GACR 2006
It almost finished before it started. The day before I was due to leave the clutch packed up and I had to fit a new part. Once that was done I discovered that the clutch pedal had broken at the same time. A quick bit of welding and a trip around the block and all seemed to be well. Not a confidence inspiring way to start a three week drive.
Met up with 5 other cars on the Thursday morning and off we went. The Victorian Alps had received falls of snow a couple of days earlier so we were rugged up to cater for that, but in the end it never got below about the mid twenties.
We headed off through familiar territory, the South Australian mallee. We stopped for morning tea at Lameroo and I tried one of their 'famous' pies. Ouyen was the lunch spot and provided a welcome break.
We stopped in Moulamein, a small country town for an afternoon tea break. We pulled up opposite a series of retirement homes and one by one people came out and soon we had a dozen or more people having a chat and a look at the cars, Some had carers with them and one was in a wheelchair. One of the carers was taking photos as she said some of them wouldn't remember anything about it tomorrow. A bit sad really.
After covering about 600 Km we stopped at a nice Caravan Park at Deniliquin for the night. After setting up camp we went next door to a pub for dinner.
We got off to a leisurely start the next day as we only had about 300 Km to go. On the way we stopped off at a couple of wineries in the Rutherglen area.
On arrival at Bright we set up in our accommodation and then went to a barbeque dinner put on by the organisers where we met some new clubbie owners and renewed old acquaintances.
Next day there was a show and shine in a local park and then an observation run. This was well organised and great fun. One of the questions involved finding out the number of wheels on four old vehicles parked on the right hand side of the road. It turned out these vehicles were in an unfenced paddock under a row of pine trees about fifty metres back from the road. Rather than get out and walk over to do the count I drove over and under the pine trees, whose foliage brushed the windscreen, and then behind the vehicles counting the wheels. After this I did a large turn behind the trees and drove out under them and back onto the road. Later participants were met by a very irate and angry landowner who was quite threatening. He rang the organisers and gave them a serve as well. I think I may well have been the catalyst for his anger and this is the first time I have gone public with my admission. Sorry folks!
I haven't included any photos as there are many excellent ones on another site which will give you a much better feel for the whole weekend. The site is www.duckpond.onpix.com if window comes up saying empty album click OK then click professional, then scroll down select your pro host to Lisa Clark photography and enter the PIN 'roundup' .
That night we had a formal dinner which was well attended and where various awards were presented. One of our SA contingent, Peter Firkins, won the observation run and won a GPS for his (navigators!!??) efforts.
Next day was a run up to the Mount Buffalo chalet for coffee and cake and then it was all over for another year.
Next year the Roundup will be held in Adelaide and run by our group ClubbiesSA ( www.clubbiessa.com ) It will be a change not to be driving any distance to get there. I wonder whether I'll suffer withdrawal symptoms?