A dozen cars assembled in the Yarragon car-park behind the Pub and Post Office for this Mid Week Run to Mirboo North. (One red MG waited at Darnum unfortunately.) The group took off through the traffic lights towards Traf, with many enjoying the highway speed until we turned right into Sunny Creek Rd. John Cobbledick had taken the lead in his green Jaguar XJ6, and off we went up this wonderful winding uphill road through the bush and wooded farmland. We struck the landslip patch which still has not been repaired, but it was pretty good apart from that, with lots of great corners to drive through with beautiful scenery. All of a sudden we all came to a full stop. On a left-hand corner the Jag was stopped with John out of the car, and waving us past. Some of the group pulled onto the wide verge on the other side of the road, whilst the rest of us travelled to the top and stopped around the wide intersection just out of the bush.
I went back and the Jag had been pushed to the other side of the road onto the wide verge. There was an electrical problem behind the dash which stopped the fuel pumps, so it was left there ?till afterwards to be towed home. We all continued on up through the more open grazing and spud country to the top at Childers, and turned left down through the red and green spud country to Thorpdale, where we turned left towards Traf and had a short ?pit-stop?.
We travelled back to just above Traf and turned hard right into Rogers Rd, which is a wonderful winding uphill road with great views over Traf and the Valley. At the top, the road veers right through some more open farmland and down towards the Narracan Connection Rd where we turned left and down past the lovely restored Narracan Hall and through Narracan. Then we went up through the attractive grazing and red spud land and across the Morwell-Thorpdale Rd onto McDonalds Track, and past the site of the Worlds? Tallest Tree, where we checked out its height.
From here we re-joined the Thorpdale – Mirboo North Rd and turned left driving through that wonderful wide open winding downhill road of sweeping bends to the Strzelecki Hwy where we turned right and up to Mirboo North and the orange coloured ?Inline 4 Cafe?. Most had pre-ordered meals so these were served first with the rest not far behind. This pre-ordering saved a lot of time in getting them out, as meals were basically pre-prepared. They were generous portions with a great mix of flavours and very nicely presented. The 20 of us took up a very large proportion of the Cafe, and a lot of chatter took place about car stuff and the route. Everyone really enjoyed the Cafe and its meals.
From here we travelled west to the edge of town and a short strip of dirt rd, to the huge shed of Colin and Maxine Keil, that was their new ?4C?s Motor Museum?. We were the 3rd group to go through, and it was very well laid out, and clearly he could hold many, many more cars, with even the option of a mezzanine floor (or 2!). They had 14 classic & historic cars plus other memorabilia on display, and we were given a very interesting talk about them all. A couple of cars were away, and more cars are expected to be added from friends very soon. A fantastic collection that includes a few rare old cars!
We next had a look in another shed which contained a multitude of spare parts and partial cars ? all early model Jaguar stuff. It was an amazing huge collection of spares that he is slowly selling off. Colin had another shed of partial old cars and parts which we did not have time to see as well. Then we thanked them and said our goodbyes. It is amazing what is in sheds across the countryside!
Footnote: John and crew went back later with a trailer and loaded the Jag on OK, then took it home. John has now fixed the electrical wiring problem. Ahhh! The joys of old cars – but at least we can still get to the parts & work on them ? unlike our new stuff!
John Fowler
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