As I sit here reclining under the tilt-a-door of my garage nursing a laptop, my Bugeye is parked in the sun nearby, doors open with the seats and rubber floor mats airing on the outdoor furniture. Yesterday was Australia Day and it was wet – 26mm in our rain gauge. Why I chose to take my least weather-proof vehicle on Glenn?s Mystery tour has slipped my mind, but it was a terrific drive along the Grand Ridge Road, passing through the aptly termed rain forest on the flanks of Mt Worth and watching the country gently morph into cleared hills on the approach to Mirboo North. It was there we stopped for a morning tea break, sheltering from the drizzle with a coffee or pastry under one of the many verandahs along the town?s main street. I had departed the start of the event in Warragul a little earlier than the rest to find a location in the forest suitable for photos as our convoy drove past. It was a pleasant surprise to see so many club members participating in event driving their sporting and classic cars despite the relatively unpleasant weather. Once they?d passed, it didn?t take me long to catch the tail of the convoy, as patches of roadworks and a stray cow meandering down the road slowed their pace somewhat. The normal spectacular vistas had disappeared beneath a heavy mist, but as tail-end Charlie, it was interesting to watch our snaking convoy traverse the twists and turns up ahead. Unfortunately, Dave and Paula Anderson?s Pontiac Firebird was having an off-day with cooling fan problems and no front brakes. They made a sensible move to head for home rather than persevere with what must have been a difficult car to drive in such conditions.
The second half of the tour, which headed out into the rich pasture country around Mardan and Dumbalk on the way to Leongatha is a bit of a mystery, because your correspondent positioned himself on the wrong road for photographs and never laid eyes on the convoy. I do know that everyone eventually made it to Mossvale Park on the Strzelecki Highway just south of Mirboo North for a picnic lunch. I have also been told that John Cobbledick won the short, elimination-style Australia Day Quiz, taking home a magnificent Australia Day themed Covid-19 survival pack that included hand sanitizer, a bottle opener and drinking mug.
Many thanks to Glenn for once again organising this regular event on our calendar and I am sure he was relieved to see so many members taking part with Aussie flags flying, despite the weather conditions.
The Sprite has now dried out, the hard-top has been returned to storage in the garage rafters and side-screens are back on the shelf. I?ll give her a quick spray wax, refit the seats and then we?ll be ready for our next event. See you there.
Steve
