Recent Tour Reports

TOFS Trip 861

Friday 12th Dec 2025

Christmas Lunch and Drinks

(Organised by TOFS MC)

TOFS MC (21):

Dave T (351), Malc S (359), Peter B (399), Norm MS (307), Albert K (403), Kit C (415), Kevin H (324), Dave G (308), Will L (282), Alan M (406), Alan H (462), Ian C (376),

Greg E (259), Ray M (229), Ray L (407), Tom H (393), Chris T (456), John W (338),

Gary S (322), Bob B (418), Bob W (465)

This Month we held our usual Christmas Day lunch and drinks at the

Halliday Sports Club, Black Head to wrap up the year for Mid Coast TOFS group.

Twenty-one members made their way to the club either by the Halliday Shores Village bus or by using their own transport.

Once seated I called the groups attention to hold what I considered an informal meeting, this meeting was for me to gauge the mood of the group to continue into the new year with our MC TOFS group now that we don’t have the leadership of John Mead.

Upon asking for a show of hands in support to keep the group running there was a unanimous vote to continue.  As a result of this I advised them I would be prepared to act as the focal point of TOFS but ask that they consult the TOFS web site to see what and when trips are to take place.  The usual booking process would remain the same, by contacting me either by Text, or Email.

I would like to thank all those present for contributing to a case of Crown Lager for

Dave T (351) as a thank you for driving the bus each month to allow us to attend our function of choice throughout the year.

Dave T once again provided his service, driving the village bus.

Thanks Dave.

I would like to say it was an enjoyable day and thanks to all who attended.  I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Looking forward to seeing you in 2026.

Malc S (359) Mid Coast Tour Organizer.                

TOFS Trip 859

WEDNESDAY 10 DEC 2025

PANTHERS ON THE PROWL (POP)

(Coordinated by TOFS (NM))

TOFS 12: JP (27); Ken H (48); James McC (118); Jim McD (209); Ron O’H (231); Peter O (348); Paul E (380); Lyle W (386); Peter C (391); Jim E (394); Rob E (431); Ron B (446).

Our smaller than usual group assembled in the foyer of the Panthers Leagues Club at Penrith at 10am to meet our host for the tour, Brad Waugh.  Until recently he was General Manager of Panthers on the Prowl but is now heading up a programme for support of retired football players.

As a bonus, Brad had arranged for us to visit the Panthers Rugby League Academy (before we went to POP) and even arranged a minibus to take us to the Academy.  The visit was hosted by Royce Simmons, a retired Penrith Panthers player and local legend.   The Academy consists of two full-size all-weather training fields, two gymnasiums, hot and cold plunge pools, a 61-seat team auditorium, medical rooms and several recreational areas for players and staff, and we saw it all.  Penrith fullback, Dylan Edwards, was working in the gym while we were there, doing a workout none of us could even dream about!!  Ron O’Hara even got a cuddle from Royce Symonds – see photo.

Brad then took us to the Pullman Hotel and Conference Centre, which is now the home of Panthers on the Prowl.

Brad then gave us a run down on the history and background of Panthers on the Prowl and details on the programmes they run.  Also, he introduced Lawrence McDonell and Venetia Lovett who run their ‘flag-ship’ Primary Classroom Program.  Lawrence gave us a detailed presentation on this program, which included the following:

Primary Classroom Program – This is the organisation’s ‘flag-ship’ education model and longest running program. This cornerstone program targets students in the middle and late primary years who are at risk of disengaging from school and who may need additional assistance to reach their full potential. These students may have issues with self-esteem, lack of resilience or other difficulties around discipline and respect that without effective and targeted early interventions can result in negative developmental and psychological health outcomes.

The Primary Classroom Program observes normal school terms and runs over the school calendar – five days a week. Students selected for the program attend each day for half a day over a school term with stage 2 primary students attending in the morning and stage 3 students in the afternoon. Each class is made up of 10 students from schools participating in each term. The stage 3 primary program also aims to equip students with a wide variety of social skills in readiness for the all-important transition to high school where risk factors for disengagement can often intensify.

Some of the other programs they run are:

·   Secondary Schools Program – this aims to provide high school students in the local community area with unique opportunities and broader awareness of different careers and career pathways available to them. Through this program targeted students are given the opportunity to visit businesses and learning institutions where they can meet key people, develop relationships and gain insights into industries and environments of interest.

·   Building Young Men – this program provides mentoring and leadership project for high school students in the wider Penrith area. This ground-breaking project targets students in Year 10 who may be at risk of disengaging from high school or who have leadership potential that requires further development.

·   Healthy Active Lifestyles – this program aims to provide quality education and improving awareness on nutrition, diet and physical activity for children in the wider Penrith area. The program encourages children and their families to make healthy lifestyle choices whilst reinforcing the importance of physical fitness through regular exercise. The program targets and visits at least 10 schools per year that involves approximately 1500 students.

·   Kokoda Leadership Project - is a senior schools leadership project for students in Year 11 at senior high school in the wider Penrith area. The Kokoda Leadership Project is a biennial undertaking that aims to empower and strengthen leadership in young people through mentorship and the challenge of completing the Kokoda Trail walk.

The consensus was that the visit to the Academy was very interesting and that Panthers on the Prowl are running some excellent programs and are providing a very worthwhile contribution to the development of young people in the Penrith area.

More detail on the POP programmes can be found on their website: https://panthersontheprowl.com.au/ .

We then retired to Kelly’s Kitchen for lunch and a drink.

Ken H (48)

TOFS Trip 858

Thursday 4 December 2025

CHAU CHAK WING MUSEUM

(Organised by TOFS KO)

TOFS (30): JP (27), Ken H (48), Daryl H (65), Bruce K (68), Gary C (75), Michael F (108), Peter S (150), Phil G (154), Peter M (155), Graham L (185), Jim M (209), Ron O (231), Stuart P (264), Peter O (348), Allan S (349), John O (357), Gregg B (365), Jeffrey H (373), Bill R (389), Don N (400), Robert E (431), David W (434), Lyle W (386), Denis P (430), Craig M (445), Ron B (446), Jason F (464), David C (467), Les H (469), Frank W (475).

The Chau Chak Wing Museum is a Sydney University museum formed as an amalgamation of the Nicholson Museum, the Macleay Museum, and the University Art Gallery in 2020.

We arrived via a cramped bus at this smart and modern venue and met our two guides outside the main entrance – Fran and Lise. Both lecture in anthropology at the university. Given the academic gift for categorisation, they immediately divided us into Wallabies and Wombats and each group set off to discover the exhibits within. A guide is so important in explaining and interpreting the sometimes fairly obtuse objects on offer.

HISTORY

The collections began with the Nicholson Collection of antiquities in 1860 and continued to grow to include the Macleay Collections of natural history, ethnography, science and historic photography, and the University Art Collection. The three collections were brought together under Sydney University Museums in 2003.

This museum is named after Dr Chau Chak Wing, a Chinese-Australian businessman who donated $22 million for the building's construction in 2015. Other major benefactors were Penelope Seidler, the Ian Potter Foundation and Nelson Meers Foundation. The museum was officially opened on the 18 November 2020.

THE BUILDING

The building is located on Camperdown Campus of the University of Sydney, opposite the Main Quadrangle and Fisher Library. The building was designed by Johnson Pilton Walker. The building is five-storey, with four levels of exhibition space with six main galleries: Ian Potter Gallery, Macleay Gallery, Nicholson Gallery, Penelope Gallery, Power Gallery, and the China Gallery. 

Indigenous Australian design features were incorporated into the design and landscaping of the building. The forecourt incorporates a replica of an Aboriginal petroglyph of two wallabies originally located in Westleigh.

Construction of the new museum was completed in 2020.

NAG’S HEAD HOTEL

Originally the Australian Hotel, it was built in 1836 by William Faithfull. It was later sold to the McCready brothers (renowned, it is said for the anchor tattoos upon their chests) who renamed it the Nag's Head Hotel. They added a large ornamental head of a horse above the front entrance, which endorsed the hotel's distinctive name.

During World War II, the Nag’s Head Hotel played an important role in the war effort. The hotel was used as a base of operations for the US Army, who used it as a headquarters for their intelligence operations in the Pacific Theatre. The hotel was also used to house troops and as a site for military training exercises.

In line with recent trends, the TOFS were strategically allocated to an un-airconditioned part of the hotel. Fortunately, the temperature was quite tolerable. Specials were $15 and the beer was not expensive. Sadly, the red wine club did not really get started and rather than taking full advantage of our time at the Nag’s Head we headed home early.

MUSIC

Visiting the university was an opportunity to get into the mode of academic excellence with "Young Dumb and Broke" by Khalid (2017)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPfJnp1guPc

Graham L (185)

TOFS TRIP 857

Wednesday 26 November 2025

Newcastle Memorial Walk

(Organised by TOFS WW)

TOFS [25]: JP (27), Daryl H (65), James McC (118), Terry O’H (147), Phil G (154), Rex M (179), Graham L (185), Chas H (203), Jim McD (209), Richard McD (219), Ron O’H (231), Stuart P (264), Peter O (348), Allan S (349), John O (357), Gary H (366), Paul E (380), Lyle W (386), Rob E (431), David W (434), Ron B (446), David C (467), Ron C (470), Ken C (474), John L (477).

After a long booking period, and a timely reminder, a respectable number of 25 TOFS members was accumulated for this, the final WW trip for 2025.

When we were eventually all together at Newcastle Intg, new member John L (477) was presented with his TOFS cap and badge, and welcomed with the usual enthusiastic applause. One more time – welcome John!

From there, our pilgrimage involved a ride on the Light Rail, a significant wait for the Route 21 bus and an unscheduled uphill walk after the driver ignored the requested bus stop and careered off towards Swansea.

All of our members, except the Tour Leader, were apparently quite forgiving, and we were soon starting out along the Newcastle Memorial Walk.

This impressive structure was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli, which happened to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the commencement of steelmaking in Newcastle, serving as both a tribute and a historical monument to the men and women of the Hunter region who served their community and their country. 

Funded by Newcastle Council and BHP Billiton, it was opened on 24 April 2015 and is constructed of 64 tonnes of stainless steel.

The walk is highlighted by a 160m cliff-top bridge, which is adorned with striking steel silhouettes of soldiers, and inscribed with close to 4,000 family names of nearly 11,000 known Hunter Valley men and women who enlisted during World War I.

The walkway provided excellent views of the Newcastle coast and beaches, and if one turned to the west, the vista of the greater Newcastle spread was fantastic.

Descending from this elevated viewing platform is via an elongated ramp (about 250m long) dotted with small flights of stairs (about 138 stairs in total). I think the descent could be described as ‘sympathetic’ and everyone negotiated it safely.

Our lunch venue had been visible from the walkway, so once we were back at street level, the thirst generated by the rather warm conditions overtook the leaders who made a beeline for the Club.

All comments that I heard about our various meals were complimentary, and I heard no complaints about the refreshments.

It was another twist to the day when sufficient tables for us in the air-conditioned general bistro area became available only after we had settled in to our private room, where unfortunately the bloody air-conditioner was kaput.

Still, it was a good vantage point to watch the clouds build up, and the scampering bowlers as a sudden very gusty but brief Newcastle storm swept through. The storm did however provide some welcome temperature relief for the journey home.

Thanks to all for a good day.

Rex M (179)

TOFS TRIP 856

Friday 21st Nov 2025

Ladies Day Lunch at Dorsal by the Sea

(Organised by TOFS MC)

TOFS (15): Dave T (351), Malc S (359), Peter B (399), Bob R (404), Lee M (423), Norm MS (307), Alan J (416), Bill L (367), Albert K (403), Kit C (415), Dennis R (422), Kevin H (324), Dave G (308) Will L (282) Doug F (333).

This Month we held our annual Ladies Day lunch, which was a day to remember and reflect as it was our first MC trip without our leader/liaison officer John (The Mo) Mead following his death on 28th September 2025.

Fifteen members along with our wives and partners enjoyed our lunch at “The Dorsal by the Sea’ in Forster overlooking the Ocean Pool and Forster Main Beach.

Also, in attendance was John’s wife Milica Mead and Margaret Fransen, wife of deceased member Leo Fransen, two years has passed since Leo’s death following his terrible accident whilst fighting bushfires at Lighting Ridge.

 Following our meal each lady was handed a free raffle ticket, there were three $30 Visa Cards as prizes, donated by our TOFS Head Office in Sydney. A big thank you goes to them for the gesture. 

A presentation was given to Milica in the form of an inscribed plaque recognizing the work and leadership afforded by John in setting up TOFS (MC) and leading our group since 2017.

A big thanks goes to member Norm M-S (our Cashier) for arranging the wording and obtaining the plaque.

A glass was raised to John along with all the other TOFS members who have passed away since 2017.

Thanks also goes to Manager, Mahesh, and his staff at the Dorsal by the Sea for the way they organized and provided perfect cooked food.

Dave T once again provided his service, driving the village bus for the TOFS group,

Thanks Dave T.

I would like to say it was an enjoyable day and thanks to all who attended.

Malc S (359) Mid Coast Tour Organizer.                    

TOFS TRIP 855

Monday 17th Nov 2025

Guided tour of Bowral

(Organised by TOFS SS)

TOFS (17):  JP (27), Terry O’H (147), Peter M (155), Chas H (203), Jim McD (209), Richard McD (219), Ron O’H (231), Kenn W (243), Chris R (251), Allan S (349), John O’R (357), Gregg B (365), Gary H (366), Don N (400), David W (434), Kingsley G (439), Wayne E (476).

Visitor: (1):  Les W.

  Sixteen TOFS made their way to Campbelltown station to join the two-carriage diesel train to Bowral where on arrival we were joined by Ron O’H who had driven down and our visitor Les W who is a Bowral local and a previous neighbour of Terry O’H.

   Kenn W introduced us to Eloise from Bowral walking tours and she gathered us in the station waiting room to commence the history of the district. 

          The area of Bowral was first traversed in 1798 by ex-convict John Wilson. In 1817 governor Lachlan Macquarie granted land to Charles Throsby to establish a small township named Bong Bong famous still for the Bong Bong Picnic horse races. The governor also granted land to John Oxley the famous explorer and surveyor.  Oxley’s sons established sheep and cattle farming in the area they called “Wingecarribee” the name which exists as the shire today.

         The arrival of the railway in 1867 spurred the development of Bowral and surrounding districts.  Meat and produce could be easily shipped to Sydney.  The actual Bowral railway station was opened in 1886 and was originally called “Burradoo”.   In 1889 Bowral’s street lights were lit with gas from the towns privately owned gas works.

        In 1926 the Springett family opened a general store where 20 years later the store became a bakery and a soft drink plant. This store became the first to distribute sliced bread and soft drinks into the Highlands. It was the first plant in Australia to make the soft drink “Passiona”.  Springetts arcade opened in 1972 and still exists in the town to this day.

         The Corbett Gardens where we took our group photo was constructed in 1911 but the rotunda was demolished in 1950 and rebuilt in 1990.   In 1958 the gardens put Bowral on the map with the commencement of the annual tulip festival named “Tulip Time”.

         The first hotel built in Bowral in 1862 bore the name “Wingecarribee Inn” and was built on the exact site of the Royal Hotel where we had lunch. The current hotel seemed to satisfy our lunch requirements however there was some confusion about the $15 lunch specials. It seems the tour organizer had mistaken the menu from another hotel in town. Despite this the Beef pies seemed to be a popular choice.  Everyone had a good day despite the early start for some members. Many thanks for those attending. Hoping to see you all on the next SS trip in January at Souths Juniors for a talk on the history of the “Krait” from WW2.  

Cheers for now.

Kenn W (243)  SS Tour Organiser

TOFS TRIP 853

Tuesday 11th Nov 2025

The Railway Hotel Gosford Lunch

(Organised by TOFS CC)

TOFS (17): Bill W  (1), Andrew M (16), John P (27), Peter B (32), Peter W (101), Terry O’H (147), Peter W (149), Phil G (154), Sam H (193), Les B (217), Paul E (380), Anthony T (420), Rob E (431), Ron B (446), Sean H (452), Les H (469), Frank W (475).

[NEW MEMBER] : John L.

This month our Central Coast Group got together for lunch at the Historic and restored Gosford Railway Hotel.

The railway boom of the nineteenth century transformed Australia and at the height of this economic boom, nearly every town had a railway hotel originally a place for travellers to rest and refuel after long and weary journeys across the country.

In true Aussie style, these railway hotels morphed into a place for people to gather, becoming the beating heart of Australian communities.

This simple philosophy inspired us to create a venue where the old meets the new in the heart of Gosford.

The Railway Hotel Gosford has been thoughtfully designed and restored to blend the best of Australian history with contemporary flair and good old-fashioned service.

A good feed and drinks were had by all, plus lots of talking.

Being the 11th of November, we paused for a minute's silence to remember our fallen comrades from all the wars of the past. Also, it was great to have with us the only remaining Founder of TOFS, Bill W (1).

Peter W (101)