OUR MID-YEAR RIVERLAND RUN
This year, we thought let's have a fresh idea for the clubs winter get together. Instead of our usual mid-year dinner at a hotel, why don't we do a weekend away. Berri in the Riverland was chosen as we thought it wasn't too far away (unless you live in Mt Gambier) and, we might have our best chance of seeing some sunshine.
To be precise, The Berri Riverside Holiday Park was our home away from home for Friday through to the Monday of the long weekend. The Park was chosen mainly due to Merle the manager recommending the use of their Group Stay accommodation facility. For those that didn't come, the parks Group Stay facility is a brand new 15 room - over three buildings complex with a fourth adjacent building that has an amazing fully equipped kitchen with a eating, drinking and chatting area. This area is heated, has a huge TV (Not that I cared to see the Crows game that weekend!!) and can seat plenty. On top of this, anyone who wanted to get away from the rabble had a choice of a heap of nearby regular caravan park cabins.
This set up worked perfectly for the club. We could sit up late sorting out the world's problems and not overly annoy other park users. We had our own car park and could do our own thing.
So, Friday came around. Yes it was wet but we were still in the Barossa when a number of us met up for a bite to eat and coffee at a Nurioopta bakery before heading up to Barmera. We knew there was a country music festival up the Riverland over the weekend, but how could that possibly affect us hey! Second food / coffee stop was at the Lakes Café at Lake Bonney. Here we had warned the bakery to add extra staff as there might be a few of us coming for lunch. Pity they didn't warn us that the bakery was going to be bursting at the seams with every grey nomad for miles around to get a free country music show. Plan B, we went to their sister bakery on the highway and had a quiet bite to eat.
After lunch, everyone started to converge on the Berri Holiday Park to book in and settled in for the evening with a few drinks before a walk down to the Berri Pub for dinner.
Saturday was a slow start for most. A few (very few!!) done a morning walk into town before we all headed off to the 23rd Street Distillery in Renmark. Here we split into two groups. One group did the tour through the distillery while the others did a tasting of their spirits and ate lunch. Then we swapped and the second group then did the tour.
Afterwards, we headed out to Paringa and onto the Wilkadene Woolshed Brewery. Well worth the visit as the brewery sits above a bend in the river with a relax vibe to the place. I think we drunk some more alcohol here :.
Some took the long way home over the Lyrup Ferry (because we could), and that night we dined at the Berri Golf Course.
Sunday found us back at Renmark for lunch on board the Murray River Queen. Matt the owner gave us a talk on local Riverland wines and served us up six Thai inspired dishes that were amazing.
That night back at the park, we all wandered over to the parks fire pit area. While we thought we had the fire pit to ourselves, we actually had to share it with two hundred other park users. At least the park set up a heap of tables reserved for us so that was ok. There was a live musician, a pizza guy cooking our pizzas - slooowly- and then later a mobile music van with its own sound and light show and a pole for dwarfs to pole dance on. Not sure what that was all about.
It actually was a great evening with a great atmosphere. Sure it was a touch cool - cold - bloody freezing and our pizzas took for ever but still a great night.
Monday, we all started to head back home to the real world but we all agreed it was a great weekend. As usual, it was the members that came along that made it so special. It was chilled, we laughed plenty and all round had an awesome time.
Besides wanting to thank everyone that made the effort to come up, I would also like to say thanks to the parks manager Merle. Nothing was too much trouble for her to ensure we all enjoyed ourselves and we cannot recommend the park highly enough.
We've booked the same Group Stay accommodation for the same Queens Birthday next year (Friday 7th June through to Monday 10th June 2019). It will be a first in best dressed system so anyone that wants to commit for next year, let Ruthie or me know and we'll start organising it. Thanks to everyone for making it an awesome weekend, with fantastic company.