Nurbushring and Pacific Palms Run

11 November 2014 / Words Mike Walkden-Brown, Pictures Peter Rodgers

Once again a perfect spring day for our monthly MX-5 run to our lunch stop the Pacific Palms Recreation Club. Perhaps indicative of our busy lives and our smaller Mid Coast Group we had a select group of three MX-5s this time, two joined at Port Macquarie and the other at Taree.

From Port Macquarie we travelled on an old section of the Pacific Highway before turning south on the new Pacific Highway. I particularly enjoyed this run because we took every opportunity to drive the old sections of the Pacific Highway, a delight to drive in an MX-5 with next to no traffic. The tendency with the need to get from A to B can be to avoid such roads but this run showed me a number of sections of the old highway remain in very good condition and certainly a great drive in the MX-5.

The highlight for me was the Wootton Way and the run down the mountain to Buladelah with no traffic was MX-5 heaven. The drive to Pacific Palms from Buladelah was another story in heavy traffic but we were lucky that some slower traffic pulled over to allow us to pass from time to time. Deja vu when one's my age and to think years ago we only had these narrow single lane roads always congested with traffic.

Lunch was very enjoyable with good company and good quality food at a fair price. Once again lunch is the time to get to know everyone. After lunch we said our fond goodbyes as we going in different directions. Peter and I went back through Foster, a very scenic route with glimpses of the Pacific Ocean on the right and the Lake on the left. Once back on the Pacific Highway we were travelling in light traffic to our destinations, Port Macquarie and Nambucca Heads.

In summary, another enjoyable days drive in the MX-5.