Manilla  New South Wales

Federation buildings decorated with iron-lacework give this Fossickers Way town a distinct character. On the junction of the Manilla and Namoi Rivers, 38km north-west of Tamworth, the town takes its name from the local Manellae Aboriginal tribe. It is an attractive town made all the more pleasant by one of two mead-making plants in NSW. Visitors to Dutton’s Meadery can sample and buy both mead and honey. Manilla also has special appeal to the adventurous. Come to Manilla, as the spruikers say, and you can jump off a mountain and paraglide, hang-glide, abseil back to earth or you can skim across the water to your heart’s content at the Ski Gardens on Lake Keepit. If you prefer a more sedate pace, try the riverside retreat in Warrabah National Park where you can fish, swim or canoe. Built by a local contractor in 1884, Royce Cottage on the main street is now part of a museum complex that includes the Pioneer Gallery, a bakery and an interesting collection of ancient machinery.