Sydney on the Road: NatMeet Edition

10 May 2026 / Photos Mark Godfrey Story Kay Godfrey

We rolled into the Hunter on Sunday, MX‑5s everywhere — like someone had tipped a giant bag of jellybeans across the resort. The evening BBQ set the tone: full bellies, big laughs, and everyone pretending they weren’t already checking out each other’s mods.

Monday was Show & Shine and Pride of Ownership, also known as “I swear that smudge wasn’t there a second ago.” In the afternoon we split into groups of ten for winery loops — half clockwise, half anticlockwise — which meant constant passing, flashing lights, waving arms, and at least one person nearly missing a turn because they were too busy waving back.

Tuesday was our big moment: leading the Lakes & Ocean run. And honestly? We smashed it. Only three turn‑arounds, which should qualify as a NatMeet achievement badge considering we’d only done the route once before. Tail‑End Charlie (local, patient, possibly long‑suffering) kept us in line.

Theme night that evening was “Anything Starting With M,” which produced monks, mexicans, mechanics, and one person who clearly panicked and came as “Miscellaneous.”

Wednesday was a two‑run extravaganza. Most did the Harbour Country Loop, with the highlight being Fighterworld — and the F35 jets taking off. Ten of them. Loud enough to rearrange your internal organs.

But then there was the Hawkesbury Loop — the epic one. A 368 km, 7 hour 50 minute odyssey over the convict‑built Great Northern Road, down through Wisemans Ferry, across to Windsor, and back via the legendary Putty Road. By the end, the cars were dusty, the drivers were buzzing, and everyone agreed it was long… but gloriously long. Well done Steven and Maree for leading.

Dinner that night was offsite, and we attempted to board and exit the buses in an orderly fashion. Attempted.

Thursday wrapped up the driving with the Lower Hunter run. The mines were the standout — massive, impressive, and the kind of thing that makes you grateful your MX‑5’s hardest job is a spirited hill climb, not hauling 400 tonnes of anything.

And then came the Gala Dinner — the grand finale. Everyone scrubbed up beautifully (some of us barely recognised each other without hats and sunscreen), the room sparkled, and the awards rolled out. There were proud winners, loud cheers, a few “I swear I wasn’t expecting this” moments, and plenty of friendly heckling from the tables. The perfect mix of celebration, mischief, and NatMeet charm.