Monthly Archives: April 2014

Vintage workhorses

Misc, Trips 10/04/2014 Leave a comment

My previous blog post mentioned a detour to Dungog on our return from the North Coast break. We’d heard about a National Rally for vintage tractors being held over the weekend & so we headed for the Showgrounds. Lots of trucks, trailers & caravans but a bit light on for tractors? Yes, a few machines around but it seemed the action hadn’t got started? Oh well, back into town for our lunch stop.

While parking in the main street we heard the sound of a steam whistle & there, chugging up the road was a traction engine! Shortly after we saw another – but decided that lunch came first! Afterwards, the cafe staff mentioned that lots of tractors had actually headed out earlier on a run into the countryside (now that would have been “interesting” to be stuck behind?) but were due back soon. No sooner had we got back to the Tardis, we started to see tractors coming back into town. Out with the iPhone for some video perhaps? Maybe 20 minutes later I was able to put the camera away, after more than 50 tractors had chugged their way back to the Showgrounds. Unfortunately there was no time for us to make a return visit (for sure the Showgrounds was now going to be buzzing!) & we resumed the trip back home.

A YouTube link to my hasty, handheld, hamfisted video awaits – Dungog Vintage Tractors 2014

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North Coast break

Rides, Trips 10/04/2014 Comments: 4

A window opened for a mid-week break recently & so the Tardis was packed for a “beach trip” to somewhere north of Sydney. Ralph & Peregrine came along too, for some days of caravan park stops & local rides & beach visits. With Bromptons loaded into our VW T5 Campervan we didn’t last long before needing to stop for lunch.
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Hawks Nest turned out to be the first nights caravan park, just beside the ocean beach.
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Next day saw us out on the Bromptons for some cruising around the coastal area (no pics I’m sorry, but there just might be a video soon?). The afternoon activity just had to be the beach & Mrs Aussie managed to fit in an ocean dip & a beach walk – as well as chatting to a local resident.
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Another night & it was decision time: stay put for some more nights or move on? One of our caravan park criteria had been overlooked here; decent 3G & so it was an easy choice – Forster here we come! We like the elevated section of the park, with views over the town, park, river & inner beach.
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The sunset kept us occupied with our wine, while waiting for the restaurant meals.
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This park neighbour had done a commendable job on a VW T2 restoration/conversion.
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Our ride for the day on Ralph & Peregrine took us around & out of town.
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We couldn’t complain about the weather as we’d just missed a wind storm the day before arriving at Hawks Nest but for us it had been sunshine all the way – until late on our final afternoon & some rain came down. We relaxed under the awning of the Tardis & were joined by this damp Noisy Miner.
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Pulling out from the caravan park, we stopped for a coffee at the local surf club & nestled our little/big Tardis amongst some fellow travellers.
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Our journey home included a detour inland via Dungog – & we came across a vintage tractor exhibition getting started for the weekend! Over 50 tractors went past my hastily pointed iPhone lens, although my processing of the videos is rather tractor-paced? – but I did manage to get a pic of one of the traction engines chuffing along.
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Until the next trip… (over Easter?)