Neil's Whaleless Weekend
29 November 2013 / Words by Barry Pope, Photos by Bryan Shedden
Despite the smoke-filled air, 10 MX-5s and 19 members set off bravely on the coastal run with roofs down on 19 October. Travelling south of Wollongong via Kiama and Gerringong the first stop was the Visitor's Centre beside the Shoalhaven River in Nowra for the obligatory pit stop. South of Nowra we were joined by Wayne & Sue Hunt, bringing our numbers up to 11 cars and 21 eager participants. Continuing on past the scenic towns of Ulladulla, Batemans Bay, Malua Bay and Tomakin we arrived for lunch at the quaint village of Mogo. There were several cafes to sit in in the shade and chat, as well as many touristy shops to wander through.
Following a leisurely lunch and ice creams for some, it was back to "The Bay" where we had a change of direction and headed towards the Clyde Mountain to our destination at Braidwood. The run up Clyde Mountain is always exhilarating and even more so in our sure footed steeds. Upon arrival in Braidwood most of us checked in to the Cedar Lodge Motel – grand in name, comfortable, friendly and well located.
That amount of driving was not enough for some. Several cars went on to do a round trip to Araluen where the passengers were charged with the responsibility of taste testing the local brew. Back in Braidwood the others took the healthier option of stretching their legs whilst checking out the historic buildings of the town.
It wasn't difficult to fill in the remaining hour or two before dinner. It was a taste testing fest of local and non-local wines, champagne and beer. It had been a hot day after all!
An excellent dinner finished an excellent day. A short walk (via a quick support at a nearby pub) to an old house - now the Torpeas Restaurant- fuelled the appetite for a delicious meal.
Some sought a cleansing ale on the walk back to the motel but were met with disappointment due to the pub's closure. (probably a good thing in hindsight)
A leisurely breakfast in Braidwood was followed by a short briefing by Neil on the day's forthcoming activities, then off to the Goulburn Brewery. The run to the brewery took us past Wakefield Park which will be familiar to many MX-5ers.
Upon arrival, we were met by Michael from the brewery, who provided a very interesting history of this old brewery and described the many processes involved in producing beer from start to finish. A tasting of the local brew is part of the tour and our intrepid team did not let the brewery down in this regard. Lunch was also provided by the brewery with instructions by Neil that departure was scheduled for 1pm.
The final leg back to the finish point at The Robertson Pie Shop took us via the back roads east of Goulburn through Bungonia, briefly back onto the Hume Highway then through Wingello, Bundanoon, Exeter, Fitzroy Falls and then onto the Robertson Pie Shop.
This final leg of approximately 120km was an excellent finale to a wonderful weekend run, due to a lack of traffic, very MX-5 friendly roads and the constant applause from the incessant cicadas.
I am sure all of the run members are extremely grateful to Neil Tribe for providing perfect weather, a very well organised run and great run leadership skills.
