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Owning and driving a Porsche 928 produces sensations that can rarely be
matched by other pursuits (with your clothes on anyway). Joining
with a group of individuals and families in the same situations takes
this pleasure to even greater heights.
Such was this tip across the border to cold, wet and
foggy Victoria. Some familiar faces and some new ones joined in what was
one of the most pleasant weekends I have had.
Roger and Deb are to be congratulated on instigating and
planning an outing that went as smooth as silk and took the group of ten
superb sharks through some of the most beautiful country our continent
has to offer. To those of us from dryer, hotter regions, the mist at the
Cross and Straw Lane winery on Mt Macedon, created an almost Bavarian
atmosphere that was indeed exhilarating.
For the South Australian contingent, this was a rushed
three-day event that began in the local tyre depot, having new rear
tyres fitted to rear of my '81S, after finding a slow leak from a side
wall at the last moment. We left an hour later than planned but made it
to Bordertown in good time for a coffee/lunch/comfort stop that blew out
to 2 hours through good company, food and atmosphere!
We looked at the map at this stage and after a few
expletives, we decided that haste would be a good thing, as Geelong
seemed to be moving south at the same rate as us. We re-fuelled at
Horsham and turned due south through the back blocks toward Hamilton
over some narrow, single lane back tracks that required running off into
the dirt at upper cruising speeds to allow oncoming cars to share half
the road. It was however quiet and allowed very few restrictions to
long- legged thoroughbred tourers and many kilometres were put behind
us. Sadly we were out of phone range and unable to make our scheduled
check in with Roger until 2 hours late. The man has the patients of a
saint and with Grant and Des, they waited on the cold lonely
highway as darkness fell, not knowing if we would ever turn up to give
us an escort into Geelong.
When phone contact was finally restored, we were only
about 20 minutes away from them, on the wrong highway I might add. My
friend and former work mate Steve, at the helm of the 81S, on his first
ever 928 drive out of town, wasn't expecting to be met and his first
experience of a group gathering of sharks, laying in wait to lead him
through the bright lights of Geelong to our motel, will stay with him
for a long time to come.
Not to let Steve think that was all the 928 fraternity
was capable of, Des, in the next room, drove him to the 'Waterfront' to
meet up with the long suffering families for dinner, in his gleaming
midnight blue GT, whilst my companion and I followed demurely in the
filthy dirty GTS.
Then followed dinner, wine, great company, stories and
the inevitable comparisons of shark with shark. There can be no greater
way to live. After dinner, I handed the keys of my GTS to a fellow I met
just a few hours earlier, so he could give them to someone else and the
next morning at 8 o'clock, Roger drove it back into the motel after he
had washed every last bug from it. Now that's hospitality with a capital
'H'!
The Mt. Macedon run was a dream come true, even though
our hosts would have loved to have provided perfect sunshine, it didn't
detract one iota from the pleasure, spirit and camaraderie of the day.
There can't be a shark run without some numbers,
especially if you have had a technical background but I'll keep them
brief.
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It took us 12 hours to return home (and a bit less
going over), door to door, with regular short stops for coffee and
leg/wheel stretching and a long lunch in Ballarat.
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For the 3 days I covered 1992km in the GTS and
Steve, who lives virtually on the edge of the CBD would have
crossed the 2000km mark by the time he arrived at his door.
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On the run home the 81S was averaging 12.5km/100L
and as Steve says, 'that's with a few kick downs, because I can't
resist that'.
He rang me today and asked when I want the car back and
I asked if he would be interested in a weekend run to Mt Gambier in a
few months, (after I've had a new water pump fitted), 'hell yeah,
count me in', so I think his Alfa could be a trade-in . . . on a GT
maybe!
I don't care if you stole our Grand Prix, a great bunch
of people, a great time and may there be many more.
Well done Deb and Roger. You have set a standard that
will be hard to surpass.
Mike Kelly '81S & '94GTS - Adelaide
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