The next Herb Conference is being hosted by the Herb Society of North Queensland, and Convenor Margaret Clancey has provided the following preliminary outline of the conference.
16th Australian Herb Conference and Tour Friday 17th August – Sunday 26th August 2018 Estimated $2,135 per person
Arrive in Townsville on Friday and book into the Mercure Inn.
Accommodation is for Twin Share, or a single supplement will apply.
Friday night ‘get-to-know-you’ dinner is included. Conference
Saturday and Sunday mornings, delegates please come with a report on your activities. We will have a look at Townsville Gardens in the afternoon. Dinner in Townsville is at your discretion, the good restaurant at the Mercure Inn or those close to venue. Where possible, a few lunches are at your discretion.
Our bus Tour will start on Monday morning as we head south to Ayr/Home Hill, to visit the Achacha Fruit Farm, visit a working cane farm and witness a harvester and haulout operating in the field, also visit a Nature Display of butterflies & birds. Back to Townsville.
Then we will start on our trip north visiting a pineapple farm, stop for a special ice-cream at the Frosty Mango, visit a gourmet mushroom farm, and arrive at the TYTO Wetlands for lunch and a guided tour. Visit a working cattle station and enjoy a ‘Big Country Barbecue’ that evening. Overnight at Lucinda.
Next morning we will board a boat for a trip up the World Heritage Listed Hinchinbrook channel and arrive at Cardwell for lunch. Travel to Tully for a tour of a Rare Fruit Farm to taste some unusual fruits. Overnight at Mission Beach.
Charley’s Chocolates will take us through the process from seeing the fruit on the bush to eating the chocolate. The Broken Nose Vanilla Farm will show us how they grow and reap the vanilla beans. Travel to Malanda. Overnight at Malanda
We will visit the Nerada Tea Plantation visit and, of course, a morning tea. Then travel to the Yungaburra area, plenty to see and do here in a village unchanged for 100 years. The Yuruga Native Plant Nursery, largest in Australia, will show us local plants. Overnight at Mareeba.
Visit a Coffee Plantation, learn the coffee story from soil to a cup of coffee. Tour of the plantation, the factory, and finish with a light lunch. Travel to the rainforest village of Kuranda, explore the unique village and then choose between the train ride and the sky-rail into Cairns.
Cairns – You can choose to fly out of Cairns, take time to see more on your own, or continue on the coach back to Townsville. Those on the bus Sunday morning will visit the Cairns Botanical Gardens before we leave Cairns and a visit to unique Paronella Park for lunch as we head back to Townsville.
Now is the time to decide to come and explore the North Queensland Area in the company of our Herb enthusiasts. Please email expressions of Interest to Margaret by 1st November, a deposit of $200 to be received by 30th April 2018. Final payments are to be received by 30th June 2018. Estimated cost per person at this point will be confirmed when final number of delegates is known. To pay by EFT, please contact Margaret.
Margaret Clancey
Tour convenor
07 4773 3770 margaret_clancey@bigpond.com
Mail cheques payable to:
Herb Society of North Queensland Inc. PO Box 314
AITKENVALE QLD 4814