Located in Forster NSW, the Island Palms Motor Inn was the venue for our Young at Heart Holiday this year.

Twenty 'Young at Hearters' travelled by XPT from Strathfield to Taree, then by special coach to the resort at Forster. One participant drove up, which was great for those who purchased wine. His boot was filled with “goodies” for the return journey!

 Each morning the coach was ready by 9am to take us off for a day of visiting the highlights of the Mid North Coast. An informative Morning Tea cruise aboard the “Amaroo” on Wallis Lake saw us viewing playful dolphins. One young one showing off by swimming backstroke! Wallis Lake has over 1,000 acres of Oyster Farms - all Sydney Rock Oysters and is the second largest oyster farm in the Southern Hemisphere.

We visited the Great Lakes Winery for a tasting followed by lunch. Seven fine wines were tasted - Sparkling Lily, Chardonnay, Verdelho, Mellow white, Merlot, Shiraz and a great Tawny Port.

Our next visit was to the Lorne Valley Macadamia Nut Farm for lunch and to hear of all the wonderful uses of Macadamia nuts. Nothing is wasted.

Our destination next was the Mountain View Herb Farm. Here we were introduced to the many uses of herbs, especially in the delightful lunch provided and the many different herbal teas which we tasted.

Our last day was given over to morning tea at the Taree Information and Craft Centre. Delicious Country Scones laden with fresh cream and jam! The final outing was a two hour Cruise on the Manning Valley  River whilst we partook of a 2 course luncheon.

There were a few tired eyes on Saturday morning. One lucky gent even consuming a dozen oysters au natural at Breakfast! (note that no names were used to identify the guilty party!)

 Despite forecasts that rain was expected for the whole week, we had glorious sunny weather. The rain arrived  just as we boarded the coach for the final trip to Taree, where we boarded the XPT for our return journey.

A great week of rest, relaxation and friendly fellowship was had by one and all who attended.

We are all looking forward to the next one!