Club Zone

Red, White & Blue Run

The first ever Club Run was held on 8 July 1990. The destination was Kiama for a spit roast lunch, after morning tea at Bulli Tops. The return trip was via Saddleback Mountain and Bald Hill Headland Reserve. Photo by Elaine Caldwell.

06 July 2015 / Words by Bryan Shedden, Photos by Keith Monaghan and Bryan Shedden

On Sunday 8th July 1990, the MX-5 Club of NSW held it's first ever club run. That day was dominated by a sea of NA MX-5s in Classic Red, a few Crystal White and a lonely Mariner Blue. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this event, I decided to recreate it as the Red, White & Blue Run - an idea I shamelessly stole from our Victorian cousins.

The original run started at the old F6 tollgates, which are long gone! Remember the old 60c toll? Instead, we assembled at Waterfall Station carpark, where parking was at a premium due to buses running in place of trains. I arrived to find that Helen, Grant, Lindsay and Josh were already there - from Newcastle! However, the dedication award belonged to Stephen who drove all the way from Tamworth to join the run.

As the MX-5s rolled in, runsheets were handed out in addition to souvenir copies of the first Club Newsletter and the original 1990 run notes. It was a fantastic turn out with 40 MX-5s, a Mini Moke, a Sprite, and 67 people! The weather turned it on for us too, with crystal clear blue skies. Amongst our numbers were Foundation Members Colin & Elaine in their immaculate Classic Red NA. They participated in that first club run in this same MX-5, and so authenticity was assured. Other long-term members included Dave & Amy in his & hers Mariner Blue NAs (with young Romeo in a booster seat), George in his delightfully tatty NA, and Garry and Allan in their SPs. A very warm welcome was given to all.

The first leg of our trip was unusually short but consistent with the original. After a short run down the Princes Highway to Bulli Tops, we stopped for coffee and gelato at the Southern Gateway Centre, and luckily the carpark was (barely) large enough to cope. The amazing views of the Illawarra were simply breathtaking and began a theme that would continue throughout the day. We stopped for over an hour, allowing the baristas to cope with the coffee orders, and for everyone to have a good chat.

Back in the cars, we zipped down the motorway to Picton Road and then turned onto Mt Keira Road for a gorgeous descent through the rainforest, before taking the freeway south to Kiama. The North Kiama Bypass was opened in 2005 and skips the original route through Minnamurra and Kiama Downs. Arriving at Coronation Park, parking was at an unexpected premium due to league match at the Showground, forcing us to scatter around town. With the broad variety of options available in Kiama, there were no formal lunch arrangements and everyone was left to do their own thing. Many made their way to the RSL Club for a bistro lunch ... which is somewhat perplexing as there is no RSL Club in Kiama! Another group enjoyed fish & chips at the harbour overlooking Black Beach. While another group gorged themselves on the generous servings at The Grand Hotel. With full bellies, a stroll to the blow hole was in order for many.

Everyone trickled back towards Coronation Park at around 2pm, primed for part two of our adventure. Some of our number left early, and we were joined by Jan and David, bringing our net tally to 44 cars and 69 people. It's quite unusual for most club runs to include a return leg, so I gave a quick briefing to explain what would come next.

The first leg of the return trip was another very short one. We ascended the steep ridge to the top of Saddleback Mountain for group photos ... and more time for chit-chat. New barriers around the car park prevented us from recreating the original group photos, but they did stop one of our MX-5s from rolling down the hill when it's handbrake failed to hold. Whew!

First Club Run - 8 Jul 1990
1990

2015

Then it was a twisty descent to Jamberoo and the dairy country to Albion Park. The group stretched out on the run up the Freeway and Memorial Drive. The original run went up Mt Ousley and down Bulli Pass, but we skipped that in preference for Memorial Drive which opened in 1992 (Bulli extension in 2009). Cruising slowly through the coastal hamlets of Austinmer, Scarborough, etc brought us to the spectacular Sea Cliff Bridge. And finally, with the sun setting behind the escarpment and a ridiculously busy car park at Bald Hill Headland Reserve, we stopped to say our goodbyes. Sadly it was too crowded to replicate the original photo of red NAs parked with their headlights raised.

It was a wonderful day out. Thank you to everyone who came along for the ride and made it very special.