Adelaide Trip 2008 Galleries

April 25th : The views expressed on this page are those of the author only Written by Vic Widman (Events Coordinator for clubMINI) The weekend coincided with ANZAC Day and after gathering at Pheasants Nest on Friday morning at 10 am we endured the long weekend traffic heading south on the Hume Hwy. Double demerit points and a high Police presence ensured that the cruise control was set at the exact speed limit. We left the busy Hume at Goulburn and escaped to quieter roads on our way to Bungendore via Taralga. We settled into the local Bakery for lunch and as we enjoyed meat pies and lamingtons we noted the town’s ANZAC march was underway. The returned service men and women, the marching band and the bagpipers made a stirring sight as they marched down the main street towards us. But you can imagine our surprise when just metres away from our seated position they turned hard right and marched straight into the local PUB!!! We roared with laughter and thought, only in Australia! We were back on the road and skirted around Canberra and down the Monaro Hwy to Cooma for another pit stop in the park to stretch the legs and let the kids (Jasmine, Alex and John G) play on the slippery dip in the playground. From here we took that glorious MINI road, the Snowy Mtns Hwy over the Mountain to Kiandra. Kiandra is now virtually abandoned but in the later 1800’s it was a roaring gold town, then during the mid 1960-70’s it was a major ski field during the Winter months. We learnt that Ros Merten had spent most of her childhood at Kiandra with a relative that managed the Inn (the only building left at Kiandra these days) so we stopped on top of the mountains whilst Ros reminisced about her childhood skiing days. The long and winding road led us across the Mountains and down the other side past a very much water depleted Talbingo and Blowering Reservoir. Arriving in Tumut just on dusk, we quickly retreated to our various accommodation (Tumut is very busy during its festival weekend and we were split between 3 different locations in order to get all of us a bed for the night). The great thing about Tumut is that it’s not all that big and you can walk to just about al the points of interest, so we walked down to the Bowling club which Doug Martin had booked for us for dinner.

April 25th

The views expressed on this page are those of the author only Written ...

Updated: May 09, 2008 11:59pm PST

April 26th : Tumut is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the banks of the Tumut River. Tumut is at the foothills of the Snowy Mountains and is referred to as the gateway to the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Tumut Shire Council is administered from offices located in Tumut Blowering Dam is on the Tumut River in Australia. It is part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Associated with the dam is the Blowering Power Station. The dam was completed in 1968. It holds 1,628,000 megalitres (million litres). The wall height is 112 m and is constructed of earth and rockfill. The water from the dam is used for irrigation along the Murrumbidgee River, Yanco/Colombo/Billabong Creeks system, the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and the Colleambally Irrigation Area. The Parade Day The views expressed from this point on are those of the author only Written by Vic Widman (Events Coordinator for clubMINI) Saturday morning dawned clear and brisk and it looked like we would have a fine day for the parade. The morning was given over to washing and polishing the MINI’s so they would look their best in the parade. Then there was time for some shopping in the quaint country shops before we attended Doug’s beautiful home for morning tea before the parade. Being in a parade in a country town is a real buzz. You are surrounded by excited school kids dressed in various outfits, trucks done up to represent their chosen sponsors and the colour of the helium filed balloons, clowns and horse riding bushmen all add to the atmosphere. But once the parade gets underway, the real buzz starts. We had a good mix of new and old MINI’s going two by two down the main street which was filled with happy smiling faces at times several people deep at the barricades. Waving and horn blowing and acknowledging the crowd’s appreciation for our vehicles makes for a great time The parade concluded in a park where we were allocated space to pt our vehicles on display. The park also housed a variety of country stalls where you could purchase anything from fairy floss to home made cakes. We enjoyed spending our money and showing off our MINI’s to the country folk. The MINI clubman on loan from MINI Australia dragged in a lot of onlookers, and it was interesting to see the reaction to the extra storage capacity in the clubman, not sure how the upholstery would stand up to carting a few sheep around though? By later afternoon we took a short drive out to Blowering Dam where we managed to park all the MINI’s on the Dam Wall for a photo session. Then it was back to our rooms to prepare for the Fireworks display scheduled for 7pm. We walked to the oval and managed a vantage point right in front of the fireworks which prompted many Ooooh’s and Arrrh’s. Just as the fireworks concluded down came the traditional rain which ensured everyone scattered home.

April 26th

Tumut is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, ...

Updated: Jun 30, 2008 5:20am PST

April 27th : Thredbo (36°30′S, 148°18′E) is a village and ski resort in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, in the Snowy River Shire. Thredbo is about 500 kilometres south of Sydney. It is accessible by the Alpine Way. It is built in the valley of the Thredbo River, formerly known as the Crackenback River, at the foot of the Ramshead Range. The town has around 4150 beds but a permanent population of only about 300 people. When the mountain is fully covered by snow, Thredbo has the longest ski runs in Australia, and this attracts around 700,000 winter visitors annually Mitta Mitta is a small town in the Australian state of Victoria. It stands on the Omeo Highway and is 380km from Melbourne, and is located on the Mitta Mitta River not far from Dartmouth Dam. At the 2001 census, Mitta Mitta and the surrounding area had a population of 151.[1] Mitta Mitta, from Mutta Mutta, means "thunder" in the local Aboriginal language although this is under some dispute. The river was discovered by explorers Hume & Hovell and early pastoralists from the Monaro district in New South Wales seeking respite from increasingly dry conditions moved to the area to take up the fertile land after 1838. Gold was discovered in 1852 and a town developed. The Pioneer Mine, to the west of the town, became one of the state's largest open-cut mines and with 441 kg of gold produced over 20 years. The Pioneer Mine was the third enterprise in Australia to use large-nozzle hydraulic sluicing and was managed for 12 years by James Hedley from the famous gold-mining family. In the early twentieth century gold dredges mined for gold yielding 167 Kg of gold. Tin was also mined in the district

April 27th

Thredbo (36°30′S, 148°18′E) is a village and ski resort in the S ...

Updated: May 09, 2008 11:38pm PST

April 28th : The Omeo Highway is a 164 kilometre road in eastern Victoria, Australia, connecting north-east Victoria to Gippsland over parts of the Victorian Alps. From the north, the road begins at a turn-off on the Murray Valley Highway about 5 kilometres east of Tallangatta, and proceeds south above the floodplain of the Mitta River to the settlements of Eskdale, and Mitta Mitta. South of Mitta Mitta to the locality of Glen Wills, the road is unsealed, steep and twisty, though passable by conventional cars in summer. The sealed road resumes at Glen Wills, and the road terminates in the town of Omeo at a junction with the Great Alpine Road. The total length of the road is approximately 162 kilometres. The northernmost section of the highway is relatively lightly travelled, as most traffic from Wodonga takes an alternative initial route along the Kiewa Valley Highway and the Lockhart's Gap road, meeting the Omeo Highway near Eskdale. There are no settlements between Mitta Mitta and Omeo, and therefore fuel is unavailable. Conditions in the mountains can change quickly and be harsh, particularly during winter; snow on the road is not uncommon in the winter season. If this happens, the road may be closed. There are excellent scenic views along most of the road, making it popular with tourists.

April 28th

The Omeo Highway is a 164 kilometre road in eastern Victoria, Australi ...

Updated: May 09, 2008 11:37pm PST

April 29th : Marysville (37°30′S, 145°44′E) is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on Marysville Road, 34 kilometres north-east of Healesville, in the Shire of Murrindindi. It has a population of approximately 650. At the 2001 census Marysville had a population of 592.

April 29th

Marysville (37°30′S, 145°44′E) is a town in Victoria, Australia, ...

Updated: May 09, 2008 11:35pm PST

May 1st : The Great Ocean Road is a 273km stretch of road along the South Eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Geelong and Warrnambool. The road was constructed as a Memorial to the First World War. It is one of Australia's great scenic coastline drives. The Great Ocean Road was built by 3000 returned servicemen (or "Diggers") as a war memorial for fellow servicemen who had been killed in the First World War. The idea for the road had been suggested as far back as 1864. Surveying started in 1918 and actual construction took place between 1919 and 1932. Parts of the Great Ocean Road run around steep coastal mountains. These were the trickiest and the final sections to be built. In 1922 the section from Eastern View to Lorne was completed. In 1932 the section from Lorne to Apollo Bay was finished, thus completing the entire road. The road's speed limit varies from 80km/h (50mph) to 100km/h (62mph) out of urban areas. However, its sharp curves make it impossible to reach those speeds in most places except if your in a MINI Cooper S. It is a two lane roadway (one lane in each direction). Many four wheel drive vehicles and mini busses get on the road and are oblivious to the “Turn in” areas provided for slow vehicles Urban area speed limits vary from 50km/h (31mph) to 70km/h (43mph) There are speed cameras at intervals along the road.

May 1st

The Great Ocean Road is a 273km stretch of road along the South Easter ...

Updated: May 09, 2008 11:32pm PST

May 2nd : Halls Gap is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on Grampians Road, in the Grampians National Park, in the Shire of Northern Grampians local government area. At the 2006 census Halls Gap had a population of 281. Its chief industry is tourism, due to its location in the Grampians National Park. The Halls Gap Wildlife Park and Zoo is located 7 km from town. Some of the development is controversial. The first settler was Charles Browning Hall who set out in search of a suitable grazing run when he found the cattle market at Port Phillip Bay overstocked in 1841. Establishing a station just east of the Grampians in a spot known as 'Mokepilli' to the indigenous inhabitants (probably the Tjapwurong tribe). The Grampians National Park is a national park in Victoria (Australia), 235 kilometres west of Melbourne. The Grampians feature a striking series of sandstone mountain ranges.

May 2nd

Halls Gap is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on Grampians ...

Updated: May 09, 2008 11:28pm PST

May 3rd :

May 3rd

Updated: May 09, 2008 11:24pm PST

May 4th : Broken Hill is located near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (#32) and the Silver City Highway, in the Barrier Range. It is 220 m (722 ft) above sea level, an average rainfall of 235 mm (9 in) and summer temperatures that reach well over 40 °C (104 °F). The closest major city is Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, which is more than 500 km (311 mi) to the southwest. Unlike the rest of New South Wales, Broken Hill (and the surrounding region) observes Australian Central Standard Time, UTC+9:30, a time zone it shares with South Australia and the Northern Territory. Broken Hill has been called the The Silver City, the Oasis of the West, and the Capital of the Outback. Although over 1,100 km (684 mi) west of Sydney, and surrounded by semi-desert, the town still manages colourful park and garden displays, and offers a number of attractions. Surprisingly, for a town with such a small population, Broken Hill has a burgeoning nightlife. Many clubs exist and are open most nights of the week until late. Establishments catering to both locals and tourists include the Musician's Club, Mario's Palace (as seen in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - currently closed) or the Democratic Club.

May 4th

Broken Hill is located near the border with South Australia on the cr ...

Updated: May 09, 2008 11:20pm PST

May 5th : Sunrise on outskirts of Broken Hill as we where heading back to Sydney

May 5th

Sunrise on outskirts of Broken Hill as we where heading back to Sydney

Updated: May 09, 2008 10:47pm PST

Video_Footage : The highly scenic Acheron Way (36 km) starts 1 km east of Warburton and heads north to St Fillans on the Maroondah Highway near Marysville. The densely forested, mountainous route offers views of Mt Victoria, Ben Cairn and Mt Donna Buang. And is the perfect drive for MINI's

Video_Footage

The highly scenic Acheron Way (36 km) starts 1 km east of Warburton an ...

Updated: May 11, 2008 3:57am PST