MUDGEE - THE SOCIAL SCENE (2-8 MAY 2013)

With a group of sixteen it was impossible to set up all together in the Mudgee Riverside Caravan Park and so we were in two groups. Mind you, all were within sight and shouting distance.  Our spot included us, the Banninks and the Taintons. 

 

 

 

Things were a little tight in parts, and we did have the one problem in that our sites stood in the way of a direct route to the amenities block for those in sites behind us.  If I have one pet peeve on the road it relates to those rude folk in caravan parks who are too lazy to take the long way around to the loo and insist on barging though our patch.   We had two serial offender women directly to our rear.  Mind you, a couple of loud remarks at the right time, and some inventive parking and placement of chairs did manage to overcome the problem.

 

All this may seem a little churlish, and I have stood accused of being a grumpy old man in this regard, so I was delighted to find that Wok completely agreed with me.  Our view is simple....caravan park living is somewhat cheek by jowl at the best of times.  One pays for a little patch of dirt to call home, and that is exactly what it is.  Others enter it by invitation only just as they would if it were a suburban house. It is all part of good park etiquette which, when followed, makes communal living all the more enjoyable. (so ends the grumble for the day!)

 

 

 

 

Anyway, despite this irritation, we managed to get ourselves organized so that we had a good 'beer garden' where we enjoyed a communal breakfast (well, a recovery brunch really) on the Monday morning after the races,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and we were able to set up for a couple of equally communal evening meals under the more than ample awning of Wok's fifth wheeler.  And yes, it was a tad chilly!

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Our joint socialising included two jaunts to a nearby pub, where huge, 'cook your own', steaks are the order of the day (a normal meal service is also available)

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

where we solved many of the problems of the world over the odd glass or two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But this was all secondary to the real reason for our congregation....the Mudgee Autumn Race meeting.

 

As I described earlier, this meeting is hosted by the Gooree Park winery and horse stud, and, as members of their Wine Club, we were offered the privilege of watching the day's events from the VIP enclosure.

  

  

But this is not to say that the hoi polloi were not well looked after.  In fact the entire course was an absolute picture, bathed in wonderful autumn sunlight and a temperature in the mid-twenties.

 

 

On the sage advice of Pete Tansell we made an early arrival at the course.  This enabled us to snaffle a table directly adjacent to the winning post where the rich and famous could be found posing for the social pages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The VIP patrons were catered for by a most adequate bar service, and an equally adequate food supply which included finger food for the first hour or so,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and later a wonderful lunch featuring, of course, Gooree Park wagu beef and salad followed by an 'all you could eat' cheese selection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liz and I were the self admitted 'numpties' when it came to the betting ring, and our early flutter on number 10 in the First was a dismal failure, notwithstanding the each way bet placed.  This was enough the make us pull our heads in for a while, but we did lash out again on the basis of a good tip from our stud tour guide, Vicki, who was very keen on the Sydney horse Santimoss in the Goorre Cup feature race. Thank you Vicki.  From being almost last on the final bend it flew home at 4 to 1 and the Marshie's financial position was saved!

 

We lingered on the course well after the final race, and I suspect if the bar had not been closed we may have spent the night there!  As it was, our departure was well after sunset, when Liz and I decided to decline the offered bus service on the basis that the 2 km walk back to our digs would do us good after such an indulgent afternoon.  It did seem a very long way!

 

Neither of us have ever been 'into' horse racing, but we have agreed that this had been a most memorable day indeed.  And why not?  Delightful weather, a picture postcard race course setting, first class food and wines, attentive service, the company of great friends and a win.  This could become addictive!

 

After this highlight day we again settled back into a relaxed social routine, beginning with, as I described earlier, a most necessary recovery brunch.  It was with heavy hearts we farewelled, firstly Lyn and Wok on the Tuesday morning, and the following day, the rest of our company.  It had been a marvellous week.

 

We cannot leave Mudgee without one final tale, told here with her full permission.  As we were sitting at brunch, Liz noted a numberplate on the rear of the Tainton's fifth wheeler.

 

 

It is a spot difficult to read the plate in this shot, but the notation on the bottom reads 'Queensland Accessory', and as you can see, it is affixed to the rear ladder.  A normal number plate is also attached in the usual place.  Liz broke up the party completely with her incredulous comment about how odd it was that Queenslanders had to separately register their equipment!  I thought we treated her very kindly during the explanation that the Tainton bike rack covers the main plate when they are travelling and this is an accessory plate, rather than the main, and is so identified.

 

And so the road again beckoned.  The Marshie rear-guard packed up after the goodbye parade, restocked the van with all necessary for our next adventure, and prepared to leave the following morning for the journey to the little hot spa town of Boomi in far north NSW, which we planned to reach after an overnight stop in Narrabrai. 

 

Boomi has long been on our 'bucket list' and we were very much looking forward to the pre-arranged company of our good Victorian friends Rhonda and John Vogt and their large, black dog Bobby. We first met last year at the Burke & Wills Roadhouse in the middle of nowhere between Cloncurry and Normanton and had later shared time in both Normanton and Kurrimine Beach.  We had last caught up with them on their visit to Robe during a weekend in February at which we agreed to meet in Boomi as the first stop in what is to be shared travel in Queensland over the next month or so.