Things to do

On the estate

The cabins are managed and serviced by our friendly neighbours at the Barringtons Country Retreat who offer horse riding and a high class a la carte restaurant. Its friendly staff are always willing to help with suggestions about activities which will make your holiday more enjoyable.

The estate includes an all-weather tennis court (tennis racquets provided in Nests), swimming pool and dams.

The dams are stocked with fish and there are many walking trails both on the estate and in the surrounding forests. Picnic hampers are available from the Country Retreat.

The resort adjoins Chichester Dam where picnic and BBQ facilities are available.

You will be surrounded by the rainforests of Barrington Tops National Park and the historic towns of Dungog, Clarence Town, Stroud, Gloucester, Gresford and Paterson. You will be just an hour from the wineries in the Hunter Valley.

There are several suggested tourist drives in which you could explore these places. Here are some ideas for places you could visit:

Dungog

First stop should be at the Information Centre at the corner of Dowling and Brown Streets. Pick up brochures on suggested activities, visit the antique shop or the historic buildings, or time your visit to see a movie at the historic picture theatre. Check out current attractions here.

Stroud

Stroud was founded in 1826 and is famous for its collection of convict constructions. Must-see features include:

	Silo Hill, which contains eight underground silos, one of which is open to the public. There is also a lookout and picnic and BBQ area.
	The Stroud Heritage Walk, which takes you past convict-built structures including Stroud Court House, Post Office, St Johns Anglican Church and Rectory, Thornleigh, Stroud House and Monkerai Bridge, the oldest timber truss bridge in New South Wales.

This map of Stroud shows the town layout. For detailed descriptions of the history of the town, pictures of the historic buildings and the route of the Heritage Walk, click here and here.

Gloucester

Gloucester was first settled in the 1830s and the township was established in 1855. Gold was discovered in 1876 at Copeland to the north-west of the town. The Mountain Maid Mine has been recently re-opened as a tourist attraction.

Travel into Barrington Tops National Park from Gloucester for bushwalking, canoeing or trout fishing, or take in the views from the Kia-Ora, Mograni or Devils Hole lookouts.

Visit the Folk Museum and historic buildings. Try these useful links for information on history, sightseeing and current news:

History and things to do

More history and sights to see

On line version of Gloucester Advocate

Gresford

Gresford and East Gresford are two village settlements near the banks of the Allyn and Paterson Rivers. The area was first settled around 1810.

A good place to seek out some of Gresford's past is to visit St Annes Church, which was built in 1898. Other historic buildings worth a look include St Helens Catholic Church, the local pub which is over 100 years old, the General Store and the Police Station.

More information on the history of the area and ideas for sightseeing can be found here.

Paterson & Tocal

Paterson is small town on the Paterson River. It was proclaimed as a town in 1833. Early industries included farming (tobacco, grains, citrus, grapes, cotton) and shipbuilding.

The oldest building in the area is St Anns Presbyterian Church which was built in the late 1830s. Services are still conducted in this church today. Other historic buildings include:

	The Court House Hotel
	Paterson Courthouse (1857), now in use as a Museum which is open from 1.00 – 5.00 pm on Sundays.
	Oddfellows Hall (1865)
	St Columbas Catholic Church (1884)
	The Rail Motor Society Museum, open on the second Saturday of each month from 9.00 am - 4.00 pm .
	The former Commonwealth Bank (1902), pictured above, which now operates as a tea house.

Tocal College is situated a few kilometres out of town on the way back to Maitland. The Historic Homestead Complex on the College campus now incorporates a Visitors Centre which is open to the public. Hours of operation are Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm from April to November. Read more about it here. This is also the best place to learn more about the history of Captain Thunderbolt (Fred Ward).

Clarence Town

The early history of Clarence Town centred around shipbuilding, the earliest significant event being the launching of the paddle-wheel steamer William IV on the Williams River in 1831. This was the first ocean-going steamer built in Australia.

Historic buildings worth investigating include the two-storey Post Office (1880), the Erringhi Hotel (1913), Hua-Tsa (originally the MIll House - 1856), Roseneath (1889), Hollydene (1888) and the Courthouse and Police Station which is now a local history museum, open weekends and public holidays from 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. For more details on activities in Clarence Town, click here.

An alternative scenic routes are available for the return trip to Dungog:

	via the Glen Martin Rd and Glen William, or
	via the Camelot Lavender Farm.