I’ve called the Manning Valley home for over 60 years. Growing up in a small town downstream from Taree, the river was a constant presence in my childhood—my playground, teacher, and guide.

Raised by community-spirited environmentalist parents, I developed a deep love for nature and a passion for protecting the planet. Since the age of 20, I’ve owned and operated three cafés across the Manning, each offering nourishing food in warm, welcoming spaces near the river or the creeks that feed it. Today, that legacy continues with me living in Tinonee, right on the river, and running Wild Fig—a mobile café van named after the native fig found in this area, a traditional food source for the Biripi people.

I’ve called the Manning Valley home for over 60 years. Growing up in a small town downstream from Taree, the river was a constant presence in my childhood—my playground, teacher, and guide.

Raised by community-spirited environmentalist parents, I developed a deep love for nature and a passion for protecting the planet. Since the age of 20, I’ve owned and operated three cafés across the Manning, each offering nourishing food in warm, welcoming spaces near the river or the creeks that feed it. Today, that legacy continues with me living in Tinonee, right on the river, and running Wild Fig—a mobile café van named after the native fig found in this area, a traditional food source for the Biripi people.