Considering the Variety Resurrection Run? We’d love to have you and here is all you need to know about where we are headed on this unique Variety Motoring Event. Of course, all these plans are reliant on the NSW Government’s COVID-19 regulations which we believe will be suitable for our ‘Run’ in November.
Our one-off Variety Resurrection Run will be shared with our 4WD Adventures, NSW Bash entrants and B to B Bash entrants together with possibly some ‘first-timers’ who could join in to experience the Variety Motoring Events experience.
It is six days on the road with a journey distance of 2,200 kilometres of which 40% of that will be dirt. Here we go.
The Run begins with a mandatory CheckPoint Day at McDonald Jones Stadium, which you will find on Turton Road, Broadmeadow. We are sure you will all enjoy catching up with each other that evening prior to the start the following morning.
Day 1. Sunday 15 November: Newcastle to Merriwa to Dubbo
The Start will also be at McDonald Jones Stadium from where we head out into the upper reaches of the Hunter Valley to find our first lunch stop in Merriwa where lunch will be provided by the local Rotary Club. It’s a small rural town located at the western extremity of the upper Hunter district beside the Merriwa River. It has an easy rural charm being primarily a service centre for the surrounding properties. The afternoon run sees us arrive in Dubbo where dinner will be at the Dubbo RSL. Dubbo is a major regional service centre located on the Macquarie River at the intersection of the Mitchell and Newell Highways. The area is known for its wheat and wool production, but the major attraction is the excellent Western Plains Zoo, a model zoo where animals roam freely in large open areas mostly protected from the public by deep moats.
Day 2. Monday 16 November: Dubbo to Girilambone to Bourke
We gather at the Dubbo Showgrounds where the local Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) will benefit from our stay there by providing our breakfast. Our morning run drops us in Girilambone where the local school’s P&C will profit by providing our lunch. The long, straight Mitchell Highway from Nyngan to Bourke runs through this tiny village. There’s a dead railway line, a general store and a few houses. It is sleepy and often passed by people who barely register its existence. Yet it is here that the body of Helena Kerz, murdered by the notorious killer Jimmy Governor, was brought to and buried. This happening is immortalised by the movie, The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith. Our afternoon run takes us to into the Variety Bash’s beginnings, Bourke, where Dick Smith started the very first B to B Bash back in 1985. We’ll dine out at the Back O’ Bourke Exhibition Centre which brings to life the story of Outback New South Wales.
Day 3. Tuesday 17 November: Bourke to Louth to Cobar
We assemble at the Bourke Jockey Club’s track where the local Rotary Club will raise some much-needed funds for their town’s projects by supplying our breakfast. It’s also Race Day and you will be the horses in the first-ever Bourke Variety Gold Cup event! Dress up for The Fashions In The Field as we are sure there will be a marvellous prize for the winner! After the fun of a ‘day at the races’ we head on down the Outback dirt road to Louth for lunch at the famous Shindy’s Inn. Shindy’s Inn is a unique, Australian hotel and sits on the banks of the Darling River. In the great tradition of Australian Outback pubs, it’s a wonderful place to spend some time. From there we head down the road to the old copper mining town of Cobar. Found at the crossroads of Barrier Highway and the Kidman Way, you’ll discover a fascinating town that’s rich in mining heritage and natural attractions. Tonight, is a ‘Free Night’ to dine anywhere in town to share the Variety love around this unique location.
Day 4. Wednesday 18 November: Cobar to Lake Cargelligo to Parkes
The Rotarians of Cobar will gather to provide our breakfast before we head off to Lake Cargelligo and lunch by the lake provided by the ‘Down the Track’ group. Down the Track exists to support disengaged and at-risk youth, promote engagement and self-esteem and reduce youth crime. They achieve this by providing these youth, 90% of whom are Indigenous, with training, education, employment pathways and community connection. Without the support of Down the Track, these youth are on a downward spiral of continual disengagement from their communities and positive life opportunities. We are delighted to help them in a very small way. Lana Masterson, is the Program Manager and she provided us with this video to show how it all works, click here to see it. Dinner will be in Parkes and you have the chance of self-selection for dinner with another ‘Free Night’ for you. We are sure you’ll select a nice ‘dish’ for your mains!
Day 5. Thursday 19 November: Parkes to Wellington to Mudgee
Parkes Showground is the gathering spot for breakfast where the local ‘Show Society’ will provide the brekkie so they can earn a ‘bob’ to spend on their refurbishment plans for some of their older ‘show’ buildings. From there we wind our way through the old gold mining town of Peak Hill on the way to Wellington for lunch hosted by the Wellington Race Club. Wellington is a service centre in the heart of beef, sheep and wheat country. It is also driven by a growing wine industry and tourism. The town’s centrepiece is Cameron Park which has been recognised as one of the most attractive public gardens in rural New South Wales. Then onto another beaut NSW town, Mudgee, where once again there is a “Free Night’ to select some fine food washed down by the region’s magnificent wines. Mudgee is set on the banks of the pretty Cudgegong River, and still possesses all the character of its 19th century past. Mudgee offers something for every kind of RR traveller.
Day 6. Friday 20 November: Mudgee to the Hunter Valley
Our final day and again we gather at a Showground where – once more – the fabulous Rotary members of the area will come together to make available our breakfast before we head off for our last little bit of dirt as we aim for the finish line in the Hunter Valley. The Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s major wine regions, with a viticultural history dating back to the early 1800s. Known for varietals such as Semillon and Shiraz, it’s home to numerous wineries, including world-renowned brands and family-run boutique operations. No need to stop off for lunch as there will be snacks available after we cross the finish line at the Crowne Plaza in Lovedale. Enjoy the early afternoon arrival which gives you a little chance to visit some wineries before we gather for our final night dinner at the Ben Ean Winery in nearby Pokolbin.
For those who’d prefer not to drive to the final night dinner, we are hoping to be able to provide bus transport from the nearby Hunter Valley accommodation spots to the Ben Ean Winery (and return). Further information will be available soon.
That’s it,
Come on. Let’s do it for the kids!
Sound like fun? Find out how to register here
