SOME NOTES ON PAST TOURING CLUB RUNS (2000 - )

 

 

This trip was organised and run by Blue Leader - Pat Fagan from the Wollongong Club in New South Wales. It is his first effort at this form of event. Congratulations, Pat for having a go.

A trip to celebrate the new millennium in style albeit against the grain of previous trips. Our furthest north destination was the Dig Tree near Innaminka and then south down the Strzelecki Track to the Northern Flinders Ranges tourist spot of Arkaroola. Then it was on to Rawnsley Park near Wilpena Pound before heading to the Barossa Valley town of Tanunda. The tour was next to go to Adelaide for a few days before heading to Swan Hill and home.

The first days' travelling to Griffith was uneventful followed by a great evening put on by the Griffith Historic Car Club at the Heritage Village complex. A vehicle had crankshaft problems early on the second day to Bourke but they were successful in obtaining the right gear and repairing the errant motor and rejoining the tourists at Tibooburra. Tibooburra is an interesting place with good food and many places of interest to visit.

Some difficulty was had in traversing the poorly marked tracks from Tibooburra to Innaminka. This was due in part to the extensive oil and natural gas exploration work being conducted throughout the border country compounded by a small amount of rain to muddy things up a bit. However, everyone made it and the dust was washed off firstly at the pub and then in Cooper Creek. Some vehicle repairs were conducted ready for the next expedition south down the Strzelecki Track. Sadly, on the track, one vehicle damaged a gearbox resulting in it being towed to civilisation for repairs.

The Strzelecki Track proper from Innaminka to Lyndhurst is some 500 klms of dirt track. It follows the Strzelecki Creek through the oil fields and past Lakes Blanche and Callabonna. It then passed by Mt Hopeless and crosses the Fromme River to meet the bitumen at Lyndhurst. We turned the corner to Leigh Creek and headed back into the hills to stop at Arkaroola for a couple of days. It was fascinating to look out of the telescope at the Observatory into another universe seemingly beyond our usual night sky - put us into perspective of where we are in the scheme of things.

From The Northern Flinders Ranges we travelled down to camp just outside Wilpena Pound at Rawnsley Park, which was more hospitable than Arkaroola, and then into The Barossa Valley at Tanunda. Boy, weren't the wineries interesting to visit.

The final week was spent looking around Adelaide where the Morris Minor Car Club of South Australia hosted the trip personnel before heading off in a homeward direction to Swan Hill on the Murray River. Here we had a wonderful evening to cap it all off. Some ate like there was no tomorrow or maybe they were playing catch-up for the past 3 weeks.

All in all an interesting trip back into the area of the Burke and Wills Dig Tree and the Northern Flinders Ranges topped off with some genteel bitumen touring in South Australia.

Total Distance Travelled = 3,250kms

 

The second trip organised and run by Blue Leader - Pat Fagan from the Wollongong Club in New South Wales.

This was all about the seaside in Southern Victoria and South Australia. It involved a trip along The Great Ocean Road , down the York and Eyre Peninsulars in South Australia and around the coast to Ceduna. All in all, a smaller trip with 40 cars and all of it on the bitumen.

It started from Geelong where the opening feast was put on by the Geelong Morris Minor Car Club. It was a first for some of the travellers and there was such a lot to see. The very windy Great Ocean Road following the surf coast of Victoria through Anglesea, Lorne, Appollo Bay, the Otway Ranges, The twelve Apostels on to Port Campbell. So much to see.

Further along the coast through Warrnambool and inland to Halls Gap in the Grampians. Back to the coast at Portland, Nelson and on to Mt Gambier for a couple of days. Many viewed the magnificent Blue Lake and the many cisterns around the area. We then went on to cross the Murray River at a great spot in Mannum.

We then travelled through the Barossa Valley and down to Port Vincent on the Yorke Peninsular for a lazy 3 days touring around the peninsular. Some of the tourists even entered into a Beaut Ute competition and the Cunninghams from the Melbourne Club even won first prize.

We moved onto Port Augusta where the Vehicle Restorer's Club put on a great night for the tourists. Thanks a lot for that. Then down the Eyre Peninsular to spend 3 days at Port Lincoln. There were lots ofthings to do and places to see, photos to shoot and warship and museum to visit. We even visited Coffin Bay which was, incidentally, named after Lt. Coffin, who discovered the bay in the 1800's. Further on Streaky Bay was named for the rock formations rather than the 2 legged variety.

We reached Ceduna, one of the few safe anchorages on the Australian Bight with a long jetty allowing for great fishing to supplement the evening meals. A promotional photo shoot for the 11th National Rally also took place while we were here.

We turned around and headed back to Renmark on the Murray River with a night at Port Augusta en route. Some tourists took advantage of a paddle steamer ride whilst the others relaxed in their usual way. The End of tour dinner was another highlight for all tourists and the Pink Slipper award was presented to Mrs Singleton. The final day was a run to Griffith where after being hosted by the Griffith Restorer's Club for a fine evening meal we broke up for our various trips home.

Total Distance Travelled = 3,250kms

---