Group of friends ride old paths in Nambucca Valley Nambucca Valley Nambucca Valley - popup ad Nambucca Valley News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - July 28, 2024 Heidi Mackay gets her horse, Stainless, ready for the ride between South Arm and Taylors Arm. A SMALL group of friends and horse-lovers met at South Arm Hall on Friday morning to trail ride from there to Taylors Arm, where they planned to camp the night. Around ten riders took the trek along South Arm Road, through a farmer’s property up to Kosekai Road and out to the iconic Pub With No Beer in Taylors Arm. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Heidi Mackay, one of the ride’s organisers, had brought her horses out from the Grafton area just to do the ride with her two kids, both in primary school. “We used to do this ride as kids with dad and a local group,” she told NOTA. “We went everywhere on rides organised by Cricket and Lorraine Smith in their truck wagon, as we used to call it,” said Heidi. Heidi’s dad, well-known local Robert Mackay, provided vehicular support, following along with a horse float. “Horse-riding is good for kids,” Heidi told NOTA. “It’s hard you know, but it gets them off their backsides and a long ride like this is great for time in the saddle.” The group departed from the hall at 10am and hoped to reach their destination by 4pm that afternoon. Some of the riders fondly remembered a well-known ride, the Mullins Mail Ride, was a popular annual event for equestrians in the Nambucca Valley. It was named in honour of Jimmy Mullins who used to deliver mail in the area, and it followed a fourteen kilometre track of his route out of Bowraville. It was often ridden in fancy-dress with people dressing up to remember times gone past. “I think the council stopped that one. “They said we couldn’t take the horses into the main street,” a rider said. “There used to be lots more rides organised. “Since then, insurance and other things got in the way,” one of the other riders added from their horse. “Now we’re just a group of friends, doing a ride together.” The riders stopped for lunch on Kosekai Road at around 1pm before heading off to Taylors Arm where many of them camped the night. They departed the next morning, arriving back at South Arm Hall by about 2pm. By Ned COWIE Rebecca, Sierra, Lacey, Sharon, Jo, Leisa and Amy participated in a trail ride through the Nambucca Valley on Friday and Saturday of last week. The riders followed McHughes Creek Road before disappearing up into the hills. Kosekai Road, where the group stopped for a lunch break.
