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The Road Ahead : August September 2008
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travel & leisure Port of action Port Macquarie offers thrills and spills or the opportunity to just chill out. STORY STU LLOYD rt Macquarie offers thrills and spills or the opportunity to just chill out. Y STU LLOYD mist clouds the mirror-smooth lake. Herds of kangaroos venture out of the towering stands of gum trees for a morning scratch and a feed. Suddenly, the peaceful scene is shattered by a 340-horsepower Malibu gunning its engine. Jason Stone, former Aussie water ski representative, blasts along the slalom course, threading orange bouys and throwing up rooster-tails of water. A He makes it look easy compared with my clumsy efforts. This is the Stoney Park watersports complex and it attracts a wide variety of visitors. “A local doctor in his early 80s comes out a couple of times a year,” said Jason. Then there was the lady who skied in her diamond earrings. Apparently she wiped out and lost an earing worth $10,000. The next morning, I don’t need much coffee to get my revs up: we’re off to Adrenaline Rush Karting, in beautiful bushland just north of Port. It’s located on the edge of a state forest. The air is soon crackling with the high-pitched whine and blue smoke of the karts. Drivers suit up in red overalls and full-face helmets. The chequered fl ag comes down. If you want to give it a nudge, you can hit 60 km/h down the long straight, before drifting through 13 tight bends. through 13 tight bends. “The lap record is 45.8 seconds,” Allan, a director, tells me of the 1052 m track (the state championships will be held here in October). But it’s not all about the need for speed. Adrenaline is Al m m ch w O a fof r s Rush Karting also has midget karts that suit kids as young as eight. So much for thrills. Now it’s time to bring the blood pressure down with a picnic and wine tasting at Cassegrain Wines, on the highway. Rush Karting also has midget karts that suit kids Cassegrain’s driveway is lined by about 2000 rose bushes. The romance of the scene is heightened by a limousine out of which a bridal couple emerge for their wedding photos. The cellar door is open plan and we watch the winemakers work their magic as we taste their range of table wines (they were the fi rst to grow and produce chambourcin commercially in Australia). I fi nd it a little fruity but the Shiraz is spot on. I manage to knock a glass over the counter. “So we’ve had thrills and spills today,” jokes my son. We adjourn to the picnic grounds for a BBQ, and make a note to return for ‘A Day on the Green’ music festival and the ‘Oysters on the Vines’, in January, when they serve freshly harvested Hastings River oysters. hey serve freshly harvested Maybe on that trip we’ll follow the new Glovebox Trails Guide of self-guided attractions from Telegraph Point in the north, Camden Haven in the south, to Wauchope in the west. This includes nine nature reserves, a koala hospital, nine walking alki g tracks and trails, more than a dozen heritage sites dating back to Port’s 1821 penal settlement roots, and some 30 art galleries and studios. Also in the Port Macquarie region you’ll fi nd a variety of national parks, nature reserves, beaches and historical attractions. ng h itg it dti g b k MAIN PHOTO: Peaceful Port Macquarie. LEFT: Cassegrain. ABOVE: Carting action. TRIP AROUND WITH RACQ’S HELP Port Macquarie is about 560 km south of Brisbane. To plan your driving holiday to Port Macquarie, including accommodation, visit the RACQ trip planner at racq.com/tripplanner. Additional information on Port Macquarie is available at www.portmacquarieinfo.com.au. AUG/SEP 08 43 Photos courtesy of Port Macquarie Tourism
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