MOUNT GAMBIER VETERAN & VINTAGE CAR CLUB

"BLUE LAKE TO THE SEA"

AUSTRALIA DAY TOUR 2009

By Mike Greenwood

I know that a number of MG Car Club members have attended these very enjoyable events in years gone by and this year Jan & I again headed down to Mount Gambier to catch up with friends we have made and to meet other new club members from all sorts of car clubs who have also come along.
There were some other car clubs represented from Adelaide but we were the only MG Car Club SA members attending.
As happens in the country clubs some of the veteran & vintage cars reside in barns on local farms and all they do is dust them off and pump up the tyres.
There was a large contingent of attendees from Mount Gambier as one would expect some 59, plus 17 attending from over the border and 26 came down from Adelaide and surrounding areas making a total of 92 who registered but I know that there were additional cars which just came along for some of the day trips.
The cars and motor bikes ranged in years from the earliest being a 1915 Napier Tourer through to a modern BMW. The motor bikes were represented by a number of pre second world-war AJS’s to a 2000 Triumph Bonneville.
The Chrysler Club was by far the largest representation with a good number of Chrysler Royals and also Chrysler Valiant in various models. Early Fords and Holden’s which were pretty original examples also were evident.
A very original 1923 Ford Model “T” was shown and a 1928 Rugby buckboard. There was a delightful 1923 20 HP Rolls Royce and two lovely Stutz saloons a 1928 BB and a 1930 M saloon plus quite a number of Morris Minors. There were some very large American cars with lots of very shinny chrome work. A car which I have not seen for a long long time in a 1954 Swallow Doretti Sports created a lot of interest.
This year the MG’s were not well represented.Perhaps next year we could arrange for a bigger group to attend, I know that Ian Curwen-Walker included this event in the weekly Club Notes in The Advertiser but we were the only MG Car Club members attending from Adelaide.
Friday January 23
Jan & I took our 1969 MGC roadster and we drove down on the Friday with out any problems via the Coorong some 450 Kms. This took us through Tailem Bend; Meningie to Kingston and on through Millicent to Mount Gambier. We actually passed our motel as we came into the Mount, the Quality Inn International Motel, on our way to registration at the Clubrooms.
We spent a bit of time at the motel before catching up with some friends, Kevin & Heather Hadnum, who are regular attendees on Kimber Runs in one of their MG’s.
Saturday January 24
There are lots of places to visit on these events and this year was no different, before lunch there was a visit to a member’s orchard which we did not attend but were able to attend the afternoons visit to Gary & Judy Klingberg’s property on the edge of Mount Gambier.
This was a real eye-opener as Gary has a wonderful and diverse variety of vintage and veteran cars which have all been restored by him from beginning to end. Including a rather spectacular teardrop caravan attached to his 1950’s Dodge Saloon
The Klingbergs also breed all sorts of birds and had extensive aviaries of native lorikeets and lots of very unusual coloured buggies.
That evening we spent some time with our friends and did not attend the organised evening meal at the South Gambier Football Club.
Sunday January 24
This is the main event for the weekend when all the cars assemble around the edge of Frew Park before the official opening by the Mayor of Mount Gambier His Honour Steve Perryman at 10.00 am.
The group we have joined all meet at the McDonalds across the road at about 08.00 for a hearty breakfast and then head over to stroll around the edge of the oval and talk to friends and neighbours along the way and look at all the assembled cars. We parked with the MG group affectionately referred to as the “Chardonnay set”! by some not fortunate enough to own an MG. Personally I prefer a Sauvignon Blanc!

Nothing happens in a hurry down here and this was so on this day, we finally left at about 11.00 for a leisurely drive of some 28 Kms through the main street of Mt Gambier via Bay Road up the hill and past the Blue Lake, which was its spectacular brilliant blue this day then on down from the Mount and away to the seaside township of Port McDonnell.
One could not get out of top gear into overdrive very much on this little run as there were a number of slower cars but it was a delightful relatively wind free day so who cared!
Quite a number of participants had booked to go through the crayfish factories and saw how the processing took place, Jan & I had not booked to do this visit but maybe this was one worth seeing. Everyone commented that the Crays were not within our budgets at over $100 each.

Some of the MG Fraturnity	Some of the Veteran & Vintage Machines
Chryslers all in a line!	More Veteran & Vintage Machines

We all parked on the port McDonnell Football Oval which was lush and beautifully manicured; given that none of the areas around Mount Gambier have any water restrictions it is no wonder! We went down to the local fish & chips take away and had the traditional fish & chips out of the butchers paper, while most had a considerable wait for their meals, apparently it was a very worthwhile wait however.
After the meal we drove a short distance to another fascinating series of very large sheds owned by Don & Sheila Feast.

The Entrance to Don & Sheila Feast's Property	Have a look at some of the key chain collection!

Don Feast and his family are local fisherman but Don has always had a love affair with Chrysler Valiants, see some of the photo’s. What a fabulous display we were lucky enough to see. But it was not just the Valiants there were so many other collections in glass cases around the edge of the sheds. Have a look at the collection of key chains! Mindblowing!

Various model Valiants all beautifully restored!	Note all the display cases full of all sorts of items

There were lots of different types of model cars and trucks but also very old collectable kettles; there were dolls; there were pots; there were jugs; there were so many different collections all within the one car collection.

A small part of the model car & truck models	A life time of collecting!
More of the collections both of Chrysler Valiants	and the wonderful & varied memorabilia

Plus there were some mannequins which were dressed up as witches, as skeletons rattling their chains; and a talking/ singing elk who sang Elvis songs. Above were lots of model planes and big bears lined the walls as well!
And that was just one of the sheds.

BEFORE RESTORATION!	AFTER RESTORATION!

Another shed had more Valiants ready for Don’s touch to bring them back to what they would have looked like when they came off the lines at Clovelly Park.

So we thanked the hosts and headed back to Mount Gambier and this time I was able to change into top overdrive for some of the trip back.
That night we attended the Dinner at the motel we were staying at which is always a lovely evening, a bit dressier but still a night of great food and good company. The Mount Gambier people certainly know how to put on a great event!
I said our farewells relatively early as I wanted to leave early and get home before it got too hot.
All in all another very memorable weekend amongst some old and some newer friends.
We will be back….hopefully with some more MG members from Adelaide.
Mike Greenwood & Jan Dinan