Millman: heading home

Hi All
First of all we would to thank South Australia Model A club for a wonderful and very enjoyable 25th National rally and 90th year celebration. Gary Fischer and his committee deserve a lot of praise for their effort.

We packed up on Sunday ready for the long haul home along with Sue Swindell, checked over both cars adjusted brakes, check all oils etc.

Departed Murray Bridge yesterday arrived in Port Augusta approx 4.00pm for the first stop over, we are now in Wirulla approx 90 east of Ceduna for the night, so far both cars going ok.  Tomorrow should make Nullabor Roadhouse only doing average of approx 360kms per day as Sue is driving her car back and don’t want push her to hard.

That’s all for now.

Wayne’s Motor Neuron Disease fundraising page

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Murray Bridge – final days.

Friday passed easily with motoring around MB and surrounds. Those that booked the Proud Mary paddle boat dinner/lunch enjoyed it. We booked for dinner which seemed like a good idea, but after the sunset, all we could see was our own reflections and it was too cold to go on deck. 

Pootling

Darryl’s caught the flu so we spent a quiet day at the caravan park on Friday listening to the relaxing roar of jet boats out skiing on the first sunny day we’ve had. Saturday we parked down in the show and shine at Sturt Park with all the other 200 odd  As to make an awesome display, before regrouping for the presentation dinner. 

Happy Birthday Model A

SA committee outdid themselves. The food, company and entertainment was great. There was a lot of period costumes, laughs and dancing.

Westerns Australia attendees, 37 in total

Glad won the hard luck prize ( I’ll let you read previous posts for details) and Wayne and Anne Millman got the prize for the furtherest driven which we guess was based on the weeks of touring in circles they did before the meet. Young Emma and Philip Wringe won the prize for the best dressed juniors. 

Paul Kelly, Brett Pollock and Richard Allen — Hard luck award

Brett and ‘his staff’ were auctioneers for the night with Pete Eardley taking international phone bids. 

Most WA attendees are shooting off straight after breakfast. Many are heading on for additional touring and visiting of friends and family before heading home. Brett, Paul and Richard are primed and ready for the mad dash Home with others taking things a bit more relaxed. 

Glad and George, on the road again. Well, off the road actually.

At least everyone got away ok. A Qld attendee blew a head gasket in the car park at the farewell breakfast and the whole Qld touring party of 26 were heading back to the caravan park to checkin and open the workshop. 

Happy and safe travels everyone.

Thats it from me — out.

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Millman: National Meet 2

Sue & Anne relaxing before the Presentation dinner tonight.

Thank you Sue for your very generous donation.

Wayne’s Motor Neuron Disease fundraising page

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The National Meet – day 4

Bit if a quiet day today. Darryl has caught the lurgy that is going around and spent the day in bed. It was the first day of sunshine and warmth too, which was a bit disappointing. I made the most of it by reading on the veranda overlooking the Murray river with all the water skiers.

Many people are out and about visiting the zoo and doing the other optional runs suggested by the committee.

We went on the Proud Mary river cruise for dinner in the evening. In retrospect, this was a poor choice because as soon as the sun set, we couldn’t see anything except our own reflections in the windows. Oh well, the company and dinner were great.

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The National Meet -day 3

Mandatory run today. As with all the information the SA committee has provided, the directions were excellent. We started in MB and wound our way through the Adelaide hills before stopping for morning tea at Mount Torrens. 

Cooks looking dapper

Here we go. Mandatory run to Mannum

IT WAS FREEZING. well, that isn’t strictly true, it was 7 degrees! Brass monkey weather and a lot colder than MB so most people weren’t dressed well. I pity the poor sods In the dicky seats and I’m eternally thankful I wasn’t one of them. It was cold enough in the Tudor that the engine didn’t get past tepid despite all the hills. Once we arrived at our stopping points, there was an unseemly rush for the toilets and coffee. Lord!

I told you it was cold

And down dale

And down dale

We continued on through beautiful scenery to the destination at Mannum. The bakery there got quite a hiding and the sun even showed its face briefly. Tonight, many of the attendees will be on the paddles steamer dinner cruise.  We headed straight back to camp as Darryl has fallen to the lurgy which is making the rounds. 

Mannum foreshore

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Millman: National meet 1

I don’t have a great deal to report at this stage except we are having a wonderful time at 25th National rally. River cruise luncheon today, yesterday was the compulsory run to Mannum all the A’s lined up ready to head off was a wonderful sight to see, there is just 200 entries but not sure how many A models present but a guess 150. Took a video but unfortunately can’t upload to this site.
Photo of Rally secretary presenting the large NZ members that came over for the rally.

Thank you Wes and Beverly for generous donation, the money is in the MNDAWA tin all monies in the tins will be banked when we return home and amount raised will posted on the Motor Neuron Disease fundraising page.
Cheers
Anne and Wayne

Wayne’s Motor Neuron Disease fundraising page

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The National Meet -day 1 and 2

Registration went smoothly with the SA meet committee demonstrating fantastic organisation and planning skills. Hours were spent nattering and catching up with old friends and familiar faces. The trade tables were great with a the highlight being a large range of 1929-30s fashion items for sale all sourced from local op shops over the last year. 

The first day was filled with optional runs and dinner in the evening. 

A large group of WAers went to Tailem Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend and then to Old Tailem Town. Not necessarily on that order as some got lost on the way. The Bend racetrack is very impressive, but we were not allowed to go for a spin.

The Bend

Tailem Bend was a nice town and the train museum was great.  Old Tailem town was the highlight of the day. It it a huge collection of old buildings arranged into a town of streets, business and homes. It had every commercial business possible with the building decked out with the appropriate equipment and nicknacks. Dentist, chemist, theatre, pub, solicitor, drapery , butcher etc etc. nearly 100 buildings in all

Darryl at the barber?

 

Darryl John and Bob all found the pub

Old Tailem

Bob Horgan did WA proud in the Hubley racing coming 2nd in the heats. Chris, Philip and Emma Wringe all competed for WA too. 

Dinner was very nice and dessert was awesome. All in all a great start to the meet. Tomorrow is the mandatory run to Mannum. 

Big announcement that the 2020 Meet will be in Ballarat.

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Millman: Bay-to-Birdwood

Sue and Anne all dolled up for the Birdwood rally

It’s been awhile since the last update, after leaving Loxton we went up to Renmark for a look

Then made our way to Murray Bridge for our base for the Bay to Birdwood and of course the Model A national run.
The Bay to Birdwood was just unbelievable over 800 entrants the organisers were disappointed with the low car count normally over 1200 entrants, the whole event runs so smoothly (at least it appears that way looking as a competitor).
We out to Talem Bend for a drive the new race track called The Bend is just fantastic over $160 million spent so far and still more construction, caravan park cabins being built onsite, The hotel is completed with a unique collection of race cars as you enter the reception area.
As many of you W.A Model A members would have heard, Neville Swindell had to fly home as is father was very ill fortunately he got home in time, but sadly he passed a Sunday afternoon, Neville and Sue are very grateful for the assistance and compassion and support from there tour group especially from Peter and Kaye for taking Neville from Kimba to Whyalla at 5.30am
Our condolences to Neville , Sue and Mrs Swindell on the loss of Neville snr

Wayne’s Motor Neuron Disease fundraising page

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National Meet – just waiting

Sad not Glad

You may recall that Glad was towed home from the Bay to Birdwood. Turns out the diff carrier was broken. A replacement carrier was found in Adelaide and was bought ‘Home’ to be inserted at Eardleys friends garage. The first test drive was undertaken at 5pm and the opinion was “it is good”.  Brett celebrated with an extra large whiskey.

Bringing a new diff home

Fixing

Owwie

Still fixing

Oh dear

The MB group spent the day touring Strathalbyn antique shops and a winery on the way home. Some have it tough!  

Returning to our caravan park it seems like a Henry Ford factory exploded. The place is lousy with Model As. We are the only Sandgropers in a camp of Queenslanders. They travel as a large group and have a shared kitty for catering expenses and designated chefs. 

Registration tomorrow. 

NOTE if you already read the B2B post, check back as I’ve added some ‘official’ pics although I couldn’t find them for all our club cars. Check out the run photos

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National Meet – the Bay to Birdwood

The night before the B2B we all stayed close to Glenelg. Des, Daz, Tania, Cooks and Horgans all stayed in the awesome Oaks Plaza right on the beach. Glamorous. We checked in (Des arrived later) , stowed the cars in secure parking and ambled off for lunch. It’s like herding cats, but we eventually decided on a great restaurant on the pier and were back in time for Jimmy Barnes singing in the Grand Finals at the hotel pub. 

Not being a fan of footy, I couldn’t work out who was batting and who was fielding, so left after the first quarter. You all know how that game finished. Eardleys, Des and Brett, Paul and Richard all celebrated a little too much at a friend of Eards where they stayed the night before. More on this later. 

We all started the day of the B2B early with many of us togged up in costume for the occasion. Darryl and I held up the procession a bit by spending too much time admiring the other cars and not realising we were scheduled to go. But go we went. It was a great drive up though the hills to Birdwood with spectators lining the roads nearly the entire way. The finish line had fantastic entertainment, much mutual admiration and of course the excellent museum. 

Bob and Marilyn Horgan and Kay and John Cook.

Darryl Freind and Tania Piercy

Mahonys

Tania and Daz on the B2B

Eards’s and Wilson

Brett, Richard and Glad

Cooks at the start line.

Russell Coight moment #4 –  Brett succumbed and ‘napped’ for about 90 minutes on the lawns at Birdwood. To put the image below into perspective, I should have panned out a bit to show the 10m exclusion zone between a dozing Brett and the happy families, romping children, picnicking couples and band. “Don’t look at the strange man darling and eat your sandwiches”. 

When a nanny nap calls…..

After arriving back in Murray Bridge, Daz had the call, “we’ve broken down and think it’s the uni joint”. Brett, Paul and Richard got Glad towed back to Eards friends house where there is a workshop available to apply some triage. At time of writing, we’re not sure what’s wrong or if it’s been fixed. 

We have a quiet day tomorrow before the registration on Tuesday. More then. 

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