Yulefest in New England 2022
12 August 2022 / Written: Barry Luttrell, Photos: Jenny Luttrell
Thunderbolt’s Way was our first choice of road to New England but with extensive water damage our trip changed to New England Hwy and Oxley Hwy to Walcha
Thirteen cars assembled at Cameron Park early on Saturday morning ready for our Yulefest adventure. The sun was out so a good trip was expected. We travelled via Hunter Motor Way / New England Hwy for picnic morning tea in the park at Aberdeen where two additional cars joined our group.
From Aberdeen fifteen cars travelled to Tamworth Big Guitar for a comfort stop where an additional car joined our group. We then travelled via New England Hwy to Bendemeer with a right turn onto Oxley Hwy up through some twisty interesting roads to the Walcha Royal Café for our pre-ordered, and finally sorted, lunch.
Leaving Walcha, we travelled East on the Oxley Hwy to view the Apsley falls in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. The falls were spectacular as a result of recent rain on the tablelands. We travelled back to Walcha and via Thunderbolt’s Way to Uralla then on to Armidale and our accommodation at Cotswold Gardens Motor Inn.
Festivities began with pre-dinner drinks in the bar and then onto a three-course traditional Yulefest dinner in the manor restaurant located in a historical New England building. Named and designed from buildings in Cotswold UK. A log fire in the centre of the room added to the ambience.
Each guest provided a small fun gift maximum $10.00 placed on the gift table for Fun Santa to manage. Each guest had a number under their water glass. Numbers were drawn out of a bucket by Santa’s helper, and the guest with that number is invited to select a gift from the table which they unwrapped. They can then either keep or swap their gift, for any other gift already unwrapped. A special gift (bottle of wine) went to a lucky ticket number.
Many thanks to Cotswold for providing our Yulefest dinner and accommodation.
Continental breakfast was provided by Cotswold (after some discussions) for those who required it. We then travelled East of Armidale on Waterfall Way to Wollomombi falls also in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park and one of the highest water falls in the Southern Hemisphere. The falls were also spectacular as a result of recent rain on the tablelands. After morning tea at the falls park, we travelled towards Armidale calling into Hillgrove (remainder of a thriving gold mining village) to view their museum and a presentation by a local identity.
Many thanks to the museum voluntary staff who made our visit very interesting and informative.
Some of the group decided to return home their own way, leaving five cars to travel to Armidale to our booked lunch at the Wicklow Hotel. Lunch finished, we then travelled to home via the New England Hwy.
Thanks to all who participated on the adventure, a good weekend was had by all.
