I *think* we’re driving to Uluru on Friday. We have next week off and are a 90% chance to go Home > Adelaide > Coober Pedy > Uluru > Alice Springs > Oodnadatta Track > Quorn > Adelaide > Home.
We’re prepared, but are still working out the logistics. i.e. is it too rushed?
More to follow……
Had a great time fanging Dad’s MX-5 down the Gt Ocean Road to Apollo Bay this morning.
Dad picked me up from home at 6.15 and we drove the five minutes to our meet-up point opposite Bunnings Waurn Ponds on the Princes Highway, just before the Anglesea turnoff. We were a few minutes early but the 50-strong convoy soon zoomed past and I pulled out to join it. There were a few stops and starts between Waurn Ponds and Anglesea to bunch up the cars and let others join the convoy, but as soon as we cleared Anglesea the proper driving began!
On the section between Point Roadknight and Lorne we were behind an MX-5 who struggled to keep up with the cars in front (she was a bit slow, the cars in front were pretty quick), but it was still fun whipping into corners and letting the car do its thing. I haven’t driven a manual for a while, but the memories of driving my old Mini Cooper repro came flooding back and before long I was up and down the gears, accelerating into the bends and generally having a great time.
After a coffee break at Lorne (where Dad tried a weird self-heating latte that he’d bought - but it didn’t self-heat) we were off again on the section to Apollo Bay. Dad suggested we try to get into the convoy a bit earlier to avoid the slowpokes, so we moved out of the foreshore car park in about 9th or 10th spot, which was almost directly behind the MX-5s with all the racing stripes, fat exhausts and rollcages.
It was clear after about 2km that the gold car in front of us couldn’t keep up with the racers (or didn’t want to), but he was going plenty quick enough himself, thanks very much. It took almost everything I had just to keep up with him around those corners, so I’m glad we weren’t immediately behind the rollcage brigade. It really was quite quick … the car feels like it’s on rails no matter how hard you push it through corners so there’s no need to brake, which is handy as there wasn’t time to. In fact it went around them even better when I accelerated through them, which felt good to me but I’m not sure what Dad thought of it. Before long my arms started hurting and my clutch foot was ready to give up, but then we rounded a corner and were upon Skenes Creek, where the limit dropped back to 60 and we could trundle for the next few kms into Apollo Bay.
All up it was a great experience. I can see why the club members enjoy these runs - the early start means very little else on the road (i.e. in your way) and a real chance to take a very capable car flat out around corners whilst staying within limits on the straights. The top was down on 90% of the MX-5s the whole way (including ours, naturally) and although it was pretty cold at first it was fantastic to zoom along with the wind in our hair. There’s a lot to be said for open-top motoring.
Thanks again Dad, and I’m glad you’re enjoying being part of the club.
(More photos to come when Dad sends me the ones he took on his camera)
I need to sit down and write a proper post about our trip away last weekend but probably won’t get time to do it until this coming weekend, so in the meantime here are a couple of photos and the link to more on our Picasa page ….
Saturday: Near Hotham Heights looking towards Mt Buffalo
Saturday: On the Bogong High Plains Road between Omeo and Falls Creek
Saturday: Walking up the Summit at Falls on our way to find the place where we were married
Saturday: At the little hut near Eagle Chair where we signed our marriage papers
Saturday: Looking down the Kiewa valley from Road 24
Saturday: The spot on Road 24 where we got married
Sunday: Hanging a right in the Wandiligong Hedge Maze
Monday: Fanging it on the Dargo High Plains Road from Hotham to Dargo (Jayne took that shot from the sunroof!)
More photos on Picasa.
It goes without saying that the Mini Cooper we hired for Jayne’s birthday was superb fun. So much so, in fact, that we’re almost certain to buy one when we buy a second car.
Anyway, I was just hunting around on YouTube for some feel-good footage and I found these. They’re great. Watch them.
Rob beat me to it, but I’ll add a couple of our photos anyway.
Sim had his rally drive experience today. Family and friends had tipped in a bunch of cash as a 21st present for him. Rallydrive is located near Rockbank in Melbourne’s west and lets members of the public ride in a rally car at speed with a pro driver and also drive it as fast as you like for as many laps as you can afford.
With light rain falling to help bed the dirt track down a bit Sim certainly went for it on the course. No spins but a fair bit of sideways action and plenty of snarly engine revving. His car was a tiptronic Magna AWD, and before you say “Magna??????” here’s what the Rallydrive web site has to say:
These cars were driven by Ross Dunkerton and team mate Bill Hayes and secured 1st and 2nd place in the Australian Cup.
The Rally Drive cars have not been altered or de-tuned in any way and produce over 280hp. The cars are full FIA spec which means you could race these cars in any rally anywhere in the world.
When he’d had his 10 laps or so he was taken around for another 4 laps by one of the drivers at top speed (the last pic). It’s fair to say that there was triple the sideways action and quadruple the snarly engine revving.
Looked like great fun.
I have to say, though, that it would be hard for anyone to not look back on it and wish they’d gone even harder. Still, I suppose that’s what keeps you coming back for another go (and another $500) …..!
Through the chicane:
Too fast for me in this pic:
Trying to catch the slowpoke in the Suby (he did):
Sliding around on one of the hot laps:
