12 July 2012 - Edgewater Holiday Park, Port Macquarie, NSW

Sometimes it is good to be handicapped by rain, especially when you don’t absolutely have to go anywhere. This afternoon has been spent catching up with business matters after having spent the morning in town at the art gallery and supermarket.

Our visit to the art gallery was well rewarded with a travelling exhibition titled Of Love & War, a collection of photographs, memorabilia, letters, paintings, posters and the like which explores, or rather documents, the relationships forged during times of conflict, the passionate affairs and whirlwind weddings of lovers caught up in the war and the loneliness of those serving away from home. Much of it was very poignant; a real exhibition of mainly men baring their souls and expressing their intense feelings.

Yesterday was such a perfect day with glorious warm temperatures; the sort of day you can wear just one layer of clothing and even consider sandals rather than sox and shoes.

We spent the morning in the local museum situated in one of the two remaining buildings constructed in the convict years, this one constructed as a shop and dwelling. It is now listed on the State Heritage Register and manned by yet another band of wonderful volunteers. In fact one could be forgiven for thinking that Australia is run by volunteers.

I was particularly interested in the Foundation Room which tells the story of Port Macquarie’s beginnings and spells out the life and times of the convicts and their jailers who lived here all those years ago. I have already touched on this in my blog a couple of days ago, however the tourist promotional material does not relay the details of the floggings, daily rations and the other nitty gritty which were quite fascinating.

The rest of the museum is very well laid out with exhibits displayed under theme headings. One which was quite different from anything I had seen before; a scene inspired by the journal of an idle lady, a period drawing room showing three gentle-women working in handcrafts: embroidery, sewing and the like. Their work, tools and materials were spread all about as they would be in the midst of their time filling toil. There was also a large display of very elaborate period gowns, lovingly stored in light reduced alcoves and otherwise closed drawers of a huge chest.

We learned here that many farmers in the Hastings River region tried their hand at sugar farming in the 1860s and 1870s. The first crops had been planted in 1821 and tended by a West Indian Negro convict, a sugar mill was erected with convict labour and the future looked promising. In 1868 there were thirty plantations in operations, however by the 1880s  uncertain seasons and destructive winter frosts had discouraged even the most stubborn farmer and sugar growing had moved north to the Clarence, Richmond and Tweed river valleys, the former two still to be visited by us.

Leaving the museum we drove to the top of the hill above the town and the Town Beach and sat out in the warm sunshine eating our lunch. Below us there were a number of children playing in the waves and an equal number lying about the beach in scanty clothing reminiscent of mid-summer days. We were soon joined by a very likeable couple from Seymour in Victoria, Bill and Pat, who were in need of space on our bench to rest their weary selves after having walked for some distance around the beach. Unlike us, they had driven across from their home town to spend a month here in this lovely spot, staying in an elevated apartment with views even better than those we were all enjoying now. We learned much from this friendly couple; about Seymour, their lives, about bowls, about average but active retired Australians. Finally their need for lunch drove them home and we finished our lunch in peace, then took their advice and set out along the pathway above the beach away from the town.

Port Macquarie's sea coast

Flagstaff Hill stands high above the river mouth and it was from here that the Commandant of the settlement was signalled that ships were approaching. The Hastings River entrance was troublesome and ships continually encountered difficulty on the bar, since the depth of water was only about six feet. Twenty three ships are recorded as having come to grief here and no doubt there would have been many more had the station not operated from this point. Vessels frequently had to stand off while goods and passengers were offloaded and brought ashore at Boat Harbour located directly below Flagstaff Hill on the ocean side.

Bill and Pat had told us that the migrating whales could be seen from along the coastal walk, and we had seen several tourist craft heading out into the ocean waves for this purpose. It was not until we looked well out toward the horizon that we too saw the water spouts from the emerging sperm whales, and once familiar with the sight, we noted about half a dozen. And so we can now add “whales” to the list of wildlife seen in the wild.

We walked on a little, past Oxley Beach and as far as Windmill Hill where there was, obviously, once upon a time, a flour grinding windmill. By the end of the 19^th century it was no longer in use and it had become a wonderful place for errant children to explore, and it was they who managed to burn it down playing with matches. As mother of sons and grandmother of grandsons, I can well imagine how this happened.

Ivan, myself, Chris & Patsy

Time was getting away on us; we had a social engagement to prepare for, so we headed back toward the vehicle and drove back to camp. At 4 pm, on schedule, we pulled into the Residential Village and found our friends Ivan and Patsy looking out for us from the verandah of their delightful little house.

We passed an excellent evening with our friends, ate and drank well, and talked about travel, children, life and our respective histories, and finally parted because of the lateness of the hour, not because we had reached the end of our chatter.

This morning we woke to heavy rain and decided that we would have to extend our stay in Port Macquarie which gave us an excellent opportunity to reciprocate the hospitality extended to us yesterday and so we are now looking forward to catching up once more with Patsy and Ivan midday tomorrow.