Taree (April 4)

Earlier this year I took a little trip up to Taree, a lovely town on the Manning River 16km inland which I've visited on several occasions, mainly to catch up with an old high school chum that works and lives there, and the parents of a second friend whom I've known for a year longer. Needless to say, I've always got a bed, a couch or floor space to sleep on any time that I visit. It's very convenient. I can hop on the train at Gosford and be there in 4.5 hours. If you're not in a hurry, one can take a thrice daily service for a 9-hour trip up to Brisbane.

If you want a good walk, I recommend going by the riverside all the way out to the botanical gardens which are pretty easy to find. In fact, the town is quite easy to walk around, though you'll need wheeled transport if you want to go further out, like to Club Taree (which was my choice for this trip) or to any number of the little hamlets and beaches nearby, including Forster which gets an entry as well.
The club is a combined services and golf club, with the course bordered by the Sydney-Brisbane rail-line on one side. It is very modern and very pleasant inside and seeing it was bucketing down outside I didn't want to be anywhere else. If you're not interested in a meal one can have a coffee or a drink and take it easy. The staff are quite friendly and chatty once you get to know them.
This was my farewell lunch, seeing I was travelling back home the next day. I couldn't help myself and selected the parmigiana, though opting for a smaller serve rather than the larger one. Just as well – I struggled to finish it. Though the crust was a little burnt it was still rather nice, though it lost a point for having the ham and melted cheese on top of it. (It's rare to find a place that actually has the cheese and ham inside the crust. I think I've only come across one since I've been on the coast.) The salad was adequate, the chips crunchy and I washed it all down this time with a large glass of pineapple juice. Needless to say, I didn't really need dinner that night, but I did have desert.
Taree might feature often enough here seeing there are plenty of places to dine within a stone's throw of the river and I try to get up there once a year. You might get a bit bored of all the shots of the Manning River though. lol

Link correct at time of posting.

Picture taken by Geoff G Turner (c) 2023.