Now with added Gs! (5G 4 Lunch
21 June 2022 / Words by Rod Nicholas. Pictures by Rod Nicholas, Maryanne Nicholas and Donna Sharp
There’s heaps to think about when planning a run. The destination’s important, of course, and what you’re going to do once you get there. Goulburn (Tick). Lunch (Tick). The route there, and the route back. (Tick). (Tick). The start point and time. (Tick. No wait, I’ve just bunged in TBA, and now the Convenor wants to know, so quickly pick a vaguely suitable time and place off the top of my scone … and Hey Presto! We’ve got a run!).
Snappy title. That’s what a good run needs. ‘3Gs 4 Lunch’; Gundaroo, Gunning and Goulburn. Very Clever says I. That’ll have ‘em registering quickity split!
The basic info was up on the website, and registrations were coming in. There was plenty of time for a recce, but the intervening weeks gobbled that up quickly. With only a few days to go, I hit up Google Maps and had an inspiration! With a slight detour to the proposed route, I could add a couple more Gs! That has to be better doesn’t it! Now with added Gs!
The recce proved that heading down Range Road at Grabben Gullen (there’s the two extra Gs) would be fun. Range Road was in excellent condition, mostly quite wide for a country road, and with very few potholes. It had a couple of sweeping bends, a few little twisties and some scenery (if you count wind turbines as scenic). There was not likely to be much traffic although there were plenty of homes around and thus plenty of driveways, some ‘hidden’. And it passed over a pretty bridge just before entering West Goulburn, with no turns needed to get to the proposed lunch spot (which we sampled and decided was perfect for our purposes).
Bridging the Wollondilly River
Back home, I penned some route directions and flicked it to the participants.
Our starting point was The Baker at Sutton, and it too proved to be a good choice. Plenty of parking, especially for those who arrived early, good coffee, good cakes (the chocolate éclair was delish), tasty pies and great bread for taking home.
Eight cars, all either red or white, hit the road. The road between Sutton and Gundaroo was potholed and a few short sections of gravel road works, especially as we got closer to Gundaroo, left our cars muddy. Given the amount of traffic this road gets it needs a lot more work. Gundaroo to Gunning was better; fewer traffic hazards to avoid.
We climbed the hill as we exited Gunning and flicked a left on to Grabben Gullen Road. The road was in mostly good condition, with only a few potholes, and the occasional roadkill to avoid. The biggest road hazard was the loaded Verada wagon that braked for all the corners and accelerated along the straights. Old mate driving was either oblivious to the line of sports cars behind him, or just a pain in the posterior. You can choose which.
Turning into Range Road at Grabben Gullen brought us almost underneath a row of turbines.
On the road to Goulburn
The road was still a good bit of fun, although I managed to find the one significant pothole along the 40 km travelled. As we reached the Astor Hotel for lunch some of the crew managed to find the parking right outside the hotel, while rest of us crawled through the busy carpark for just behind the hotel. There were no complaints about the food (I can personally recommend the ’Smoked Boston Butt Burger’) and we decided on a route home over lunch.
As we quit the hotel we regrouped and headed to the Rocky Hill Lookout for a photoshoot and a final chat before heading home.
I see red
I had presented several options for our return route and we decided to head to Tarago via the Braidwood Road, then head to Bungendore via the Bungendore Road. This was not the route I had taken on my recce run; that took us to Bungonia (good condition, nice road, sorta scenic) and on to Tarago via the Oallen Ford, Sandy Point and Cullalla Roads (also scenic but in fair to crappy condition). Favouring the more direct route meant our fillings stayed where they were supposed to be, and the level of driver-angst was kept to a minimum.
A couple of the crew took the easy way out along the Hume and Federal Highways. Sure, it was quick and easy, but it was also B.O.R.I.N.G.
Braidwood Road was a decent drive, and the road was in far better condition than I had expected. Bungendore Road from Tarago to Bungendore had some nasty bits in it; not ‘break your wheels’ nasty, but ‘rattle your fillings’ nasty. So, care was needed. Roadworks knocked the speed limit down in a few places (although there were no workers out that day), but everyone arrived in Bungendore for the final leg home safe and sound.
We’d had a good run. Short, but interesting; 250 km or thereabouts, and less than three hour’s driving. Love the cars, love the driving, love the company.
Back home, clean and shining
Rod Nicholas
