Probus Club of Avoca Beach Inc.
Social Activities
Members of the Probus Club of Avoca Beach Inc. have enjoyed many social activites during recent months. Here are some of them.
2024
Monday 28 October - Probus Day Special Barbecue
Our second attempt to have our Probus Day celebrations turn out much more successful as we had a bright sunny day with temperature in the mid 20’s degrees. It was held at the Hunter Reserve in Avoca Beach and we couldn’t have had a better location being right next to the beach. We had a great participation rate with 52 members attending in their best outfits of Probus colours of blue and yellow. Blue balloons were strung up across our barbecue seating shelters giving a cheerful atmosphere greatly helped along by the joyful music provided by our President Barry Tobin. Others helped with the running of competitions which included bocce, quoits/hoopla and putt putt. Everyone got into the spirit of things taking turns to try their hand at all the competitions with lots of enjoyment and laughter. When not engaged in activities the members socialised and chatted with each other while enjoying drinks and nibbles. When lunchtime came, fish and chips were provided from the local seafood café. Again many volunteers helped to serve the meal which was then followed by cakes and tea and coffee provided by the very capable barbecue team. Lots of prizes were won for all the competitions including the Best Dressed Female and Best Dressed Male. At the end of the day President Tobin thanked the large number of members who volunteered and helped with the running of another very successful Probus Day. In return the members expressed their gratitude for such as enjoyable function.
Tuesday 24 September - Visit Mt Penang Gardens
24 people visited Mt Penang Gardens. It was a lovely sunny day and nearly everyone treated themselves to a nice hot coffee from the Waterfall Café at the entrance to the gardens before starting off. The parklands were quite extensive with beautiful plants and trees and also lovely little ponds with delightful waterfalls. The outstanding features were the Queensland Bottle Trees which looked amazing. There were also amazing stone sculptures which captured a great deal of interest. After over an hour of leisurely stroll around the remarkable gardens the group arrived in the newly renovated Gosford RSL where everyone had a very enjoyable lunch before calling it a day.
Friday 16 August 2024 - Visit to NSW Parliament House
15 members attended the tour of New South Wales Parliament House. They had an excellent guide and when that ended they were met by Adam Crouch, our local member who gave them another tour to areas where no one is usually allowed.
Wednesday 24 July 2024 - Christmas in July Nova Cruise in Newcastle Harbour
57 members travelled by Aurora Coach to board a Nova Cruise for a Christmas in July luncheon on Newcastle Harbour. It was a beautiful sunny day and everyone who attended had a fantastic time. The tables were delightfully decorated with Christmas trimmings and a magnificent 3 course lunch was enjoyed by all. After a lovely day many participants were spotted having a senior’s nap in the coach on the return journey.
Tuesday 25 June 2024 - Cockatoo Island
26 members went took the train from Central Coast to Sydney for a 1 hour tour of the Historic Dockyard on Cockatoo Island. It was a beautiful sunny day. Everyone listened to the amazing stories told by the guide of the history of various activities that took place at the dockyard during the 2nd world war as they wandered around. There were also dazzling views of the Sydney Harbour from the island which were admired by everyone who attended. After the tour the group had a very enjoyable lunch served by the café before ending the day with a relaxing train journey home.
Tuesday 7 - Thursday 9 May 2024 - Blues Mountains Getaway
5 couples drove to the Blue Mountains for a two night package stay at the beautiful Carrington Hotel. Everyone arrived at Leura around lunchtime, had a bite to eat before checking in at the hotel. The weather was a little bit wet and misty but they made the most of it. They went for a drive around Leura to admire the beautiful nature of the southern highlands and saw some magnificent trees in a blaze of autumn colours. They treated themselves to morning tea at the well renowned “Little Teapot” café, savouring the delicious scones with jam and cream with coffee followed by a very enjoyable time admiring the hundreds of teapots of all shapes and colours on display in the shop. There was also a leisurely walk wandering along the streets in the Mall and the inevitable bit of shopping by the ladies. The highlight was the 2 day stay at the Carrington's, relaxing and enjoying the warmth and beauty of the heritage listed Blue Mountains icon, having a game of pool and morning teas of scones with jam, cream and coffee by the heartwarming log fire, and ending the trip with an amazing 3 course dinner on the last evening.
Friday 22 March 2024 - Car Rally
21 members formed teams and took off in 6 cars from the club carpark sometime after 10am. Before they left they were given forms to fill and 3 pages of instructions and directions to spot a long list of things along the way and also to work out where the final destination was. Observation skills were the key and speed was irrelevant and plenty of time was allowed. Eventually all the participants arrived at Erina Leagues Club, the finishing line, where they all settled for lunch whilst the organizers determined who the winners were. It was a lot of fun and at times quite challenging working out the clues to find the objects in question. It was a very close contest and three excited teams took out the 1st, 2nd and third prizes. It was the first time the club ran a car rally and everyone agreed they really enjoyed themselves and would love to have the event again next year.
Tuesday 20 February 2024 - Chinese New Year Banquet at Fortune Lane Restaurant in Terrigal
Our first social activity of the year was a very enjoyable Chinese buffet dinner which was attended by 40 members. Although it was sheduled to start at 6pm, more than half the members had arrived by 5.15pm giving themselves more drinking and socialising time. The food started arriving at 6.20pm. There were a series of delicious and very varied dishes as is usual in a chinese buffet. Service was excellent. There were virtually no left overs although ome member did manage to scrape together enough pieces to fill a plastic take away box she had brought with her !! The conversation was very light hearted and the general opinion was that it had been a very enjoyable evening.
2023
Tuesday 5th December - Christmas Lunch Spectacular
What a great way to wind up the year. It was certainly a happy, fun filled gathering with 56 Members attending. Over four hours we tallked, laughed. sang, and danced to the music of "Brassick" who played all the songs we know and love, including Christmas songs and carols. Of course in between all of this activity we managed to eat a hearty three course Christmas lunch. The Christmas raffle was drawn during the luncheon - the prizes of which were many and varied.
Monday 9 October - Probus Day BBQ in Hunter Reserve in Avoca Beach
Probus South Pacific has asked clubs to hold a spacial activity each October to publicise the movement in a light hearted way. Our club decided that this month's BBQ would be a special Probus Day with a Hawaian theme and some casual games at a highly visible venue. It was attended by 60 members, most of whom, dressed up in various forms of Hawain attire. The weather was bright and sunny with a light cooling breeze. The casual games for people to "try their hand at" were putting, quoits and bocce. Prizes were given to winners of these various games. There were also prizes for the best Hawaian dressed Lady and Gentleman and then a best joke competition with a winner. The meal, which was subsidised and accompanied by music, was fish and chips from the Avoca Beach Fish Cafe. They are regular providers to us and, as usual, it was delicious. It was followed by a choice of luscious cream cakes and by tea and coffee.
The day was a credit to everyone who was part of the planing team. It was certainly a day everyone really enjoyed, and lived up to the Probus mantra "FUN, FELLOWSHIP and FRIENDSHIP.
Tuesday 12 September - Trip by Train and Ferry to Watsons Bay
A group of 18 adventurous members caught the train in Gosford or Woy Woy just after 8 am with a change to Circular Quay. Then they caught the ferry with a scenic ride to Watsons Bay. This was followed by a walk through streets and bush to Camp Cove and back. Being a weekday and during school term there were very few people apart from us in the Watsons Bay area. The walk was followed by a simple seafood lunch in Doyle's outdoor cafe beside the beach where we had booked tables so that we could be together. The return trip started at Watsons Bay ferry terminal just before 2pm and then the train got us back to the Central Coast just after 5pm. All participants thoroughly enjoyed the variety of the day, the cool but fine weather, the companionship, and especially the total travel cost of only $2.50 using seniors' opal cards.
Tuesday 22 August - Coach trip and Nepean River Cruise near Penrith.
A group of 25 members enjoyed a wondeful all day excursion including a 2 1/2 hour cruise on the MV Nepean Belle which included a four course lunch. The boat is family owned and the crew were especially friendly. Regular visits to the bar led to a considerable amount of hilarity for some members. Others took the opportunity to converse in small groups to get to know each other better. More than a few slept on the coach during the return back to Avoca Beach Bowling Club car park.
Wednesday 26 July - Chinese Banquet lunch at Fortune Lane Restaurant in Terrigal
This month's activity was a sumptuous chinese banquet lunch and was attended by 25 members. Restaurant owners Phil and Li provided plentiful and delicious dishes. As a thank you they have also donated a dinner for two to be a raffle prize at our Xmas lunch in December. In addition it was decided that our Chinese New Year activity in February 2024 will ba a similar banquet dinner here.
Wednesday 14 June - Visit to Laycock Theare, Gosford to see the Royal Australian Navy Band
A group of 21 members made their own way to the Laycock Theatre in North Gosford to experience a performance by the Royal Australian Navy Band. The concert included many toe tapping swing rhythms from the Count Basie big band era – particularly suitable because of our ages
Judging by comments from our group after the performance they all really enjoyed it.
Wednesday 24 May - Coach trip to Western Sydney Airport development
A light hearted group of 25 members left from ABBRC at 8am by coach to see the progress of the construction of our new airport. We arrived for a booked presentation by qualified guides in a reception centre theaterette. We learned about runway and terminal sizes, airline gates,.and other facilities such as transport access. The airport is expected to open in 2026 and there will be no curfew unlike at Kingsford Smith Airport. That will give airlines much more flexibility about timings.
To put it into perspective, when opened, the airport will be similar in size to the current Gold Coast airport. However there is capacity for massive expansion over future decades as demand increases.
Afterwards we drove round the perimeter of the massive site to view it and add to the understanding of what we had learned. Then we were taken to the picnic area of Warragamba Dam where we received, from the coach owner/driver and his wife, an amazing four course picnic lunch before returning home at about 4.45pm.
Wednesday 26 April - Visit to Sydney Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour
A small group of 12 members and friends caught the 8.07 am train from Gosford (8.15 am from Woy Woy) to Central and then the light rail to Darling Harbour. We visited the Sydney Maritime Museun and had pre-arranged guided tours by volunteers of the warehouse of small historic maritime items, the River class destroyer Vampire. and the Oberon class submarine Osprey. They found all these exhibits fascinating – mainly because of the guided tours.
Afterwards, because the Darling Harbour Centre was closed due to reconstruction, they had a simple lunch in a nearby McDonalds and then returned home.
Monday 13 March - Riverboat Postman Cruise
A most enjoyable event was attended by 29 members who caught the Riverboat Postman Cruise from Brooklyn Wharf. Some drove to Brooklyn and others caught the train. Because of an earlier problem on the rail network, the train was 15 minutes late at Hawkesbury River station. However the cruise company had been alerted and the cruise departed late to accommodate the train travelers.
The boat was full, being a public service and we were one of a number of Probus groups taking the opportunity with whom we compared notes. The 3 hour trip involved many stops along the river to deliver mail including some very large parcels. A simple but enjoyable ploughman’s lunch was included and the weather was really nice which made the trip very enjoyable.
Monday 13 February - Banquet at Harry's Restaurant at Ettalong Bowling Club
The first meeting of 2023 was a chinese banquet at Harry’s Restaurant in Ettalong Bowling Club. Unfortunately the food and service was not enjoyed by all. However, it was attended by 32 members and 2 visitors who enjoyed the the opportunity to socialise with each other again after the Xmas layoff, which made it worthwhile.
2022
Christmas Lunch Spectacular - Monday 5th December - 2022
What a great way to wind up the year. It was certainly a happy, fun filled gathering with 51 Members attending. Over four hours we tallked, laughed. sang, and danced to the music of "Brassick" who played all the songs we know and love, including Christmas songs and carols. Of course in between all of this activity we managed to eat a hearty three course Christmas lunch. The Christmas raffle was drawn during the luncheon - the prizes of which were many and varied - with the first prize of a $150.00 vouchera for "Sea Salt" Restaurant, Crowne Plaza, Terrigal, being won by Les Sharp. Congratulations Les. Photos of this function can be seen in the Photograph Album.
A Day at the Races - Thursday 24th November - 2022
A great day out was had by all the 17 Members who attended "A Day at the Races". There were some Happy Punters & some unhappy Punters as fortunes rose & fell. Unfortunately some felt the luncheon was disappointing, but most agreed it was a fun day..
Preview Restaurant - Wednesday 9th November - 2022
The Preview Restaurant as usual produced a well presented and delicious dinner for the 23 Members who attended. They all enjoyed the plesant happy evening.
Probus Day Barbeque - Monday 7th November 2022
This day was a credit to everyone who was part of the planing team. The weather was bright and sunny with a brisk breeze All the Members turned out in Probus Colours(Blue & yellow) to signify it was a special Probus Day. There was a prize for the best turned out Lady and Gentleman, with other prizes awarded to the winners of the many activities to try your hand at.i.e. putting,, quoits, lawn bowls etc, plus a jokes competition and a music quiz.The BBQ (Hamburgers in rolls with sa lad) was as usual delicious, with desert of luscious cream cake followed by tea and coffee or byo wine if you preferred.
It was certainly a day everyone enjoyed, and lived up to the Probus mantra "FUN, FELLOWSHIP and FRIENDSHIP.
Wagga and Surrounds Tour - 24th - 29th October 2022
Our group of intrepid travellers gathered in the bowling carpark for an early morning(in the rain) pickup. we departed on time for a comfortable drive to Wagga Wagga, with a break for morning tea at Nepean Dam , then a lunch stop at Trappers Bakery, Goulburn. Onward to Gundegai and "The dog on the Ticker Box" for a short stop.
We arrived at 1700hrs , very tired, but soon settled in our respective very comfortable rooms. Dinner was on site, with a "Happy Hour" every night, which was enjoyed by all.
Each day gave us new exciting places to expore, starting with a tour of the Wagga Wagga area and including Borambola Winery, and the RAAF Base and Museum. In Temora we visited an excellent Museum, which included Don Bradman's first home, then on to the Temora Aviation Museum. The latter part of the week included a tour of the Organic Liquorice and Chocolate factory, plus shopping for some. A wet Friday drive through Tumbarumba to Glenroy and the Heritage Museum, then through Batlow and on to Tumut with a visit to a broom factory and Blowering Dam.
Our Driver Geoff was an excellent Guide, full of interesting tit bits about the surrounding areas. Always obliging and cheerfully willing to help make our trip memorable
Henry Kendall Museum & Chocolate Factory - Wednesday 24th August
Merrilyn Self advised that the visit to these two venues was very interesting and enjoyable. She was particularly impressed with the lunch which was included in the cost and thought it very good value for money.
High Tea - Wednesday 15th June - Daley's Kitchen
Food, Food, glorious food, often a priority on a Probus outing. On this occassion the Staff at Daley's kitchen excelled themselves with both the quality and the quantity of this High Tea. We were treated to delicious sandwiches, light as air scones with jam & cream, Quiche. Profiteroles & other cakes & tempting goodies. Pots of Tea &/or your choice of coffee was served. Not a complaint was heard from the very happy & well satisfied 21 Probus Members who attended. Definitely a must for a second visit, perhaps next year.
Outdoor Lunch - Monday 6th June - Hunter Park Avoca Beach
Warm coats, Hats and Scarves,were the fashion statement for the 28 hardy Members who attended the Outdoor Lunch on Monday 6th June. The Day was beautifuuly sunny , with no rain in sight. Unfortunately the wind was very gusty and icey cold. Our hot meal from Chopstix in Avoca, was very welcome and delicious. Regardless of the weather we all enjoyed our outing ,and the chance to chat with other Probus Members. Thanks to Val, and everyone else who helped to make this an enjoyable get together.
Laycock Theatre - 42nd Street - Saturday 12 March 2022
There is nothing quite like a stage show to get you involved in the story, the music and the dance. Perhaps to sing along with the songs you know or tap your feet to those wonderful dance steps and laugh at the dancers antics. All the dancers seemed to be tireless and at the same time be having fun doing the job they love. I am sure you noticed "The Redhead" . and how good was "The Leading Lady".
Probus Members who attended all agreed that the show was very enjoyable, so thanks to our Social Activities Team and Laycock Theatre for an enjoyable and fun afternoon .
Lake Macquarie BBQ Lunch Cruise, Wednesday 16 February 2022
We were extremely lucky to have lovely sunny weather of 28 degrees for this lunch cruise especially in view of the extreme wet weather conditions we had around this time period. 43 members went on this coach trip although 47 people signed up and paid to attend. Unfortunately two couples had unexpected last minute issues and had to bow out. The forward journey included a very pleasant scenic route along the coast up north via The Entrance, with a stop for morning tea at a lovely park in Budgewoi. We arrived at Booragul Wharf at about 11.45am and soon after we were on board the Lady Mac for our 2 1/2 hour cruise round Lake Macquarie. The boat was really comfortable with two levels and everyone found a favourite spot to sit back and enjoy the trip. The crew was really friendly and attentive and soon everyone have got themselves a drink from the bar as we cruised along, enjoying the commentary by the captain and admiring the beauty of the sparkling waters and the houses on the foreshores. Before long the barbecuing began and everyone was looking forward to the promise of a delicious lunch as the smell of the food wafted through the boat. Soon everyone was queuing for their meals of huge king prawns, steaks and sausages accompanied by lovely salads and finished with sticky date pudding and tea and coffee. The cruise ended at 2.30pm and after disembarking we were back on our coach again with our coach driver Colin entertaining us with stories of the various areas we drove through. Once back at our club carpark at about 4.15 pm everyone left the coach feeling truly satisfied that we all had a wonderful and enjoyable day coach feeling truly satisfied that we all had a wonderful and enjoyable day.
2021
Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights Spectacular including Dinner, Monday 13 December, 2021
This was a very much anticipated trip to the Hunter Valley Gardens to enjoy the Christmas Lights Spectacular which included a meal of traditional stuffed turkey or roast pork with smoked ham, baked vegetables and steamed greens. 55 people travelled by luxury coach provided by Coastal Liners to this exciting event. This was a very special treat that attracted a lot of people and of the 55 people who attended there were 15 members from Toowoon Bay Probus Club and 4 members from East Gosford Probus. We arrived just before 6 pm and were promptly ushered into the dining room for our meal which was served soon after. Dinner was delicious and consumed with great gusto.
Just before 8pm as it was just starting to get dark everyone had finished eating and eager to pile out into the garden to enjoy the amazing sights that awaited us. It was truly spectacular with so many different features. They were all in gigantic proportions, the height of trees. It was a magnificent garden full of millions of bright and colourful lights featuring children's classic story books of fantasy with various themes set out in different sections: there was a Cinderela's Pumpkin Carriage drawn by white horses, a garden full of strawberries and colourful mushrooms, a Santa with presents tied in ribbons and bows, a golden carriage, a beautiful rocking horse, a colourful rainbow and many, many more. The garden was very well organised with a wide comfortable circuit of walking paths to follow in a logical sequence. It was mostly flat and easy to manage with benches along the way for those wanting a bit of a rest. The sights were done in an easy walking pace and comfortably completed in about 1 hour with hundreds of photos taken. At 10pm we had finished the tour of the garden and by 11 pm we were safely returned to the club carpark by our coach driver for us to return to our homes. An amazing experience with wonderful memories to treasure by all who attended.
Christmas Barbecue held at Terrigal Scouts Hall on Monday 6 December, 2021
Due to inclement weather the Christmas barbecue had to be moved to a backup indoors venue at the Terrigal Scouts Hall which worked out really well for us and turned out to be a fantastic location for our Christmas celebrations. Notwithstanding the weather and change of venue we had a very high attendance rate of 63 members. Everyone arrived smiling and happy in anticipation of a wonderful time, all dressed to reflect the Christmas spirit. Tables were covered with tablecloths of Christmas designs and people brought a few of their favourite decorations to brighten up their tables. There was a large ornamental Christmas tree on the stage and classic favourites of Christmas carols were played on CD's. People brought their favourite wine and beer as well as a good selection of nibbles and cheese and biscuits. The barbecue team did a magnificent job and provided huge king prawns, mini steaks, sausages, bread rolls, salads and delicious cakes and Christmas puddings as well as tea and coffee. As usual we had our faithful group of men volunteers to cook our barbecues and helped serve up our hot food to perfection despite a few hiccups and challenges with park barbecue equipment. This was then followed with a huge raffle of 20 plus prizes of hampers, wines and chocolates, movie tickets and a main prize of a Voucher at the Reef Restaurant donated by a couple of our members. When the celebrations finally came to an end everyone was in a real merry mood as they packed up to leave but not before chipping in as usual to clean and tidy up the venue which had been so generously offered to us for our use by the Terrigal Scouts Group. It was a very enjoyable day to end the year leaving wonderful and lasting memories for those who attended the event.
From mid June to early December 2021 no social activities were held due to Covid restrictions.
Lunch at Hoi An Vietnamese Restaurant, Terrigal, Wednesday 16 June 2021
On 16 June 23 of our members attended lunch at Hoi An Vietnamese Restaurant at Terrigal. The premises were delightful with their back wall covered in beautiful pictures of Vietnamese culture and lots of colourful chinese lanterns hanging from the balcony ceiling creating a wonderful ambience. Lunch was a banquet of shared meals. The food was delicious with curry puffs, spring rolls, money bags and rice paper rolls for entre. Main course consisted of pad thai chicken, massman beef curry, chicken cashew nuts, penang king prawns served with fragrant jasmine rice. Everyone enjoyed really enjoyed the food as well as the company as evidenced by the loud and animated conversations going on at the tables. We finally departed at 2 pm and being in the heart of Terrigal most went on to the local shops for a bit of retail therapy.
Outdoor Lunch at Avoca Lagoon Wetlands, Monday 7 June 2021
47 members attended this outdoor winter lunch. Food was ordered from the All Malay restaurant with choices of chicken and cashew nut, mongolian beef, singapore noodles, grilled chicken and fried rice. The prepacked food boxes were picked up by a couple of volunteers and brought to the members at the park. Most agreed that the food was delicious and very good value. As usual everyone appreciated the outing and enjoyed the wonderful fun, friendship and fellowship such events always provide and especially in these difficult times of Covid restrictions.
Monday 8 to Saturday 13 March 2021 - Linga Longa Yarrawonga Holiday
A group of 21 went on a delayed 6 days coach tour staying in the Central Motor Inn in Yarrawonga (14 members, 3 visitors and 4 non club participants). Yarrawonga in Vic and its twin town of Mulwala in NSW sit on the Murray River which forms the State border . They had daily tours, visiting the towns of Goorambat, Swanpool, Benalla, Bonegilla, Wodonga, Howlong, Devnish, St James, Tungamah, Tocumwal and Deniliquin. These tours included - Street Art of street murals by Australian and Global artists; Silo Art of magnificent giant artworks painted on huge wheat silos; a 1950's style cinema with a silent b&w movie; the Bonegilla Migrant Museum where migrants arriving between 1947 and 1971 were initially housed; the Army Museum in Bandiana which is the largest and most diversified Military Museum in Australia showcasing guns, tanks, vehicles, motors cycles, uniforms, medals, etc. Along with these educational and historical visits there was also much light hearted enjoyment and entertainment - a bistro lunch with a local identity singing well known Australian songs; a chicken and champagne dinner on a Paddle Steamer "Cumberoona" on Lake Mulwala with a magnificent sunset and balmy weather; a scripted 1950’s school re-enactment with members in costumes; finally, to top off a wonderful week of fun and enjoyment, a Trivia Night / Farewell Dinner by the tour organisers who were the owners of the motel where the group stayed.
Monday 8 February 2021 - Lunch at Top Point Cafe
35 club members attended lunch at Top Point Cafe in the Japanese Gardens in East Gosford. There were 10 set meals with wine to choose from, followed by cakes and tea or coffee. The event gave members an opportunity to chat and catch up with each other's news after many months of Covid social distancing and hibernation. There was also an opportunity to visit the attached Art Gallery. Everyone left thoroughly satisfied.
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