DOZENS of members of the Hawks Nest and District Probus Club sojourned to Riverwood Downs for a festive Christmas in July celebration on Friday 25 July.
The car-pool convoy braved the ever-changing surface along the Bucketts Way, through the stunningly bucolic rural scenery of the upper Karuah River hinterland, ending with a real country morning tea at the Downs.
All 303 hectares sit along the river in the Monkerai Valley, at the foothills of the Barrington Tops’ World Heritage Wilderness area.
The weather, of late wet and wintry, gave way to a beautiful sunny and well-appreciated respite.
The Probus members were given a roast lunch with winter vegetables, with the new venue providing members with the opportunity to meet and mingle, generating a congenial atmosphere.
Eventually, Santa Claus showed up, fresh from his North Pole summer, and gave out small presents with the assistance of his little helper, Remmi, a preschooler who kept the affair in tip-top order.
Christmas music played the whole time, all inside a big woolshed decked with chandeliers and fairy lights.
Tours of the estate included beautiful gardens, the huge campground and the multitude of cabins for school groups and overnighters.
The famed crepuscular wildlife were no doubt reclining in the bushes, awaiting the golden hour of late afternoon.
By Thomas O’KEEFE
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