At least once a month my husband Gary and I, spend a weekend camping in our Land Cruiser at ‘our secret paradise’.

The last town we pass through on the Pacific Highway north of Newcastle before the ‘paradise’ turn off is in my opinion, one of the best little towns in Australia – Bulahdelah.

However, 2012 was the last Christmas we motorists had to queue to go through Bulahdelah as the current bottleneck is being bypassed. The bypass project is currently scheduled for completion in March 2013, weather permitting. The Pacific Highway at Bulahdelah could only handle 1,200 vehicles per hour through the town. At Christmas up to 2,400 per hour try to get through and as a result there can be up to a three hour wait for the pleasure of driving through this great little town.

Bulahdelah has proudly been a service town for the Highway for many years and the locals are only too willing to continue the tradition when the upgrade of the Pacific Highway opens. With the upgrade you may avoid the delay during the peak periods but unless you spend some time in the town you will miss out on all that Bulahdelah has to offer.

When you stop for a while you will find Bulahdelah, like many other small towns, steeped in history. Much of the heritage built by the locals of the town is now interwoven  with the newer members of the community adding to the changing face of this beautiful highway service town.

Some things change slowly in towns like Bulahdelah. Like when you ask for directions, instead of being directed to Thrifty Link Hardware you may be directed to ‘Wades Hardware’, named after Bill and Norma Wade who started the store then handed it to their son Peter and wife Dell. You might be sent to ‘Shultz’s Store’, named after Frank and Vic, and their wives Shirley and Doris, instead of the IGA Supermarket.

There are many people, like Jack Ireland, that have lived in the Bulahdelah area all of their lives. Jack’s parents moved from their farm in the Crawford River to Bulahdelah where they purchased the Bulahdelah Butchery. This was when there was no mains electricity; it was lanterns and kerosene lights, and cutting 100 T-bone  steaks with a meat saw. In 1948 Peter Ireland left the Butchery and took over Arch Dees Bakery until 1951 when it was decided to amalgamate the Butchery and Bakery under the name of T. L. Ireland and Sons. The Butchery moved from the old primitive shop in Crawford Street in 1955. The family business continued to prosper and diversify, and for many years they ran the mail runs from Stroud Road to the Bulahdelah district as a means to deliver meat and bread. They also purchased good grazing land in the Bulahdelah area.  These properties became very important, enabling the family to grow and fatten their own cattle to slaughter and sell in the butcher shop. Jack sold the freehold of the Butchery, and then at the age of 78, on 30 June 2001, he retired from Irelands Bakery for life on the farm. Today travellers still stop at the Bulahdelah Bakery where items such as high top loaves, pies, sausage rolls and cakes are baked daily on the premises.

Wayne Barry is the third generation to work in the family-owned and operated Barry Brothers Butchery. In the early 1900s Wayne’s grandfather, Teddy Barry, originally established a butcher shop on the family farm in the Markwell Valley. Teddy would deliver the meat in a horse and cart. Teddy then handed the business onto his son Phonsie, who  continued to run the business for many years on the family farm (although he did upgrade to a delivery van). Phonsie purchased the butchery in Bulahdelah township when the opportunity arose and Barry Brothers has been operating from its current premises now for over 22 years. Wayne took over from his father Phonsie and has been running the business now for about 18 years. Barry Brothers has a great reputation for great country produce, with excellent quality meat, along with a very popular range of award winning sausages. At Christmas, people travel for miles to purchase Wayne’s delicious house leg hams, smoked with tallowwood sourced from the local timber mill.

Arthur and Pat Baker are the owners of Baker’s Towing and Auto Centre. One of two local automotive repairers, Bakers has been a family owned business since it was started by Ted and Betty Baker in 1970. Baker’s Auto is the local NRMA authorised repairer and agent for Husqvarna mowers. Arthur and Pat continue the family tradition of quality customer service and, with the help of their friendly staff, they will do their best to help you with your mechanical, towing and spare parts requirements. They also stock a full range of batteries, tyres, chainsaws and mowers.

Lions Park

John and Terry Stellema have been thevoperators of the Mobil Fast Food at Bulahdelah for 22 years. With the opening of the upgrade to the Pacific Highway fast approaching, they purchased the freehold from Mobil and will continue to trade after the bypass opens. In an effort to encourage travellers to take a break, the friendly staff will cook traditional home style food to take away or enjoy in the very comfortable dining area where they have a big screen TV and free Wi-Fi available to customers.

Our Land Cruiser in ‘paradise’

In a beautiful heritage post office building built in 1905, Roger and Judy Dixon, with the help of Shirley, have clocked up over 90 years of service between them for Australia Post. Their excellent knowledge and warm, friendly country service delivered with a smile makes selecting the correct product much easier. They have an extensive range of Australia Post products and service and, like Sue at the newsagency over the road, they offer a wide range of gifts for that special occasion.

There are several cafés where you can enjoy local hospitality and food. There are homemade cakes at Café on Main; Robyn’s Café offers good meals and gluten free products; and Shiralee Café where the owner, Chris, has taken the reins in readiness for the bypass.

The beautiful old Plough Inn Hotel has a great view of the Myall River and, along with the bowling and golf clubs, has a restaurant attached. The motels offer good country service. For the thirsty, The Lady Jane has a bottle shop attached. For the hungry, the Bulahdelah Motor Lodge has a licensed restaurant.

With the upgrade of the Pacific Highway the RMA (formally RTA) placed rest areas  22 kilometres south of Bulahdelah; one at Nerong Waterholes (northbound), the other at Browns Flat (southbound) where the members of the local Lions Club have been actively working with their catering van servicing the highway on Driver Reviver duty. Mt Chapman rest area is 12 kilometres north of Bulahdelah. The local members of the Lions Club, with the assistance of the Great Lakes Council, have exciting plans for the Myall River Camping Reserve (locally known as Lions Park) where self contained RVs can freedom camp for a short time, just 700m by road or over the bridge from the security of the Bulahdelah township. The Park is on the southern side of the beautiful Myall River where you can walk over the bridge to the shops, feed the geese or fish for bass. Each year after the ‘Bass Bash’ the local fishing club restock  the river with fingerlings. For those with a boat you can cruise down the Myall River, explore and fish the picturesque Myall Lakes, or continue down the River to Port Stephens. The Lions Club has big plans for this Park that includes a wharf beside the boat ramp, picnic and BBQ facilities. For self-contained RVs this is a beautiful spot to rest for a short period.

Bulahdelah from the air

For those who wish to stay a little longer the local showground is available. The Bulahdelah Show is held on the third weekend of November every year. Bulahdelah Showground is no different to any other, but has had a special connection with one of the town’s longest established families. The Gooch family has had a long and productive association with both the Showground and the show association. T.J. (Tom) Gooch was President for many years with his cousin Jack Gooch as Vice President. Their  extended families are also active show association members.

The Gooch connection to the Showground and its development has continued with T.J.’s grandchildren, Gary (Show President), Maxine (Horse Steward and Pony Club) and Kevin (Pony Club and camp drafting). Together with their families, they continue the traditional link to the Bulahdelah Showground. While the grounds are now managed by the Great Lakes Council, community members give their time willingly to help improve facilities as has been the case for generations.

The current committee is doing a fantastic job maintaining and improving the Showground, with an area for RVs to stay for a longer period. Enquiries and payment can be made at the local Visitors Information Centre. Approval has just been given and planning is underway for the installation of a dump point within the  Showground. The community is working toward Bulahdelah being listed as a CMCA RV Friendly Town™.

The Alum Mountain Caravan Park on the northern edge of town is available for RVs that are not self-contained or wish to stay for longer periods. The Park also has laundromat facilities available to the public.

Post office

Volunteer staff look after the Visitors Information Centre. They have a wealth of knowledge of the area and are only too keen to advise visitors on places to visit. The VIC will soon have a CMCA corner. Allan Freihaut, from his office at the Forster VIC, looks after the volunteers. If you are lucky enough to catch Allan he may tell you where to catch the big ones.

Bulahdelah is still trying to find a full time doctor to replace Dr Habashi who, after approximately 25 years of 24/7 service to the town, has retired due to ill health. The Great Lakes Council has spent a lot of money freshening up the two surgeries along with the attached brick residence. All that is needed now is a doctor or two who would like to move to what the locals call paradise.

This story is but a small snapshot of the township of Bulahdelah, one of the towns that I will continue to stop at when travelling the Pacific Highway. A town that is referred to as the Gateway to the Myall Coast, the Mid North Coast of New South Wales and a large number of state forests and national parks. Firewood is also available in town for that lovely peaceful week of camping, whether near the ocean, the lakes, in the hinterland or the bush.

So please join me in supporting the hard working, long-time residents of this wonderful jewel of the north and don’t pass Bulahdelah by!

Category: Destinations
Written: Fri 01 Feb 2013
Printed: February, 2013
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