That was the sentiment of most, if not all, of the 150-200 people who attended the Manning River Turtle Conservation Group’s Winter Solstice Lantern Walk on Saturday, June 23.

A warm winter day made the perfect environment for families to make their way to Wingham Riverside Reserve to create lanterns at the free lantern making workshop. As the weather started to cool people were grateful for the sausage sangers, and tea and coffee provided by the Wingham Rotary Club.

Jennifer Granger, member of the Manning River Turtle Conservation Group (MRTCG) and the creative impetus behind the lantern workshops, said their were four lantern making workshops in the months leading up to the event. 

Video by Scott Calvin:

“With the wonderful help of local ladies we had a very busy afternoon,” Jen said of the final workshop.

“Some of the most popular lanterns were designed and taught by Linda Gill. All up we had a total of four designs with lotus lanterns remaining popular.”

The Manning River and the delicate pink sunset skies made a beautiful backdrop for Biripi elder Aunty Barbara Clarke’s Welcome to Country, followed by a special address by Andrew Steed of the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage in Coffs Harbour. 

Andrew delivered a speech on the Manning River Helmeted Turtle and explained current research on the turtle for the Save Our Species program, which the gathered crowd found informative and interesting.

“I should also add, in organising our last round of surveys the Manning River Turtle Conservation Group went out of their way to help me find places where we could get to the river,” Andrew said later.

“I also want to make a big shout out for Gary Barkwell, who’s a mad keen bass fisherman, and he put me on to contacts who then gave me their neighbours’ contacts, and everyone I’ve spoken to said ‘yes, you’re welcome to come on to my property and do turtle research’.

“The Manning River community is just awesome,” Andrew said.

So impressed was Andrew and his wife, Donella, with the lantern walk, the couple already intend making it a priority next year.

As the prizes were being announced for the MRTCG colouring in and art competition, local group Circartus made a surprise appearance down by the river with their grey-headed flying fox stilt walkers –keeping the children enthralled until the walk gathered and moved into Wingham Brush. 

The walk made its way down the Graham Allen Walk to exit at Farquhar Street, where walkers were met with a magic sight – a giant turtle lantern, now dubbed the Spirit Turtle because of its white glow. The lantern was made by Rachel Piercy and Jane Hosking using cane for the armature, and covered with greaseproof paper and PVA glue.

“Decorating it is something the group can start doing every year,” Rachel Piercy explained, as the two women have donated the turtle lantern for use by the community for future lantern walks.

The walk then went down Wynter Street, across to Central Park to the sounds of drumming at Random Acts of Art, down and back up Isabella Street, lit somewhat along the way by lanterns in some of the shop windows, and finishing back at Central Park as Random Acts of Art was ending.

Organisers were overjoyed at how well the event transpired.

“I was excited to see the amount of families that turned up, and it was beautiful to see their lights winding the way through the Brush,” MRTCG member, Clare Rourke said.

“It was heartening to see how many people found Andrew Steed’s talk so interesting, and I was really pleased with the respectful silence for Aunty Barb and Andrew Steed.”

The MRTCG would like to thank NPWS, MidCoast Council, Wingham Chamber of Commerce (in particularly president Liz Jarvis), Andrew Steed, Aunty Barb, local businesses and schools, Whiddon Wingham, Rachel Piercy and Jane Hosking, the Manning Valley Creative Collective, Manning Valley Neighbourhood Services, 1^st Wingham Scout Group and the plethora of friends and family who helped out for the event.

Last, but not not least, they would also like to thank the community for attending and making it a very special event by being respectful of Wingham Brush, it’s animal residents, and each other.