Illawarra Daylight Saving Run

12 February 2015 / Review - Julie Farquhar. Photos - Brendan Barr & Bryan Shedden

Daylight Savings run… a first timer's perspective

I had joined my husband up to the MX-5 Club when we arrived in Wollongong from Dubbo … it would be good for him I thought … meeting new people and talking car stuff … a bloke world …

Little did I know how wrong I was! The first major run for us was the Daylight Savings run from Bald Hill Headland Reserve up in Stanwell Tops to Werri Beach just down the coast … Somehow I hadn't understood that we would go via several mountains, a myriad of back lanes and untold hairpin bends. I watched as they gave Paul the navigation instructions. As neither of us know Wollongong and the surrounds I hoped he understood the directions which included "a pie shop you can”t miss" … we did. Sure there was a runsheet and turns at specific kilometres … which works well if you remember to set the odometer at the start and not 3.2km down the road … so maths then becomes an issue. I also noted then that the only "points of interest" listed on the runsheet referred to a warning about speed cameras …

We were luckily near the rear of the group as the front end disappeared before we could blink. But the run down through Thirroul following the coast was fine. Garry and Jan "tail-end Charlies" had lent us a CB so I could … if I was quick enough, hear what was going on. Ahh, I thought as we skimmed past those poor plebs on the beaches … you are missing one of life's real treats.

Then we turned into the hills … I was a little puzzled … I’m normally the navigator and we seemed to be heading away from our destination. It was then that I discovered the real reason behind the expedition. We were to find every twist and turn, every narrow lane (not road), and every chasm (on my side) that the Illawarra has to offer. And all at a spanking pace. Paul loved it ... but he wasn't on the drop side of the road.

We headed to a lookout on Saddleback Mountain through rainforest and stunning rock walls. I know they were stunning as they were so close at times I could almost touch them … but my intrepid driver assured me that we were fine. By this time we'd sort of got the hang of the runsheet and I'd managed to add 3.2 to most km directions.

Then we were able to test the brakes. The MX-5 Club caters for all areas of driving skills. There we were moving at a good pace up a steep incline just rounding a tight corner when ... bamm! a stop sign, a T intersection, a steep drop and no road signs came leaping out at us. The brakes work well. We made a wrong turn but were soon redirected to finally arrive at a spectacular lookout and recover some of our breath. This was followed by the run down Saddleback Mountain which reminded me of the freewheeling feeling we had as kids when we took our feet from the pedals and let the world race past.

The next stage was a short drive down to the coast again, fly along the expressway and completing the trip by negotiating back streets and speed humps and dining at Werri Beach on the promised "fish and chips".

Yet the run was spectacular on a variety of levels. The members exuded warmth and friendship, the procession of beautiful cars was both fun and gave you this enormous sense of pride, and the drive allowed us to see and experience parts of the Illawarra that would be unobtainable from our everyday car. It was not what we expected … but we wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Click here to view Brendan's Photos

Click here to view Bryan's Photos