Ironbark Picnic Run
28 August 2020 / Words and photos Robert Simms
Wednesday, 26 August dawned bright and sunny, with no wind. Eight cars and 16 Illawarra Red members assembled at Unanderra for a run to Cordeaux Dam and morning tea. It was an auspicious destination. The last time most of the members had assembled together was the Australia Day picnic. On that day, the dam was nearly empty, the grass was brown and dead and the event was brought to an early close by a torrential storm. Today, the weather was bright and sunny, the dam was full and the surrounding vegetation was lush and green -very picturesque.
From Cordeaux, we set off for the Ironbark picnic area in the Royal National Park via Broughton Pass and the Seacliff Bridge. It was a relatively slow run because of the traffic, but the bonus was more time to take in the spectacular coastal views. A BYO picnic lunch at Ironbark, where we were joined by two more cars, gave us time to catch up with old and new friends and to swap yarns about our COVID affected lives; reminisce about life before COVID-19 and tell a few tall stories. It was wonderful to be out in the sunshine, enjoying our picnic lunch surrounded by cockatoos, kookaburras and a family of newly-hatched ducklings. Spring had sprung and it was a therapeutic experience for each of us. Needless to say, we are all looking forward to our next outing in our MX-5s (plus one or two Abarths and a Merc).
