2021 Chrysler Restorer's Club Spring Tour - Part III

Friday 26th November - 2021

Part III of the 2021 Chrysler Restorer's Club Spring Tour

Unfortunately everything must end & today is one of those days.

Our group departed Uralla, NSW this morning for the final leg of our tour south to Taree. (288kms or 180 miles). The current east coast 'El Nina' weather turned nasty as we were about to leave the Bushranger Motel in Uralla.

Depicting a turn of the century sawmiller's village,

Timbertown also operates a 2.4km long Heritage Railway

Faced with heavily saturated roads, I decided to make a quick F1-style change to my tyres from slicks to wet weather tyres on the ‘64 Plymouth, 2-door, that’s how bad it was.

Approximately one & a half hours into our journey we arrived at the Ginger's Creek Roadhouse and Bush Resort for a well-earned pitstop and morning tea break.

There were twenty-one of us sitting on the verandah chatting to one another when I asked the owner “how’s the weather been?", he said that you are not going to believe this.

Our entire group relaxing on the verandah of the the Ginger's Creek

Roadhouse - halfway between Wauhope and Walcha, NSW.

On Saturday & Sunday this week we had 280ml or 11" inches of rain in that 48-hour period, now that is serious rain bomb in anyone’s language.

We then pushed a little further on to Wauchope to pay a visit to Timbertown for lunch & a look around the park. Timbertown is a re-created Sawmiller's village from the turn of the century and is set among 87-acres of natural forest.

(Below) I decided to become Casey Jones & stoke the fire for a while on ‘Ruby’ the vintage steam locomotive that operates on Timbertown's Heritage narrow gauge Railway. 

Me getting ready to do my best 'Casey Jones' impersonation

and stoke the firebox onboard the Heritage Steam Locomotive 'Ruby'.

After lunch it was a short one hour's drive south to Taree. I checked into the Highway Motel for a quick Nanny nap before heading off to our ‘Last Supper’ at the Taree Aquatic Club overlooking the tranquil Manning River.

After dinner we more or less exchanged our goodbyes to one & all in the group, because tomorrow we would all be heading off in different directions for our homes.

We made a great little roadside stop at the

Ginger's Creek Bush Resort in Mount Seaview, NSW

Another magnificent Spring Tour organised by our Chrysler club's event director Brian Kelleher. If Brian cannot organise a magnificent tour than nobody can. 

In another lifetime Brian & I worked together at Qantas Airlines, only he was up the pointy end as a skipper on the Boeing 747 Jumbos & I was the ‘Trolly Dolly’ down on the main deck, in cattle-class, say no more.

A popular stop on the Oxley Highway for all motoring

enthusiast's is the Ginger's Creek Roadhouse & Bush Resort

That my friends is all she wrote, so until the next ‘adventure before dementia’ stay tuned.

Cheers for now from the ‘Squire’ from the Shire.

Warbo

2021 Chrysler Restorer's Club Spring Tour - Part II

25th November - 2021

Part II of the 2021 Chrysler Restorer's Club Spring Tour

Last night in Ballina we encountered torrential rain all night, however the rain ceased just before our planned departure, thank heavens. As a team, we left Ballina around 0900 this morning for our (400kms or 240 mile) drive through famous country towns like Lismore, Casino, Tenterfield (where Entertainer Peter Allen was born), Armidale and finally into Uralla. 

Our first driving stint was approximately one & a half-hours to the Mallanganee Pub where we all enjoyed a cuppa & morning refreshments. After morning tea we pushed on travelling the New England Hwy south. I really enjoyed this next part of the journey, especially now that there was no rain.

Uralla, is town that holds the final resting place of Australian

Bushranger Captain Thunderbolt

Our journey led us to the Great Dividing Range (all 888m in height of it, or for my overseas friends only 3,000ft). It was much cooler now & hardly any humidity, the further you move inland away from the coast - the less humidity there is.

A lunch break at a little town called Deepwater. We ordered bakery items & sandwiches at the local bakery & roadhouse.

By now we had really broken the back of today's journey, we would be arriving in Uralla real 'Bushranger' territory within an hour. I have never been to this part of the world, so I was very excited to see what was ahead of me.

I drove my 1964 2-door Plymouth (with 3 on the tree) sedan into Uralla at 1500 this afternoon, checked into the Bushranger Motor Inn for the night that still left me plenty of time to check out this town.

Captain Thunderbolt's 151-year-old gravesite

My main objective this afternoon was to check out the infamous Bushranger 'Captain Thunderbolt' who roamed this part of the world creating havoc 151-years ago.

'Thunderbolt’s' real name was Fred Ward, he committed many robberies, bailing up mail coaches & private homes in the Liverpool Rangers & New England district in 1870 & is buried here in Uralla.

His life was cut short at the tender age of only 36 years. The law finally caught up with him when Constable Walker shot him dead on May 25th, 1870. I wanted to see where he was buried in the local cemetery, as you can see by my photos I managed that accomplishment.

The Gothic-style chapel of the All Saints Anglican Church
is in Gostwyck in the Parish of Uralla

I spent time cruising the cemetery checking out the Tombstones, while walking around the cemetery I met a local lady & asked her what else there was to see in the local area.

She mentioned that I should drive out of town for 10 klms (6.2 mls) to visit the All Saints Anglican Church, Gostwyck. What a pleasant surprise when I arrived at the Church.

As you can see by the photos, this delightful Church is built in a perfect country setting very tranquil & peaceful, unfortunately the doors of the church were locked & if I wanted to witness the interior I would have to hang around until the Church Service on Sunday.

The Church was constructed in 1921 with an oaken hammer beam roof
covered by oaken shingles and all the fittings were completed in oak.

By now the big hand on the clock was pointing to 12 & the small hand was pointing to the 6, it was now time to head back into town to hook up with my other travelling friends for dinner.

I am looking forward to a good night's sleep this evening, tomorrow morning I will have the pedal to the metal of the ‘64 Plymouth as we head south towards Taree for another adventure.

Stay safe, cheers for now from the ‘Squire’.

Warbo.

2021 Chrysler Restorer's Club Spring Tour

Wednesday 24th November - 2021

Hello from the NSW far North Coast.

I am on the road with Chrysler Restorer's Club on their annual Spring Tour. I am driving my 57-year-old, 1964 Plymouth/Valiant 2-door, 3-speed, manual sedan.

This year's tour takes us up to the northern tip of the State of NSW. With the current Covid Border restrictions, we will not be able to cross the borders into the Sunshine State; Queensland as we had originally planned to do.

We left Sydney and our Day 1, first leg, was an uneventful 8-hour (615km) haul from Sydney to Grafton up the super smooth Pacific Highway, the A1.

My 1964 Plymouth/Valiant 2-door sedan, as I stop to check out the
ruins of some of the oldest of the original settler's homes around Grafton.

(Above) On my way towards Ballina, I stop to check out the crumpling remains of one of the oldest houses in Northern Rivers NSW town of Grafton, just north of the township. The locals tell me that this house or what is left of it - was built by the first settlers last century, in 1890 or thereabouts.

It rained all the way to Coffs Harbour, but as we got north of the Banana Coast, the skies began to dry up. November is an ideal time to visit the city of Grafton, as all its Jacaranda trees are in full and glorious purple bloom.

Scrumptious mixed grill at the local Club in Grafton on my arrival.

Once settled into our first night's accommodation on Day 1 in Grafton, we headed out to the Clock Tower Hotel for our evening meal.

Day 2: We crossed the Richmond River to West Ballina
aboard the Burns Point Ferry

(Above) On our second day, we drove aboard the vehicular cable ferry, the Burns Point Ferry to cross the mighty Richmond River. 

For a fee of $6.50 it would carry us on a 4-minute ride across the Richmond River to West Ballina.

Breakfast this morning was at the Macadamia Castle's Restaurant

(Above) Special treat for breakfast this morning at the Macadamia Castle & Animal Park Restaurant located in Knockrow, NSW (between Byron Bay and Ballina). 

In the photo Brian, Bob & yours truly just about to attack a stack of pancakes.

A sensational breakfast on Day 2 at the

Macadamia Castle Restaurant

(Above) The ‘Squire’ enjoying his pancakes loaded with ice cream, fruit, berries, nuts (Macadamia nuts of course), butter, maple syrup & washed down with a large Mango smoothie. Truly a Breakfast of Champions.

We depart Ballina on Thursday morning with our next destination being the township of Uralla. Uralla is nestled in the New England High Country and has a rich Colonial period Gold Rush history.

I'm looking forward to exploring Uralla's natural beauty and pilot the '64 Plymouth along Thunderbolt's Way who's surrounding natural bushland reserves contain Aboriginal art that is over 500-years old. 

Stay tuned for more adventure before dementia.

Cheers from the road

Warbo

RELATED: I imported this 1964 Plymouth/Valiant 2-door, 3-speed, manual sedan 3-years ago in November 2018 - to read more about it CLICK HERE

RELATED: My 1964 Plymouth/Valiant lands in Australia from the US - to read more about it CLICK HERE