Pappinbarra Run
11 June 2019
Mid North Coast MX-5 Pappinbarra Run
Wednesday 5th June 2019
Wednesday 5 June found a group of nine people braving the light rain and cutting wind outside Oliver's at the Port Macquarie Service Centre waiting for the start to our inaugural Wednesday mid week run. Our numbers comprised of coordinator and run leader Peter in his black NB, Cathy and Wayne in their burgundy NB, Judith and John in a grey NC, with visitors Gayle and Michael in a remarkable blue NB, Pam and coordinator Allen with their red ND. It was not an auspicious start to the run with ominous looking skies and increasing rain. The original plan was to drive to Hollisdale for a picnic morning tea before going down to the Telegraph Point Tavern for lunch. However, being intrepid souls we decided that the Waterman’s Café in Wauchope might be a better first stop and give us an indication of what the weather could be like for the rest of the day. Off we set along the Oxley Highway to rain shrouded Wauchope.
The section of the Oxley Highway between Port and Wauchope is undergoing extensive road works which led to a slow drive. As we drove along the rain stopped and the wind eased off. It seemed as if everyone in Wauchope had congregated at the Waterman’s Café, however a space was found for us and we joined the throng to order. Over morning tea we reassessed our options and decided to press on to Pappinbarra as originally planned; especially as many members had baked treats for the ‘morning tea picnic’ and did not want to see them wasted.
The run was new territory for most of us and with light hearts and fine weather it was ‘tops down’ off along the Beechwood Road. The road and now sunny weather gave us good views of the surrounding countryside. From Beechwood the road ascends a steep hill with tight corners which requires a fair amount concentration as the centre line disappears and there was enough traffic the other way to help keep complacency at bay. Cathy and Wayne took the lead and provided us with on coming traffic warning as a safety measure over the radio. As an aside, the steep hill is also used for the local Billy Cart Derby which is usually held in the latter part of the year. From the top of the hill there is an equally steep descent into the Pappinbarra region with some straight sections along the valley floor providing a variety of driving conditions.
A surprise awaited us at Hollisdale. There was a large under covered picnic area with table and benches and even sofa lounges scattered about and a modern facilities block. Soon the tables were covered with plates of food and although morning tea was not yet a distant memory it would have been churlish not to partake of the great food made by members. A member remarked that our club is developing a reputation of being quite food centric, a sentiment some of our waistlines certainly reflect! We explored around the surrounds and found that the picnic area was attached to the old Ellengrove School building complete with a functioning piano on the veranda! As a bonus we had the whole place to ourselves making our stop most enjoyable as can be seen in Wayne’s photographs on the Mid North Coast’s Facebook page. We thank the Pappinbarra Progress Association for maintaining such a pleasant spot for public enjoyment. It was decided that we should really do some more driving before the lunch stop at Telegraph point and so making sure that we left the area a spotless as we found it, we set off to Upper Pappinbarra.
We proceeded to almost the end of the bitumen road before it turns into MX-5 unfriendly dirt and gravel, this provided us with a relatively long stretch of road to our lunch destination at Telegraph Point. The drive back down into Beechwood was even more enjoyable as we now had an idea of the road and conditions around the corners. It was interesting driving down the steep hill that the Billy Carts use in the Derby and gave us an appreciation of the driving skills needed to control a cart hurtling down through the steep section of the road, especially with no engine and a ‘pusher’ hanging on for dear life. I have been fortunate enough to volunteer, with others as a safety helper on the corners for this event and can say that its quite a spectacle!
The Pembroke Road to Telegraph point goes through scenic countryside and small picturesque settlements. All to soon we arrived at the Telegraph Point Tavern where a table had been set aside for us. After a fairly sumptuous lunch and lively conversations, the afternoon drew to a close. This was an enjoyable end to our inaugural Wednesday mid week run.
Thanks to our conveners Peter and Allen for organising the run and to Wayne for the photographs of the event.
Scribe
John Hansen
