Old Bar 2024

[Whitie]

Another awesome Old Bar Beach Festival gathering.
The weather was perfect, with only the predicted early showers on Saturday that cleared up at daybreak.
Caught up with lots of folk while doing the rounds on my pushy…….(always a bit of a wobbly task with beverage in hand  )
Lani’s - (I’ll always know the campground as that….) - seemed to have fewer kombis on site and more caravans this year…..the overflow camping on the airstrip seemed to be well patronised with both modes of accomodation.
We caught up with folks at Flow Bar, Luriya’s (awesome Thai) and Club Old Bar, where our table picked up three meat trays from the raffles….!
The Club also saw Luckyphil’s name changed to “Unluckyphil” after a string of numbers called each side of his grouping….  
Surf was good, with warm offshore winds for most of each day and consistent swell.
A run down to Wallabi point saw epic conditions but the most crowded conditions I’ve ever seen there.
I guess a combination of school holidays, the long weekend, big swell and offshore winds completed the formula for crowded conditions…….we chose to walk away and surf back out the front with just a few out.

Monday afternoon saw Terese (Gracie) host the Peter Josling Memorial boules tournament.
With a record number of participants, including a couple of ring in bystanders, competition was fierce.
After many hotly contested ends, some controversial due to an Official picking up boules before the end had been completed……(.note to self drink less, pay more attention to what is going on  ), a winner was crowned and the Perpetual trophy was handed over from last year’s winner Dave C. to the reigning champion, Terese…….a most worthy winner this year.
 Always a highlight of our Old Bar, this event brings Kombi Club people old and new together, for a wonderful, social occasion.
With the competition over we regrouped at the camp kitchen for a final meal together before wandering off on our separate ways .

We drove home via Maitland and stopped off at the Visitor’s Centre cafe for brunch. I can highly recommend the menu, coffee and juices - freshly squeezed - and will definitely stop there again.
…..it’s one of those “stumbled upon” awesome finds….
Back home now and 99% unpacked, we’re already planning our run North to Elliot Heads next year.

I hope everyone returned home without incident and enjoyed the weekend as much as we did.
Until next year,
“See ya then, ya Old Bar-stards  !

Great Old Bar wrapup Mark was just as you explained awesome weekend
Did anyone get the final tally on Kombi attendance

[Oldman]

Not sure of the exact tally, Tony......but I do know that it was well down on last year.

[grumble]

My apologies for not showing up but life throws a curve ball every now and then and I didn't get there again. So pleased that the weather decided to come good as it wasn't looking promising during the week. The plan is hopefully next year we will be there.

[Oldman]

All good Les, as you said.....Life serves curve balls sometimes and we have to do our best to dodge them if possible.
See you next year.

[Grantus]

Great Old Bar wrapup Mark was just as you explained awesome weekend
Did anyone get the final tally on Kombi attendance

Almost seemed like there were more Kombis on the Saturday afternoon, for the FREE Kombi Cruise, than there were parked up for the display on Sunday. I hope the $5 entry fee, wasn’t the reason! 

Announcer said “almost 200”, which is still way down on other years. You only have to look over the fence, to see the quantity of other camping Kombis, that didn’t bother parking up on Sunday.