The Sun Run to Noosa Mk II

01 June 2014 / Words and photos: Ken Keeling

Following an apparently successful Sun Run to Noosa last year, we planned a similar holiday run of four days via the roads less travelled for this autumn and timed to be a “positioning run” for Natmeet at Caloundra.

On a clear Saturday, our group of four MX5s departed early from Hall and then via Yass, Cowra, and Bathurst to Rylstone.  After lunch we travelled through the picturesque Bylong Valley and took the Golden Way to Merriwa and then across to Scone for our first overnight stop.  Despite encountering some heavy rain showers during the afternoon, that encouraged “tops up”, we arrived safe, dry and warm.   Another enjoyable day of touring with 610 kms under the wheels.

Day Two saw us on the New England Hwy to Wallabadah for an educational stopover at the First Fleet Memorial Gardens and then to Nundle, a quaint out of the way township, for the mandatory coffee fix.  Then, we travelled northbound, past the Chaffey Dam, to Dungowan enabled us to head up the Dungowan Valley into the bush-fire scarred mountains after Ogunbil, before we joined Thunderbolt’s Way to Walcha for lunch.

The afternoon drive via Armidale to Dorrigo was pleasant touring, with a diversion to the Dorrigo “Skywalk”.  Leaving Dorrigo later than planned gave a convenient logic to some spirited driving down the Nymboida River Valley (now fully sealed road in good condition with some lovely twisty bits) to our planned overnight stop at the Nymboida Coaching Station Inn.  Our arrival after some 530 kms brought to a close another day of enjoyable driving.

Unfortunately, ownership of the Inn changed late last year and Russell Crowe had since removed his unique personal collection from “The Museum of Interesting Things” (MIT), one of the reasons for our stop at Nymboida. But it still was a very pleasant place to spend the night – in spacious rooms overlooking the picturesque Nymboida River with the bar/restaurant providing a convivial atmosphere and good meals.

Day Three had us heading off to Grafton then along rural roads on the Northern-most side of the Clarence River to Lawrence to take a ferry ride.  A relaxed run along the riverbank to and through Maclean enabled us to join the Pacific Hwy as far as Woodburn, where we diverted north via the rural roads to Lismore.  From Lismore it was on a main road to Clunes, then interesting back roads through Eureka and Federal to the nicely winding drop down to the lower land at Mullumbimby and, after a coffee break, on to our overnight accommodation at Brunswick Heads.  Our checking in coincided with the arrival of Tony Haslam (Sunshine Coast Chapter), bringing our group up to 6 MX5’s and 10 persons.

I had pre-arranged with our selected dining venue, the uniquely named fatbellyKaf, for a fixed banquet of Mediterranean food.  The evening was a fitting finale` to a relaxed day of driving some 230 kms of interesting by-roads - the fatbellyKaf’s banquet was excellent fare, with the wine good and in adequate quantities, and the company convivial.

Day Four of our Fun Run to the Sun, started relatively early with a run up and over the Burringbar Range on the Old Highway, turning off (up and over another ridgeline) to Uki and thence through the Mt Warning caldera to Kyogle.  The “Lion’s Road” took us over the Border Ranges, with a stop at the Border Loop lookout, and on to Beaudesert for coffee.

From there we endured freeway traffic as we skirted to the east of Brisbane.  Departing the M1 at Murrumba Downs took us to Petrie and Dayboro where we again resumed enjoyable driving, taking the Mt Mee Road over the ranges to D’aguilar and the B5 west through Woodford to turn off to Peachester, in the middle of the Glass House Mountains.  Taking Bald Knob Rd enabled us to climb up the crater wall and join the Maleny road to drop down to Landsborough and on to Mooloolah.  This gave us access to the Eudlo Rd and another enjoyable section of “driver’s road” to Palmwoods.  From there it was main roads and traffic through Nambour to Yandina before joining the Bruce Freeway up to the Noosa turnoff at Eumundi, where the rain showers commenced.  The run into Noosaville after 455 kms was the formal end of our “Sun Run Mk II” – four days of generally good weather and enjoyable touring on the interesting “roads less travelled” with some 1830 kms under the wheels since leaving Canberra.

The Islander Resort staff provided their usual warm welcome to, as well as organising a good package for, our group of MX5 visitors.  Over the next four days, before the start of Natmeet, we managed to continue enjoying ourselves by driving most of the Sunshine Coast’s hinterland roads near the Three M’s (Maleny, Montville and Mapleton), including a foray from Montville down and back up “The Hunchy”, a well-kept secret drivers treat (until now!).  We had wine and cheese al fresco whilst watching the sunset over the Noosa River.

The ladies were tempted by the Eumundi markets on Wednesday (and again on Saturday!).  At King Ludwig’s Bavarian Restaurant, we dined on excellent traditional German food whilst enjoying magnificent views over the Glass House Mountains.  Tony H took us on a drive to Boreen Point on the shores of Lake Cootharaba for lunch at the historic Apollonian Hotel.  And, on Saturday, at Malcom’s insistence, we revisited The Spirit House at Yandina to experience outstanding Asian-oriented gourmet dining, after which the Battissons departed to Natmeet.

Unfortunately, in Noosaville on Sunday, the gods of weather scowled at us and we took a vote on what to do.  The decision was “something locally and individually”, rather than make the drive to Caloundra to attend the Natmeet “shine and show” event in the rain.  Nevertheless, and an enjoyable time was had by all at Noosa - there were river cruises or coffee by the beach for some and shopping for others.  Diana and I took a day away from the group and enjoyed a very French lunch at the Le Relais Bressan café near Flaxton.

Because of Natmeet and others’ plans, only the Sun Run and the Sunshine Coast fun were planned as group activity.  So it was that after a full week at Noosaville, the residual four cars of Sun Run Mk II separated for their respective trips home, some to stop off with relatives and/or friends on the way home.  Matt and I, plus Malcolm B, headed south via Beaudesert (but not the Lion’s Road) to Casino and Grafton and then the Orara Way to Nana Glen before cutting back to the coast for our overnight stop at Woolgoolga.  Next day it was an early start and straight down the Pacific Hwy to Raymond Terrace, then across to Maitland and the Putty Road to Windsor and home via the Hume Freeway.

I think we again had a great two weeks driving holiday, including some 3750 kms of mostly interesting roads for MX5 drivers.