Women Behind the Wheel 2025 - Hunter Style
20 March 2025 / story Chris Cameron, Photos Wendy Mulholland
Women Behind the Wheel – Hunter Style
Warnings for Cyclone Alfred loomed large as Saturday 8th March approached, so the day before saw our reccy run not only cover the planned route, but also a very short, weather-safe version as a backup so we wouldn’t miss out on our outing. Like carrying an umbrella, having a plan B worked, with a cloudy but dry start at Raymond Terrace for our 14 ladies in 8 cars. Included in our group was first-timer Gloria as well as several friends as welcome guests.
Consensus was for a top-down run, so we headed off on lovely country roads through Osterley, Hinton and Largs – where we had a short regroup and turnaround due to me missing a turn. Having elected to be the only car to drive top-up (electric hard-tops are slower to put up if heavy rain starts & I wasn’t convinced we would get to Pokolbin without getting wet), but I bit the bullet & took the opportunity to put mine down too. Then on to Bolwarra and the beautiful windy road through Maitland Vale, Rosebrook and Windermere to rejoin the New England Hwy at Lochinvar. Traffic was almost non-existent and the sun peeked through the cloud from time to time, reminding us why we love our gorgeous little sports cars.
A quick regroup after joining the highway, then we turned off again onto Allendale Road to Lovedale and Pokolbin, passing beautiful wineries, horse studs and outdoor cafes along the way. The roller-coaster called Palmers Lane took us to our morning tea stop at La Casalinga where Grace and her team hosted us for a delicious mini-high tea. The option for a glass of bubbly was taken up by several ladies and many left carrying a piece of Grace’s delectable Italian-style millfoglie (aka vanilla slice). Meanwhile, a small drama was playing out in the carpark with a warning light coming up on Lilo’s car. Wendy made a phone call to Brian who was able to reassure them that the light was not a concern, and they were able to join the group for morning tea. Phew!
After morning tea, four ladies said their goodbyes and headed home, with the rest of the group taking the scenic route through the heart of Pokolbin and into Cessnock, negotiating the heavy traffic all trying to get into Aldi for their Saturday specials! But we were soon back on rural country roads, passing through Kitchener, Abernethy and Kearsley – when the heavens suddenly opened and we admitted defeat, briefly stopping at Elrington to put our roofs up. Then the home run through Richmond Vale and Pelaw Main to our lunch destination at Weston Workers Club. Having eaten a substantial morning tea earlier, many ladies elected for share plates, which was a good call as portion sizes at the club are quite generous.
An hour or so later, having enjoyed the wind-down camaraderie over lunch, we said our goodbye’s and headed home, most by the nearby Hunter Expressway. Thank you to all the ladies who came along and made the day great fun. All suggestions welcome for the next one!
Chris
