The 2006 Buick National Meeting will be centred around the Hunter Valley Region of New South wales near the city of Newcastle. The township of Raymond Terrace will be the hub for the meeting.
The Hunter Valley is famous for grape growing and its wine making industry. Some of Australia’s most renowned wines come from the Hunter Valley region. The area is rich in history and heritage and caters for all interests including crafts, museums, antique and collectable shops, dolphin cruises, wine tasting, gardens, walking trails, sand dune tours by 4WD or quad bike, scenic drives around lakes, oceans and bush, cafes and eateries to name a few.
PRE TOUR FROM 7th MAY 2006 TO 11th MAY 2006
Tour Directors: Peter & Gwen Allen and Colin & Dawn Castle
Pre tour activities will be centred around your selected accommodation at Raymond Terrace and you will be able to take day trips around the area. We will advise you later of the best way to see all the attractions this area has to offer.
A scenic drive visiting a lavender farm and picnicing with the llamas. Take in the sights of Morpeth, a heritage listed Hunter Valley town, its history and many interesting shops. Visit a mini railway and then take a tour of old Maitland Gaol (only recently closed).
Tour a coal mine (possibly) and visit a horse stud. Tour a Railway and Mining museum and take a steam train ride. Take a scenic drive to historic Wollombi, visit some interesting shops and a local Astronomical Observatory and National Park.
Nelson Bay is a tourist resort on Port Stephens at the entrance to the Pacific Ocean and you can catch a Dolphin Watch cruise from here or enjoy the specialty shops and cafes and eateries. If you are brave you can take a tour of the Stockton sand dunes by 4WD or quad bike, sandboarding or even take a flight in a hot air balloon.
NATIONAL MEETING 12th MAY 2006 TO 14th MAY 2006
Tour Directors: Peter & Gwen Allen and Colin & Dawn Castle
Friday is registration day at our motel and possibly a tour into Port Stephens.
On Saturday we will take a scenic route to Newcastle taking in some sights and activities on the way. We can choose to visit an historic home built by convicts, visit a habitat activity centre or visit an aircraft museum or do the lot. We will arrive at Newcastle port area at lunch time where we can enjoy a meal from the many cafes and eateries along the foreshore. Local walking tours or tram tours of Newcastle will be available. A possible local scenic tour in the afternoon before return to your accommodation and the Saturday night’s entertainment. A great meal and fun night is promised.
Sunday will be a scenic drive to our famous Hunter Valley Gardens and Village for the Show and Shine. These gardens occupy 25 hectares of ground and are definitely spectacular even if you are not a gardener. You cannot but admire the workmanship which has gone into the making of these gardens. You will spend several hours here admiring the gardens and the specialty shops in the village. Sunday afternoon you may want to visit a glass blowing centre or do a wine crawl back to your accommodation. Sunday night will be presentation night and dinner at a local club.
POST NATIONAL TOUR FROM 15th MAY 2006 TO 25TH MAY 2006 Tour Directors – Graham and Narelle Weekes.
The rally is now set and because so many interesting and fabulous visits have been discovered, the rally has been extended. The new dates are: 15th May 2006 to 25th May 2006.
The tour will leave from Raymond Terrace on Monday, 15th May, 2006, following the completion of the Nationals. We will travel to Mudgee, Gulgong, Wellington, Dubbo, Parkes, Forbes, Molong, Orange, Bathurst, Lithgow and finishing in Katoomba.
Some of the experiences you will witness are:
Motorcycle, Pioneer, Machinery and Small Arms Museums, along with old timber slab cottage.
Be entertained in the oldest continually operating opera house in Australia.
Limestone caves, phosphate mine and open cut gold mines.
Visit a working farm and private zoo with koalas, camels, water buffalo, emu, deer, to name a fee, plus angora rabbit shearing, entertainment and garment parade.
Boomerang manufacture, cheese making and olive processing. ? Radio telescope.
Open range zoo.
Alpaca wool processing.
History of Cobb and Co, Ben Hall and Bushranger robbery sites.
View old movies through original carbon arc projectors in the oldest, longest running cinema in Australia.
Zig Zag Railway using steam loco’s.
Views of the Blue Mountains, scenic railway, etc.
Not to mention the historic towns, antique shops, craft shops and wineries.
The rally will conclude in Katoomba on Thursday, 25th May, 2006. Katoomba was selected as it is within close proximity to Sydney to allow members to visit relatives and friends.
NATIONAL MEET CO-ORDINATOR: Eric North Ph: 02 4784 2091, Fax: 02 4784 3349 or Email: enorth@bigpond.net.au
ACCOMMODATION FOR THE NATIONAL MEET
NOTE: Entrants are responsible for their own accomodation bookings. Please book early
PRE-TOUR 7 – 11th MAY
HUNTER VALLEY, N.S.W. NATIONAL MEET 12-14th MAY