Christmas Lunch & Mystery Run

07 January 2020 / John Hansen

MX-5 Mid North Coast Chapter
Mystery Run and Christmas Lunch
Saturday 14 December 2019
Saturday the 14 December saw a large contingent of Mid North Coast members assemble at the civilised time of 10 am at the Rivermark Cafe on Hastings River Drive for the annual mystery run followed by the Christmas lunch and awards presentation.
Run-leader of the day was Greg in his MX5 GT RF Limited with Jane who led the way to the first mystery stop, followed by Rhonda and Robert white NC, Jan and Ken orange ND, Wayne black NC, Chris red ND, Karla and Brett red NC, Susan and John green NB, Mike red NB, Margaret and Murray Burgundy red NC, Allen red ND, Judith and John grey NC Graham CX8 and Pam in a white BMW 4301.
Greg led us through some of the backstreets of Port Macquarie where our group attracted many admiring looks, to our first stop at the Point Cafe where tables had been reserved for morning tea. Soon the Cafe was awash with animated chat and munching of food. Those readers who have followed previous reports would know that the Mid North Coast Chapter of the MX-5 Club prides itself on finding interesting eating refreshment places and adheres to the old saying ‘never travel on an empty stomach’. After all luncheon was just over an hour and a half away! Pam and Judith left the group to go and decorate the tables at the Rivermark Cafe for our Christmas lunch.
The sky was cloudless and it was turning out to be a beautiful day for a tops down jaunt through the local countryside. Leaving the Point Cafe we traveled back to Hastings River Drive, with a couple of members inadvertently exploring some side street diversions until we finally all met up again. Then it was down to the old Pacific Highway where we turned right towards Telegraph Point over the old Dennis Bridge, joining up with the Telegraph Point Road, which is is really the old Pacific Highway, to the Pembroke Road turn off. This road twists and turns through undulating countryside to the small hamlet of Pembroke. The countryside is very picturesque with the fields in the foreground set against the dramatic background of the hinterland leading to the great dividing range. Leaving Pembroke, we passed the small hamlet of Moroko Park and made our way to Stones Creek Road and eventually joined the Oxley Highway just outside Wauchope.
Just a short drive along the Oxley Highway to Thrumster where we turned onto the New Pacific Highway before turning left and making our way to Fernbank Creek Road just above the Cassegrain Winery. At the beginning of Fernbank Creek Road we had our first sight of some of the fires that had been through the area with a large
swathe of brown and black burnt out trees and blackened ground. The road wound its way past properties with large interesting houses until it crossed Hastings River Driver. We turned right along the river bank and in a couple of minutes were parking outside the Rivermark Cafe ready for lunch. Even though the run was relatively short it had taken us through varied and interesting countryside.
Pam and Judith had done a splendid job of decorating our reserved table with Christmas Decorations and crackers and even put out some chocolates, donated by Susan, Jane and Greg, at each place setting. The only request from the Cafe was that there was to be no tinsel used for decorations as its extremely difficult to clean up from the gravel floor! We all found plenty on the menu to satisfy our hunger and soon orders were taken and food arrived. Pam and Judith also took up donations for one of our members local bush fire brigade. Jill and Robbie also joined us for the lunch. Traditionally as part of our lunch, the conveyors resign and new conveyors are elected for the following year. Our conveyors formally resigned, the positions declared vacant and then both Peter and Allen unanimously re-elected to be our new conveyors for 2020. Also at the lunch the all important Club Member of the year trophy is presented and this year it went to Judith Hansen and her name was also inscribed on the Perpetual Club Trophy. The award of New Club Member for 2019 was presented to Rhonda Partridge. The talk and chat, with crackers and fancy hats and chocolates went on for quite a while and we could see that the staff were wondering if we would ever leave! It was agreed by all to have been a very pleasant day.
Many thanks go to our 2019 convenors Allen and Peter, for organising our runs Christmas Lunch and awards. Thanks also go to our run leaders who planned and led us the many interesting runs. Also many thanks go to all club members who took part in the various activities and provided a happy, safe and friendly environment for our driving activities.
Happy and safe driving in 2020.
John Hansen Scribe