First HU NSW Meeting Oct 31-Nov 2 2014
 

We're very pleased to announce that our 1st HU NSW Travellers Meeting will be at Riverwood Downs near Barrington Tops National Park from October 31-November 2. Mark your calendar - registration is open now! :clap:

This all started with a post in late January - below:

NSW meeting for late October 2014 - your views requested!

We're trying to organise the first HU Travellers Meeting in New South Wales at the end of October.

We already have events scheduled for Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, so it seems logical that we'd have an event in NSW!

As you might imagine, finding an appropriate venue is the first and hardest task in putting on an event. We always face challenges with respect to our requirements - since HU events are about Inspiration and Information as well as Connecting, getting good presentation facilities is often the stumbling block, even for venues that are accustomed to other motorcycle events.

A venue (the Station, Jindabyne) was suggested to us that ticks most of the boxes in terms of presentation spaces, food and accommodation (shared or private rooms). However, they are unable to offer camping. :(

We are aware that the weather is a bit chilly in late October in the Snowy Mountains, so camping may not be as attractive as it is in Queensland. Before we respond to the venue yea or nay, the questions we are posing to you are:

1. Have you been to a previous HU event?
2. Would you be interested in attending an HU event in New South Wales?
3. Would you attend an HU event where camping wasn't an option?
4. Are you interested in helping to organise an HU event in New South Wales?
5. Do you know of any venues that would tick all the boxes - presentation rooms (at least 2, largest holding 150), food service and good camping on site, and ideally other accommodation on site?

We'll be in Australia in October, and we hope to see you at an HU event! :D

Cheers,
Grant & Susan

Horizons Unlimited
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting Travellers since 1997

Methinks you should talk to the folk at The Station again. They just had the Snowy Mountains Muster there for the second year where all the horsey types were camping, and that was followed by the showjumping championships where everyone was camping. They have heaps of area for camping, and if toilet facilities are needed, they can open one or two of the units like they do for the horseriders. Talk to the station again and put it on them, I suspect you may have talked to the wrong people. In my opinion, it is an ideal venue for such an event. The Harley and Indian boys are there this weekend for their Great Race. It's my local watering hole, if you would like me to follow it up, gizza yell.

1. Have you been to a previous HU event? Yes
2. Would you be interested in attending an HU event in New South Wales? Yes
3. Would you attend an HU event where camping wasn't an option?No - but if it's going to be Jindabyne in Oct then I'll opt for a cabin... it's still bloody cold ... I was there the year they had 1m of SNOW on the second week in Nov!
4. Are you interested in helping to organise an HU event in New South Wales?Yes

The Snowy Ride is on the first weekend in November. It attracts 3000 bikers and is a HUGE event for the region.

Yes, please follow up!
 

Thanks Colin, have forwarded the correspondence with The Station. We were and are very enthused about the venue, but the absence of a camping option is a real issue for us. As Jacqui says, depending on the weather it may be many people will prefer a room, but others will prefer to camp.

Good luck!
Susan

Also - follow up with the National Scooter Rally people ... they are holding a rally there in March and might be able to give you some good feedback on positive and negative features of the venue for a motorcycling crowd.

1. Have you been to a previous HU event? Yes
2. Would you be interested in attending an HU event in New South Wales? Yes
3. Would you attend an HU event where camping wasn't an option? Yes
4. Are you interested in helping to organise an HU event in New South Wales? Yes
5. Do you know of any venues that would tick all the boxes - presentation rooms (at least 2, largest holding 150), food service and good camping on site, and ideally other accommodation on site? Of the above options, the Snowy region would be ideal in terms of riding roads, surroundings

As a location, I second Kyogle.

A couple of other options would include Goulbourn and Murrumbateman (20 minutes outside of Canberra). Here's the website for Murrumbateman showgrounds: Murrumbateman Recreation Reserve Grounds - Home

Thoughts?

Regards,

Shane

NSW Meeting - update and help wanted!
 

Thanks for all the feedback, and we also heard from a number of folks in the HU NSW Communities - much appreciated!

I think we've ruled out Jindabyne for a couple of reasons - after several kind folks (woody2627 and others) contacted the Station management directly, it appears our numbers are not sufficiently of interest (150-250) for them to jump through local shire hoops to allow camping. Though the absence of camping isn't a show-stopper, it's definitely a negative.

Second reason is that mentioned by Jacqui - "I was there the year they had 1m of SNOW on the second week in Nov!" Since it's such a long distance from Sydney (6 hours riding time), we think the weather will be a deterrent in late Oct/early Nov.

The complicating factor is that we are coming to Australia end of September for events in QLD, WA and VIC, and we're not making two trips, so we can't get to a NSW event if it's later in the year. Thus the last weekend of October or first weekend in November are the only possible dates for us.

So, we're looking for a venue with the following criteria:

• Max 250k from Sydney, i.e. 2-3 hour ride with good riding on the way
• Camping plus other accom on site
• Presentation facilities - at least 2 rooms
• Room for 150-250
• Bike friendly
• Available 31 Oct-2 Nov or 7-9 Nov latest

If you can think of any venue that ticks those boxes, please check it out and let us know - we'd really like to make this happen! We have a 3-page document we can send to the venue once we've made contact, but it's always best to have someone who can actually go and see the place (and be a local ambassador for HU).

Youth camps or scout camps could be good, we've used those in Ontario and California. It depends on availability - in North America we're in their 'shoulder season'.

Campgrounds do not usually have the presentation facilities we need, and showgrounds don't usually have accommodation on site, but if it's in town and within a short walking distance would be okay.

Locations that seem to have potential thus far are: Goulburn, Murrumbateman, Bulli, Corrimal and Nyngan (possibly too far at 6-7 hours from Sydney, but weather might be better).

Muchas gracias,
Susan & Grant

P.S. Mezo and Shane - Kyogle is too close to the Beaudesert QLD venue and too far from Sydney for our purposes, but appreciate the thought!

I'll check out Murrumbateman within a fortnight as I'll be spending a few nights there. Anyone from HU in the area, Canberra or Yass want to join me? 11 or 12 Feb is a rough guess.

I understand with Grant and Susan doing a single trip, it makes sense to schedule the meetings close to each other date-wise.

But it'd be nice if some of there meeting dates were spread over the year- that way potential travelers could try and include one in one of the other states. Or I would anyway.

There's a Girl Guide camp and a Boy Scout camp on Mt Keira in the Wollongong area. It would tick all the boxes and is close to some of the most spectacular riding (Royal National Park, Macquarie Pass, Kangaroo Valley).

It's about 1.5 hours from Syd on the south coast.

https://www.girlguides-nswact.org.au...s/kumbayah.pdf

or

Bookings | Mt Keira Scout Camp

Mt Keira sounds good, thanks!
 

Hi Jacqui, the Boy Scout camp does sound very good, and I've sent off an e-mail inquiry to them. IF they have availability for one of our preferred weekends, I'll try to chat with them soon and will keep you posted!

Cheers
Susan

Thanks Shane!

I don't know when Jacqui was here, but we have never had a metre of snow in Jindabyne any time of the year, and certainly not in November. They did have about half a metre on the mountains last November, but that was at an altitude twice that of Jindabyne. October November is great riding weather down here, ask the hundreds who pass this way to Phillip Island for the Motogp every year. I can see the no camping is a show stopper though.

Mt Keira has ruled themselves out!
 

Just in from Mt Keira (I had asked them about availability and capacity for 100-150 people:

"Hello Susan,

Thank you for your enquiry. I am sorry to say that we don't have any availability for the dates that you require. I don't think that our venue will be big enough for your Group. We can only have 100 people in the Lodge due to fire regulations and we wouldn't fit 150 people camping if you needed space to run any activities. Sorry we can't help you at this time.

Kindest Regards

Suzanne Plumb
Booking Officer
Mt Keira Scout Camp