Long Flat Run

12 October 2013 / Peter Rodgers

After a leisurely morning tea at Port Macquarie's Rivermark Café, six full MX-5s set off to drive the long way to Long Flat on the Oxley Highway, west of Wauchope.

The intention was to first of all drive north to Telegraph Point on the Pacific Highway and do a loop out to Rollands Plains before heading south via Pembrooke to join the Oxley highway on the western side of Wauchope.  Unfortunately even the best made plans can go astray at times as heavy traffic on the Pacific Highway caused our group to become separated and by the time we got to Telegraph Point we were missing two cars, including our newest members Peter and Sandra.  We decided to continue out to Rollands Plains hoping that we would see the others on the way, but this was not to be.  However about 20 minutes later, just after turning right towards Pembrooke, I looked in the rear view mirror and counted five cars behind me and so we were now six again.

The Oxley from Wauchope to Long Flat has some very nice twisty bits as well as a few not so twisty bits, but just after the not so twisty bit we caught up to a wagon which slowed us down and put somewhat of a damper on the twisty bits before Long Flat.

Long Flat has a lovely little county pub overlooking the Hastings River and this was to be our lunch destination and being a small group I thought there would be no need to book a table.  As we approached the pub we saw 176 motor bikes with riders wearing various forms of pink regalia parked along the road almost as far as the eye could see.  Yes, the annual Pink Ribbon Ride had also decided to make the Long Flat pub their lunch stop. But all was not lost as the Pink Ribbon Riders were having a barbie in the yard and there was plenty of space in the dining room for us.

After a very pleasant and tasty lunch it was time to head home, hopefully being able to tackle the twisty bits with a little more pace than on the way out, however this was not to be as four of us had the not so great pleasure of following a slow moving truck laden with newly cut hay most of the way back to Wauchope.

Nevertheless, another great day, with great people, in great cars.

Our next run for the Mid North Coast Chapter on November 9 will be to South West Rocks.