Sport Festival on November 13th, 14th and 15th to support triathletes from all over NSW in a number of events. The weekend kicked off on Friday afternoon with a 1 km ocean swim, attracting between 50 and 60 local competitors.
Saturday morning began with the sprint marathon, a 750 m swim, 20 km cycle and 5 km run. Many locals participate in this event, with local athlete Aaron Woolley coming first in the 20-24 age division just a couple of minutes behind the overall fastest time of 59 mins and 16 sec.
The day continued with two ‘miniman’ triathlons for the little ones and an ‘enticer’ for athletes just getting into the sport, which was won by Jackson Ludlow. The finale for the day was the 5 km YMCA charity fun run, which Nick Hurlston completed in 16 mins and 14 sec.
It was a great weekend, bringing people together and increasing tourism in the area. Congratulations to the competitors and the spectators for their efforts.
Manning Valley Tourism held a very successful partnership function on Tuesday night, November 10 where approximately 80 guests attended Club Taree for the launch of the new Manning Valley Tourism branding. The new logo was well received and beautifully portrays the Manning Valley’s clean, green, fresh and natural look. Guests were treated to tasty ‘frog in a blender’ green Midori cocktails in line with the new ‘naturally’ green theme.
On Saturday, November 14, amidst all the triathlon fever, the spectacular wedding of Brett Drummond and Katrina Peck took place at The Green Cathedral, Tiona Park. Guests at the wedding, many from Sydney, were enchanted with the beauty of the area, particularly the calmness of Lake Wallis and the large number of vessels taking part in the sailing regatta being conducted in the background. Celebrant at the marriage ceremony was Forster civil celebrant, Mr. Joseph Court. The wedding reception was held at the award winning Club Forster.
On a very hot Sunday, some of the state’s best triathletes competed in the long course, with Dave Mathews of Queens Park finishing the 2 km swim, 60 km cycle and 15 km run in 2 hrs 59 mins and 49 sec, just 13 seconds in front of Port Macquarie’s Mitch Robbins. Shelley Beach athlete Chris Dmitrieff was in third place on 3 hrs 01min 23 sec followed by female winner Carrie Lester of Buddina on 3 hrs 36 mins and 47 sec.
Mid North Coast finalists in the NSW Tourism Awards travelled to Sydney on Thursday 19th November to compete with regional winners from all over the state. Finalists from Manning Valley and Great Lakes included Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse Holiday Accommodation Seal Rocks, New Tourism Development, Club Forster, Registered Clubs, Sevan Apartments Forster, Deluxe Accommodation, Old Bar Beach Festival, Festivals and Events, Bent on Food, Tourism Restaurants, Specialised Tourism Services.
Books 2 in Wingham had a successful opening on Friday 6th November, with special guest Di Morrissey on board to sign her latest release, ‘The Silent Country’. The heavens opened, causing flash flooding in the region, but around 40 die hard book lovers attended to have a chat with Di Morrissey and the owner of Books 2, Linley Blair while enjoying a glass of celebratory bubbles and canapés from Bent on Food.
Melbourne Cup celebrations in the Manning Valley were in the usual spirit, with lots of punters attending a day at The Winning Post at Taree Racecourse, with a great range of fascinators and hats worn by the local ladies for Fashions on the Field. We were busy sipping a glass or two of sparkling wine on our 2 day mini break at Harrington totally enjoying the surroundings and feeling proud of Wingham bred jockey Corey Brown for winning the race that stops the nation.
While on famous young men, we were sorry to see our Idol out of the competition, but at the same time we couldn’t be prouder of James Johnston for being such a wonderful talent with a maturity beyond his years. Well done James; you have done us proud, and we have enjoyed the journey.
Cheers, Donna.
donna.carrier@bigpond.com
Another year is fast closing, and as we head towards the festive season, our confidence is higher than this period last year when financial institutions were falling over like nine pins. The financial markets appear to have settled the dust, although they continue to be subject to altering prices. However, there is now a consistency which will see a steady stream of investors returning to the stock market. While we bask in better economic times, we must remember 2010 will be tougher, with the certainty of increased taxes or less benefits than we experience now.
The millions of dollars borrowed from Australian taxpayers and the future fund for the numerous stimulus packages will eventually have to be returned to the Government coffers to begin balancing the ledger. The Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens told us late last month that the economic dive we had in Australia “had been one of the mildest on record.”
Our unemployment is now at 5.7 per cent, which is expected to head upwards to about 6.5%; this is in marked contrast to our American friends, who are travelling above 10%. Australia, with more bodies in the work force, means the Government is collecting more taxes, and with less in the dole queues the Government is in a reasonable position. Depending on how quickly they want to collect the large expenditure, the pain for taxpayers will still be lurking in the background.
But beware; do not be complacent, as there will be tough times … although there will also be very bright signs. The experts say that things are looking good for the next generation of baby-boomers heading from the work force into retirement.
But as night turns into day, we have to face the facts that we will be paying higher interest rates, and as our dollar still is above 90 cents compared to the USA dollar, we will face higher prices at the consumer end.
Not withstanding, all the climate change proposals will come at a cost to us, although Governments deny it simply will be another long term tax burden for all.
With Christmas almost here, key economists are predicting a better than expected sales in the traditional hectic time of December. The NAB Bank has released data that suggests the economy is currently performing better than we expected and predict growth will continue. The survey was conducted in all key major cities.
Locally our region mirrors the NAB’s predications, with our own survey returning an air of confidence as time ticks towards December 25th. Retailers say with the current trend of sales, they are confident shoppers will maintain their current trend of purchasing. The real estate sector is experiencing a period of buoyancy with agents reporting sales in price sectors at a high. All say that investors are back and there is good activity in the commercial market.
Tourism continues to be the growth area for our regions, and with a bumper time last December and January due to the economic crisis, it will be interesting to see the domestic market maintain the rise of last year. This year has been an outstanding year for the domestic tourism market – a trend that has seen a higher consistency during year.
Data from surveys are telling, with the majority of Australians wanting to taste more of our country, a figure which is a big reversal from previous years.
There is nothing better than tasting the product to ensure more is wanted. Heading overseas is part of life’s adventure, but it is wonderful to know Australians are increasing their appreciation of Australia.
And finally, we appear to have embraced the lay-by service on offer from most businesses. The major chains report this system is becoming over taxed as consumers steer clear of the temptation of using their credit. With no interest and a liberal time to pay, it makes sense to pay the amounts owing weekly. However, while our credit card debt is still high, compared to years past, we look to be controlling our plastic card with more caution.
To all businesses and readers in the Great Lakes and Manning Valley: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Doing Your Homework…
Being informed makes life easier. If you are aware of the facts, you are far more likely to reach the right conclusion. There are many decisions we make in life, where it would be considered imprudent not to have researched all the available options – buying a house or a car for instance on a grand scale – all the way down to a mobile phone plan, dinner at a restaurant, or a weekend away.
If you are prepared to put in a bit of groundwork – make a couple of calls, jump online or ask a friend or two, there’s a good chance you will find that your knowledge on any given subject increases exponentially … or perhaps there’s a slim chance that you will just end up even more confused and unsure than where you started, but it seems that sometimes in life the more we think we know the more we realise we don’t know … (but that’s another story!)
Ultimately though – they say knowledge is power, and in our cutthroat consumer society, it doesn’t hurt to have a little power.
But first we have to identify what it is we really want in the first place. This is often, surprisingly, the most difficult part of the process. It involves disentangling all the various influences affecting our decision making processes – namely deciphering what we actually want from what we think we want. This is much harder than it sounds – you have to switch off all those subliminal voices … media and advertising, the requirements of family and friends as opposed to our own requirements, envies, jealousies and petty competitiveness.
If we base our decisions solely on any of the above reasonings, it is plain to see why, further down the track post-purchase and decision, we could likely be dissatisfied with the choices we made.
It ultimately wasn’t us who was making them, it was the various influences at play amongst our hectic and stressful lives …
I am not sure how it’s possible not to be influenced by external forces in life, but I do know that if you do your homework, carefully consider options while weighing up pros and cons, and try to listen to your instincts (that little voice at the back of your mind), it’s much more likely you’ll make a choice that you will be satisfied with.
Oh, and don’t leave decision making until the last moment either – the last thing you need is limited options in a pressurised situation. Take trying to decide where to eat dinner on a Saturday night for an example … leave it until 6pm on Saturday to make the call and you may find yourself in a bit of a pickle …
There’s a real danger here that you will just find yourself somewhere you don’t want to be. Somewhere way out of your budget for example, somewhere with weird sounding food you’ve never heard of, somewhere where the service is terrible. This is a situation where it would have helped if you had done your homework … if you would have spent 5 minutes online, you would have figured out how much the meal was going to cost you, what other customers thought, how the restaurant compares to others in the area.
If you visit a restaurant’s website, you would see the menu clear as day in front of you, and you could make the decision that it looked weird or too expensive in the privacy of your own home rather than when you were already seated at a table in the said restaurant at 8pm with no time left to leg it to anywhere else …
I am not saying that it’s not okay to be spontaneous – indeed it is. As we all know, some of the best times we have in life are the moments that we didn’t plan. No expectations, no disappointment and all that. But the key here is – no expectations!
If you do decide to rock up on a Saturday night at the last moment, be prepared to be open-minded – you might end up somewhere different to what you expected, you might pay more than what you expected but the choice is yours – you’ve either gotta go with the flow, or up and leg it before it’s too late!
Lou.
