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PAST EVENTS

Boxster Cayman run to Brothers on K

Story: Sylvia Behan Photos: Mark Behan Click Here for Image Gallery 

Well we couldn't have asked for better weather for our run: sunshine, light breeze, ideal driving conditions. Meeting everyone at Rockbank Service Centre was one of our usual starting points and despite slow coffee delivery with one cafe out of order, Mark was able to brief us on the run and which hazards to avoid, then got us going on time! 

A quick run off the highway led us via Leakes Road, past the Melton Weir and Eynesbury, over the Bacchus Marsh Road towards Rowsley and Glenmore. We drove through a tree lined avenue and on to the winding hills that flanked the wind farms, an amazing sight as we drove up the crest with a few sharp turns. Certainly kept the drivers on their toes! With a sigh of relief (at least from me navigating) we found some straight roads to Ballan.

Mark found a great car park behind the shops in Ballan for the cars to line up and off we went to morning tea.  Hank and Heidi's Cafe (named after their beautiful dogs) opened early just for us and everyone enjoyed a coffee or tea with a muffin, including gluten free choices. Many commented on the homely decor and comfortable furnishings, with plenty of room to accommodate us inside. They also have a pleasant outdoor seating area and being in the Main Street, some took advantage of checking out the town, new to some. 

Having zeroed our odometers, we headed west through the Brisbane Ranges along well kept, winding roads, turning off before Fairy Park and on to Granite Road. The vineyards and hills provided an interesting scene before the You Yangs appeared in the distance.  Avoiding more direct and gravel roads, we circumvented Lara and arrived at the You Yangs Park entrance, where everyone took advantage of the optional drive up the mountain to the picnic grounds and amenities. Great views towards Geelong and Corio Bay were sighted and a hiking trail to the summit was noted for future visits. 

Drivers needed to zero their odometers again as the run notes allowed for cars to drive through to lunch and not take the optional drive up the mountain, but to our delight, most chose to do just that. Members we spoke to later confirmed that some of the roads and venues were a first for them. Expanding our horizons is what we look for in these runs. 

Lunch was a great find at Brothers on K, situated on the road to Werribee Mansion and Zoo. We had a private room with excellent service by the staff, which many commented on. A delicious three course Italian inspired lunch was consumed over much socialising, with seven lucky raffle winners going home with a variety of wines. For many, the way home was a quick entry to the Princes Highway into the city. Many compliments assured us that it was a good day all round. 

 

BOXSTER/CAYMAN RUN TO DIXON'S CREEK 

SUNDAY 26TH NOVEMBER 2023

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The cream of the Porsche owning crop gathered for the final Boxster/Cayman run of 2023 on a grey and drizzly morning in Diamond Creek. Energy was high as the morning caffeine hit worked its magic. We were fortunate enough to sit amongst Michael and Sue Minshall and new members Scott and Megan King. As is so often the case, conversation flowed easily, with the call for the run briefing pulling us back to the purpose of the day.

With organiser Carlo Fasolino laying out the plans for the day, the starters gun was metaphorically fired, and we were on our way.

Our first leg was a run to Yea via Kinglake and Flowerdale. The narrow snaking roads were fantastic to drive, though the fog and rain meant complete concentration was required. This was especially so when you came round a bend to a pair of cyclists with one tiny red rear light between them!

We lucked upon a spectacular bakery in Yea, and chatted with new member David whose wife unfortunately had to pull out in the morning as she was unwell.

Sugared up we hit the second leg, a shorter run, though no less interesting. The wet roads saw most drivers take this stretch at a leisurely pace.

Lunch was at Mandala Wines. After a car park debrief, it was inside for more socialising and lovely food. Several bottles of wine were distributed via the traditional raffle, with my wife Jess managing to snaffle a nice bottle of bubbly to top off our day.

Thanks to all participants of another wonderful Porsche Club day out, and especially to organiser Carlo, who put on a flawless day.

Looking forward to plenty more in 2024!

 

BOXSTER/CAYMAN RUN TO DIXON'S CREEK 

SUNDAY 4TH NOVEMBER 2023

STORY BY DIANE GRIGG

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On a beautiful Sunday morning an enthusiastic group of PCV members rendezvoused at McDonald’s Diamond Creek at 9.30am. The 20 or so Porsches were sparkling in the sunshine as club members, new and old, introduced themselves, chatted and shared stories and statistics about their cars.

Paul Sbrissa gave us an informative briefing and outline of how the day would progress. There was a warning of the location of potholes and a reminder to watch out for cyclists and then we eagerly headed off. Because of the traffic exiting the McDonalds carpark the group was separated. For the first part of the run, we were second in a group of 3 and didn’t see many others until we nearly reached our morning tea stop. This made me (the navigator) concentrate more on the map in case we lost sight of anyone and I had to actually give directions! The route was fairly straight forward and I don’t think even I could have taken a wrong turn.

The drive was very scenic and varied. We headed north towards Kinglake through gentle winding bends and farmland passing through Wattle Glen and St Andrews. There was a windy section just before we reached Flowerdale which was a lot of fun and it was good that there was not a lot of traffic around. We turned right at Flowerdale onto the Whittlesea-Yea Rd which took us to Yea, our morning tea destination.

We had plenty of time to have a walk and coffee at Yea, a beautiful town which is always buzzing. It was a lovely sight to see all the Porsches parked along the tree lined main street.

The second part of the run took us south along the Melba Hwy. We turned left onto the Healesville-Kinglake Rd which took us through Toolangi. This section to Healesville was my favourite part of the drive. There was no traffic, the road had lovely bends, the forest looked fabulous, the sun was shining and lunch was beckoning!

We very quickly arrived at our lunch destination, Divino Ristorante. The 2 course lunch was excellent as was the wine and conversation. Before we knew it, nearly 2 hours had passed and it was time to leave.

Many thanks to Paul and Carlo for organizing a great day.

 

Boxster/Cayman Run to Hepburn Springs

Sunday 6th August 2023

Story and Photos by Nick and Tracie Yates 

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The day started with a very civilized 10am meet up at the Big Apple Café, which included coffee and a fine selection of cakes. A very pleasant time was spent catching up with friends. There was also happy news of an engagement between the driver and navigator of a certain white 718 Cayman, proving that drivers and navigators really can get on with each other. As the weather began to brighten, the briefing was held outside by a feature fire pit and included copious warnings about extra excitement provided by the government in the form of potholes, thankfully included in the notes. The group was then ready for the run to Hepburn. Unusually, this run consisted of a fine collection of Boxsters and Caymans only, with no interlopers, sorry, valued guests from other registers.

We set off with some brave Boxster drivers opting for the top-down experience as the sun had peaked through. While there was quite a lot of traffic causing the group to split up quickly, the roads were twisty and very mid-engine compatible. The scenery with the changeable weather was spectacular, with brooding clouds and bursts of sunshine adding to the atmosphere, and Hanging Rock looked stunning. Fortunately, there was only a little light rain, so the run was good for winter conditions. The run notes were accurate, but didn’t include the two ducks we encountered, walking in the middle of the road at about 44.8 km. To our knowledge, only one car unfortunately missed a turn and got horribly lost. Even more unfortunately it was us.

This embarrassingly meant that the writer of the club magazine article and the photographer were both somewhat late to arrive at Rubens restaurant at Hepburn. All was not lost, as the rest of the group had obviously gotten over their intense disappointment at our late arrival and were enjoying drinks and a chat, prior to the arrival of the food. The food arrived and everyone enjoyed their various choices, while the conversations continued. The raffle was held between mains and sweets, and the lucky winners including Natalie Griss, Wayne Hansen, Phil Jaquillard, and Paul Sbrissa were greeted with loud applause, that is apart from Stephen Lofthouse who received angry calls of ‘fix’ and ‘cheat’ as he collected yet another bottle to add to his already overflowing Porche club provided wine cellar. Finally, congratulations to Helen Zlotkowski and Rohan Connolly on their recent engagement, and many thanks to the organisers Mark and Sylvia Behan for a fun day out!

Cayman/Boxster Run to Green Olive - 6 May 2023

Story by Paul Benson 

Click here for image gallery 

The cream of the Porsche owners crop met, McCoffee in hand, on a grey Saturday morning in Heatherton.

Event organiser Carlo took the roll, and satisfied that all was in order got the event underway.

First piece of business was ensnaring a volunteer to record the day’s activities. With my wine cupboard, resembling the Jack Daniels and cola display at BWS after a Collingwood win, I was happy to stick my hand up.

Carlo took us through the briefing, which somewhat impressively included an apology from King Charles who expressed his disappointment at not being able to join us, observing that had he realised it was a Cayman Boxster run day, he would have chosen differently for his coronation. 

As the clouds began to break we headed off. Once through suburbia, and having braved the Frankston badlands, we skirted the bay to Arthur’s Seat for morning tea.

I was fortunate to join Dennis, run stalwarts Stewart and Pernilla, and new members Jeff and Annie for a great chat on Porsche use cases which ranged from track days to grocery shopping.

Suitably refreshed, and with blue sky overhead, we all set off for phase two of the run.

It was at this point things got interesting.

The map showed us driving a loop around the Mornington Peninsula, finishing not too far from where we began. With no justification at all, I interpreted the instructions to mean we were to complete the loop in an anti-clockwise direction. Google maps proceeded to tell me to do a U-turn, which I stubbornly refused to do because I was convinced it was sending me in the wrong direction. I realised I may have made a mistake when I found myself on the freeway heading back to Melbourne.

Cool, clam, and completely relaxed as all Porsche owners would be in such a predicament, I fought my way back to Arthurs Seat, and proceeded to invent my own route to our lunch destination, passing numerous familiar looking vehicles heading in the opposite direction.

Sitting down at Green Olive Estate with new members Carol and Mark, and Shirley, I learnt that I was not alone in my navigation creativity. In fact my straw poll over the course of the next couple of hours suggested that I may even have been in the majority.

A generous lunch, washed down with some excellent wine, ensured all were gastronomically satisfied. The laughter about the room confirmed the success of the day.

Raffle winners drawn, and bottle of Pinot Noir firmly in hand, I said my farewells and cruised home.

A fabulous day amongst fabulous people. Well done to all who attended.

 

Boxster / Cayman Run to Bacchus Marsh Golf Club

Sunday 29th May 2022

Story and Photos by Mark Behan

In summary, a very civilized run. That said, let’s fill in some detail.

Like all Boxster / Cayman runs of late the enterprise was well subscribed to. With a luxurious start time of 10.30 the 21 cars gathered at the road services centre in Rockbank. For those of us there early (in my case only 15 minutes up the road) there was time for coffee and a chat before the briefing. We were joined by the PCV President Mark Horton-Andrews and his wife Caroline, who were not actually doing the run but stopped by to catch up and wish us well.

Ken Anson who had organised the run (no doubt with help from Harriet) then ran the briefing in the car park. My wife volunteered me to write the article (which is why you’re having to read my scratchings) and she assures me it had nothing to do with the bottle of Shiraz offered as a reward!  Ken of course is an experienced man at this sort of thing, so briefing was short but precise and after the obligatory reminder that we were representing the Porsche Club of Victoria we retired to our cars, set the odometer to zero, and headed for the highway.

Our first turn was only 0.7 kilometres up the road and we all managed that without incident. Of course, the notes were up to Ken’s usual standard, which is to say excellent, but in today’s case were even better. Scattered amongst the precise instructions were cautions (stuff like speed limits that might be overlooked, ways to get back on track if you make a mistake, descriptions of road signs etc. to help identify a particular corner, and even mini tour notes such as at one turn “you can go straight ahead here, but you probably will end up in some farmers sheep shed”). I know I found them to be really comprehensive and very helpful notes!

I’ll mention the weather here because it too made the day a really pleasurable experience. Bright sunshine was the order of the day with a brisk outside temperature but still pleasant enough that several cars had their rooves (I’m an English teacher so can’t bring myself to say roofs) down. Sylvia and I did discuss it, but it was so warm and comfortable with it up… we must be getting old! Mind you, as we approached Woodend the sunshine disappeared and 10 minutes later as we climbed Mt Macedon we drove into the cloud bank and the temperature dropped to less than 8 degrees. However, by the time that we drove down the other side of the mountain the sunshine returned and we were once again driving in perfect conditions.

The roads over the mountain were really Porsche friendly driving, tight curves, hair pin bends and a constant steep climb. Indeed, the entire run was on great roads with interesting corners and curves and in some cases, such as over the “Razor Back” (the Gisborne to Bacchus Marsh road) fantastic views. Yes, this section is definitely my “backyard” but on a sunny day in a Porsche in the company of other Porsche drivers it took on a newly appreciated buzz. That I guess is the whole point of these runs. Great roads, great cars and fantastic company and today it certainly was.

At the Golf Club we all ordered our own meals from the menu. The food was, from what I could see, excellent and was served in a timely manner to an appreciative (if loud) two tables. After the food was all served Ken introduced new members on their first run, Peter and Jennifer Howard in their silver 987 Boxster,  and also Neil and Michelle Lyons in their black 987 Boxster. Then it was time to run the obligatory raffle and a bottle of wine was each won by David Turner, Marian Johnson, Nick Yates and Frank Deak. And so the day ended and thanks must go to Ken & Harriet of course for organising it but also every participant who made it a safe enjoyable run in good company.

 

Boxster/Cayman Run to Brandy Creek

Sunday 27th February 2022

Story by Brad Clark, The Fitzy Boxster

Photos by Carlo Fasolino

Early on the morning of 27 February, the black clouds and forecast threatened to dampen the prospects for the run to Brandy Creek. As the writer headed out of Melbourne towards Gippsland, hope shone through the clouds and glints of blue sky were visible in the far east.

From 8.30am, some of the best examples of Boxsters and Caymans of all generations began to pull into the carpark of the McDonald’s at Officer along with several generations of 911. As a ‘new’ member (thank you Covid for delaying our first social event) I wasn’t sure what to expect. My excitement grew as more cars arrived and members began to mingle and introduce themselves. Locals too began to gather, one asking where we (and he) were going.

Soon enough Carlo was briefing the crowd and seconding members (me) for club duties.

At approximately 9.30am it began. The revving of the refined six cylinder and turbo charged four cylinder cars began; a spectacle for certain.

As the group headed further to the East, the sky became bright and blue and the dark western sky disappeared behind us; the temperature was already 26oC. We turned toward Westernport at Pakenham and travelled out through Nar Nar Goon, Tynong and Garfield. For me it was my childhood home so watching locals stand in awe of the parade, crackling and popping, while down shifting from the 100km/h zone into the 60km/h zone, added a special level of excitement.

For the most part the roads were clear of farmers and cattle and the group enjoyed quick, dry conditions taking the cars through their paces. We passed the Highway Patrol in Lang Lang as we headed toward, Nyora, home of Nyora Raceway. From Nyora, we continued to Loch for a coffee and comfort stop. The sun was still shining now more brightly and it was the type of weather cabriolets were built for.

At 11.15am, the group saddled up and blasted up the hill out of Loch towards Korumburra. Clouds began to appear in the sky and as the group reached Bena-Kongwak Rd and descended into the valley, it appeared the rains were coming. With the cars revving high into the corners and quickly peaking on the short straights, we put kilometres of pavement behind us and Korumburra disappeared in the rear-view mirror.  Choosing the quickest lines through the corners, we out-paced the weather and again enjoyed the brilliant clear sky Gippsland is famous for. We now were immersed in a 30km stretch of the Yarra Junction-Korumburra – Warragul Rd (C425), steep, second gear hills with quick corners where the cars could be put through their paces without breaching any rules. This route is recommended for anyone who enjoys an undulating and winding route.

By now I was working up an appetite. At 12.30 the group pulled into the carpark at the picturesque Brandy Creek Estate and ventured into the function room. The room was buzzing with excitement and conversation as old friends reacquainted after the recent period of separation and new friendships began. The views were spectacular with a sweeping veranda overlooking the Yarra Ranges National park on one side and the Strzelecki Ranges on the other.

Tapas was on the menu and it was about time. It began with garlic bread and cured ham and continued with tomato salsa, meatballs, rocket salad, king prawns and roast potatoes. Somehow I managed to cobble together a chip sandwich finishing off my experience of travelling back to where I grew up.

New members, Brad (me) and Beck Clark and Peter and Vickey Berg were welcomed and drew the raffle for some of the Brandy Creek wines. Gradually the numbers thinned out and Beck and I drove away at 3.15pm. The weather held out, the drive was exciting and at times challenging, and the company and fellowship of members rewarding. 

 

Boxster & Cayman Register Run to Djinta Djinta Winery

Sunday 11th July 2021

Story by Michael Moon Photos by Ken Anson

Click Here for Image Gallery 

Our first outing as club members in our first Porsche was a delightful experience, feeling like the delicious filling either side of two lockdown Covid bread crusts. The morning was frosty and fresh, with just enough moisture on the road surface to remind us of the need for a feathered right foot.

The initial meeting place was McDonalds Pakenham, and the line-up of Porsches made for an interesting image shift for their carpark. Previously adorned with mucky Utes and tradies lingering in the spaces, now covered in hunkered down aerodynamic, well-presented sports cars, with their equally well-dressed owners, engaging in meet and greets and sipping their morning coffee in anticipation for the day ahead. The social aspect is something so rare and valuable these days due to our ever changing social environments thanks to Covid.

Thankfully the sun decided to join us on the outward drive to The Djinta Djinta Winery, and some of you may have even noticed the mooing crowd of calves on their mound of soil, a perfect makeshift natural viewing stand, all in prime position to catch a glimpse of Porsche Club Victoria woosh past. I am sure our throaty exhaust notes were met with “moos” of appreciation, as we accelerated past them and down some spectacularly chosen roads. Sweeping bends, long straights and gorgeous rolling green countryside surrounding us at every turn and it made us feel like we were driving through Hobbiton at one moment, we half expected Frodo and his fellowship to wander across the road.

Driving through those wonderful roads, the dew flicking off the long grass as we pass, we approached the Djinta Djinta Winery, cradled in all in its glory in the Strzelecki ranges of South Gippsland. Djint Djinta is a 34-acre property with function rooms, dining and wine tasting experiences. The interesting name is indigenous in origin and is a description for the distinctive sound the Willy Wagtail bird makes, which explains the unique logo on every bottle of wine produced here... We are not wine experts but have certainly tried a fair few in our time, and I’m sure others would agree, it was delicious. As the famous saying goes, ‘I don’t know wine, but I know what I like!!!’. The food was delicious, both Emma and I tried each dish with no clear winner as both Main courses (Salmon and Lamb) were tender and tasty and the lamb had a sublime smoky taste to it after being cooked in a special oven with smoked wood. The desserts were equally tasty, lemon curd meringue and a tasty chocolate mousse.

One of the better decisions we have made since being in Australia, was to purchase a Porsche and join the social environment with PCV. Everyone was so friendly, interesting and a pleasure to talk to, and we look forward to the next meeting we can attend with anticipation, Covid permitting.

Both Emma and I were with the last few stragglers to leave and as we exited the Djinta Djinta Winery, looking at the remaining three Porsches in the car park I thought, wow… we get to enjoy that gorgeous road home again. We feel this is probably the first time we have been happy to leave wine and drive home. A toast to the driving experience, the chosen roads, and the engineers in Germany.

 

LIFTING COVID’S VEIL : Ian Cummin

Boxster/Cayman Run to Apollo Bay with Optional Overnight 

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We thought we might be out of the drive before it started.  Susan's Cayman developed a loud grinding noise in the left side rear wheel just as we reached the rendezvous point near Rockbank.  We consulted the Club's resident expert on wheels (Richard, who specialises in flat tyres) who suggested that Susan try reversing the car while refraining from her usual technique of simultaneous brake peddling.  It worked - the stone was expelled from under the brake shoe and we were back in the rally!

New members Manny Ciantor (blue GT4) and Peter Mitchell (black Boxter) were welcomed by drive steward Ken Anson, who with his volunteer support team did the heavy lifting to organise the event. After Ken’s official safety briefing, we departed in the tradition of a Le Mans start.   We now realise why everyone else reverse parked their cars!  

As a former Hoppers Crossing boy, it always helps to have a place like Rockbank nearby, to help you feel a bit privileged.  The good news for Hoppers Crossing is that things haven't changed much.  But competitive threats are ever-present.  We passed a new residential land development at the back of Rockbank.  To the great relief of this ex-Hoppers Crossing boy, some marketing genius named it "Millstone Estate".  Unsurprisingly, not much happening there, sales wise.

We powered on.  Comforted in the knowledge that one of the rally route architects was in sight. Adopting their Boxter as our rally guide, Susan dumped our instructions in the bin around her feet and turned her attention to the scenic side of the drive.  And the changing vistas dished up a veritable feast of aesthetic variation. 

I need to disclose that I've seen sheep and wagyu cattle paddocks and gum tree forests before.  So the experience of coming over a crest with the threat of being speared straight through the turning blades of a giant wind turbine - that was as good as it gets on any television games show!  We were travelling about 300kms per hour too slow to get the full ski jump effect, consequently missing out on the thrill of being shredded by the turbine blades. But the reveal of a cyclops army encamped on the otherwise virgin pasture was a sight to behold.  The bloody things were everywhere.  Don't get me started.  But each wind turbine comprises about 300 tonnes of steel and I still own enough shares in BlueScope to know when to keep my mouth shut.

Onwards to Buninyong.  We pressed forwards in the slipstream of our unofficial (and unaware) rally guide.  Until that damn 4wd ute with its bloody trailer boat got between us. I decided to be patient, hoping to reconnect with our rally guide, with the comfort of knowing that Richard and Marian were right behind in their Boxter.  My loyal rear guards.  

Finally, on the other side of Buninyong the ute and the boat trailer turned to reveal..... nothing.  No rally guide.  No Porsches at all.  Nothing.  Ah, luckily I still had Rearguard Richard - but no, he’s disappeared!  It turned out that Richard had at least considered phoning us to advise that we had missed the turn, but navigator Marian said “nup”.

"Where have they all gone?" cried Susan.  "I think Richard has had another flat tyre" was the only explanation I could offer.  With pages from the Australian being tossed into the air as Susan searched for the route instructions, I saw the road sign to Colac.  Susan's from Colac, born and raised.  Finally, my navigator awakens!  "I know this road - Beeac's down this way!" 

Knowing that all roads to Colac are almost always deserted, I took the chance to recover lost ground by safely observing the speed signs as they flashed past.  Catching up with Richard and Marian, we entered the Beeac pub with all the mutual comradery of a Red Bull racing team, without having to confess my navigator’s unplanned detour.  The chef did really well to get the generous servings out efficiently, with the quality of the meals underscored by the empty plates, leaving enough time for a tour of Ean’s (the publican) classic car collection.  My picks?  The 1935 Riley Imp, followed by the 1959 ASA “baby” Ferrari.

Next stop – Apollo Bay via Colac.  Over the years, I have learnt how to avoid Susan’s home town, Colac.  But there’s no choice when it’s on the route instructions.  Best dealt with in a similar way to removing a band aid.  Decisive and fast.  We took the unofficial, direct route giving me time to enjoy a leisurely cup of tea while Susan’s mum updated us on all the new developments in town.  After that very short conversation I left dear Mother-in-Law with the washing up, and we scooted out on the more direct route to Apollo Bay, via Forrest. 

The Apollo Bay pub turned on the VIP treatment, opening a second exclusive till to take our orders, while the long queue of locals considered pelting us with stale buns.  Not to worry, our contribution to their Covid ravaged economy was sufficient to purge us of any misplaced feelings of guilt.

With the band in the bar setting up, there was the real prospect of a big night ahead.  That was until it became clear that the boys in the band had been kicked out of Dad’s garage by their Mum, after receiving a petition from their neighbours.  I’m not sure that the pub knew who they were.  So a convivial evening in the dining room was the chosen option. The pub kept the lights on over our tables long after the locals had gone (but Apollo Bay residents do retire earlier than most).

The Sunday drive home was an independent choice.  We opted for the Anakie route, arriving at the del Rios winery and restaurant in time for a tapas lunch.  Excellent food.  Excellent estate grown wine.  Excellent views to the You Yangs.  Great table conversation with the son of the Spanish owner as he and Richard swapped their viticultural insights.  Another bottle of red Richard?  Why not?  The navigators can drive their own cars from here!