GREATEST CHINESE COOK IN NSW

The Golf Club’s Green Dragon Chinese restaurant has become well known for the quality of Richards cooking. Richard is now a household name on the south coast following a live phone interview with Wollongong’s Wave FM on Saturday afternoon.

Wave FM recently ran a competition offering, as the prize, a weekend trip to the outback for 4 listeners and their partners. The tour was organised by Guidepost Tours.

Guidepost Tours organised a similar trial run tour last year, which also included Wilcannia and lunch at the Green Dragon restaurant as one of the tour features. This was how word got to Wollongong about Richard and his meals.

Morning show presenter Travis Winks, who accompanied the tour, said he had heard from the previous tour group, and in particular Paul the pilot, about Richard and was keen to get him on air to talk about the challenges of producing high quality meals in a remote town. Travis arranged for the station to phone Richard while the group was enjoying lunch. The interview and photos can be found on  www.wavefm.com.au. Follow the links to “Outback Adventure”.

This year’s tour group was also given a tour of the hospital, thanks to the cooperation of Health Service Manager Glynis and nurse Pam who conducted the tour. Some of the group were long time supporters of the Flying Doctor. Having seen the RFDS Hanger on landing in Broken Hill, then landing at the Wilcannia strip, seeing the set up at the hospital helped the supporters get a bigger picture of how the RFDS works in the outback. All except the youngest person on the tour, Taylor, could remember the TV show about the Flying Doctors.

The combination of the well maintained old and new buildings, the availability of high quality staff and equipment, the gardens,  Badger Bates artwork and sculpture, Ruby Davis’ famous river photo in the waiting room and the location right on the Darling River had them all expressing a desire to come to Wilcannia if they ever needed ongoing medical help or long term placement.
A tour of Moorabin homestead, with afternoon tea on the banks of the Darling followed.

Highlights mentioned by the visitors on the way back to the airstrip, were the old buildings, particularly the Post Office and the Shire Chambers, the river and Taylor was excited to see her first piece of road kill.

Taking someone new around the town gives a fresh perspective about what we have to offer. The sight of pelicans on the Darling excited the group, yet it something we tend to take for granted.

See photo gallery (main Green Dragon Restaurant listing)

Above right: Richard and Travis—Photo courtesy Ben Cain.