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Tumut and Batemans Bay Weekend What a fantastic weekend! The NSWTC is truly blessed with the weather. After rain the previous day and night, we awoke to a picture perfect day on Friday, 21 September. Our meeting place at Leo’s Diner on the Hume Highway near the Liverpool Crossroads saw our weekend group begin to gather for our 9.30 a.m. departure. Joining in were the following:- Scott & Leanne Davidson. Unfortunately, Michael Holland and John Boller, who were due to join us in Goulburn, had to pull out at the last minute due to Mike’s bad back, but they were able to join us with their better halves for dinner in Batemans Bay on the Saturday night. After a pep talk from Greg on Friday’s run to Tumut we headed off and had the best run down to Goulburn where we stopped for a refuel and lunch at McDonalds on Goulburn’s outskirts. This is where Goulburn’s famous Big Merino has been relocated to. It was good to stretch the legs, fill the bellies and defuel. Following lunch we headed off to Gundagai where we refuelled prior to the next day’s run over the Snowy Mountains Highway. The traffic was minimal and we didn’t come across too many idiots. Lexa managed to upset some truckies who happened to be on the same radio channel as us, but hopefully they didn’t realise who she was and what car club she was a member of! Boy, the Secretary can get upset with truckies; and the language!!!! We arrived in Gundagai and filled up our thirsty Torries and then headed into Tumut. After the boring two lane Hume Highway from Sydney to Gundagai it was good to drive the last leg of the journey on some country road and give the Torries a bit of a squirt. We arrived in Tumut and headed to our accommodation, the Valley View Motor Inn (a great Torrie friendly motel run by two friendly hosts). After unpacking the Torries and settling into our rooms, Greg, Lexa & Scott headed into town to stock up on the essentials (carton of Crown Lager, chips and the like) and then the party began. Friday night saw us collected by the Tumut RSL’s courtesy bus and delivered to the RSL for a slap up meal in the dining room followed by drinks and entertainment courtesy of Tom Routledge (see pic of Tom in the gallery), and boy don’t the locals love Tom! Lexa and Leanne F partook in some pokie machine investing and both managed to have a bit of a win. At about 9.30 p.m. as the Tumut RSL Club was winding down (gotta love these country towns), the courtesy bus deposited us back to our digs for the night. It was a beautiful, but very chilly evening. The group was tired from the day’s long trek and Tom’s enthusiastic guitar and vocal display and retired to bed. Saturday morning saw us rise to another glorious day, but with frost on our Torries (except the President’s who remembered his Torrie’s pyjamas). After brekkie, a defrost of Torries and a quick chat from Greg about driving rules, or lack there of, on today’s leg it was off to Talbingo Dam for a photo opportunity (see photo gallery). After a steep climb up from the power station at the base of the hill we arrived at the Dam and stepped out into a wind coming straight off the Snowy Mountains. It was time to don the coats and check out how low the Dam is compared to previous years. For those of you who may visit Talbingo there is a service station there with one very enthusiastic Torrie lover; make sure you call in and say gidday if you’re ever in the area. Rick fell in love with the servo’s resident dog, Ozzie, an Australian bulldog, who unfortunately has a nasty habit of lifting his leg on car wheels (that’s Ozzie, not Rick). We then headed off to continue our climb up the hill to the top of the mountain range. This would have to be one of the most beautiful and exciting roads to travel on in NSW, if not Australia. As most of the members of the NSWTC are approaching middle age, or have reached it, responsible behaviour was the order of the day. However, a strange “red mist” appeared in front of all drivers’ eyes from time to time! Hopefully, all the drivers have now made doctors’ appointments to have this strange phenomenon checked. The condition of the road was as always excellent with long straight stretches and perfect visibility, camber perfect high-speed bends and lots of twisty stuff too. Just the type of roads Torries thrive on. We arrived at Adaminaby for a defuel and leg stretch and a photo in front of the big trout (see photo gallery). We were then back in the Torries and off to Cooma for a refuel before heading off on another great stretch of road to Nimmitabel Bakery for a yummy lunch. Top pies to be had in Nimmitabel! We then climbed back into our Torries for the last leg of Saturday’s journey to the coast and then north to Batemans Bay. This was a long day of driving, but by jingoes what a blast! We arrived at Batemans Bay and our accommodation and again Torries were unpacked and Les and Rick headed off for the night’s supplies (Crown Lager, chips and the like); hang on there’s a pattern forming here! At about 6.30 p.m. our injured member, Mike Holland, his wife, Gabbie, plus Johnno and his wife, Cheryl, arrived to collect us for dinner at the Blank Canvas Restaurant in town. As always, the members of the NSWTC represented themselves and the Club in the most upstanding manner as we have come to expect. However, there were a couple of Club fines handed out for indiscretions over the weekend such as Scott having a little bit too much to drink the previous night, Les for coming out of the glove box (you have to be a member to understand that one), Greg’s driving indiscretions on the Snowy Mountains Highway, Greg and Rick’s excessive girly giggling on Friday night at dinner etc. We headed back on foot to our motel (Gabbie and Leanne D drove), which was approximately 300 metres, however, it has been estimated that Les walked at least five kilometres due to his inebriated condition! Rick was estimated at four kilometres! At the motel Rob presented members with a bottle of French red wine, which was duly opened and consumed and resulted in the end of the day’s proceedings. Sunday morning we awoke, some more bright eyed than others, and headed off to our breakfast destination, which was Cheryl and John Boller’s famous Batemans Bay eatery, Bay River Deli at 28 Beach Road. Johnno had promised to wear only an apron and a leather thong, but disappointed us by being fully clothed; chicken! Maybe next time Johnno? Cheryl and Johnno certainly know how to cook up a lavish breakfast and we dined in the morning sunshine overlooking the Bay; you wouldn’t be dead for quids! After a quick photo shoot out the front of the Deli, we headed back to the motel to pack up and head on our way towards home. We drove over Clyde Mountain onto Braidwood and then onto the Hume Highway at Goulburn. Again, a gorgeous day, a great drive, slowed momentarily by hundreds of motorbikes, and a final opportunity to exercise the Torries. We stopped for an early lunch and refuel at Marulan and following this said our goodbyes and thanked each other for a wonderful weekend (Rick said he’d never driven his Torrie so far) and headed off for home. Thanks to all those who participated and made this weekend a memorable one. Here they are again including their designated radio call signs:- Scott & Leanne Davidson aka Canary Yellow Butterfly 2 (gees I’m glad that’s not my call sign!). Rob & Leanne Farnsworth aka Fusion Farnsworth (short for confusion and fusion being the colour of Rob’s new Torrie yet to be sighted). Greg & Lexa Hawkins aka Red Fox Leader 1 (how this equates to a white/black Torrie nobody knows, however, being President of the Club you are entitled to pick your own call sign). Les Wilson aka Blue Bird Leso. As you can see from the above this Club has so much fun, particularly on these overnight runs, and I would like to thank everybody who participated. The next weekend away is to Dubbo in March 2008, which will include our AGM; make sure you set the time aside. Pics of this run can be seen in the Gallery Section. Greg & Lexa.
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