Echuca 2009

Pictures and talk about SharkFests in Australia with the E24 as the primary focus

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MrE
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Post by MrE »

Here's more of you guys!

Mostly Saturday, I think...

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hoadie
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Post by hoadie »

I'm clearly camera shy - not many photos of me or my car lol
jbd5015 wrote:looks like you all had a great time touring the country side! Having only done one Sharkfest in the states, you guys went about it much differently, and I think it was a great idea! That was definitely more of a road trip and tour than a car show! Wish I could've been there for it. Seeing all those incredibly clear skies and Aussie foliage brings back some good memories.

I especially like that one shot of the dead trees Paul, I hope that you and Ellis have more of them to share? The contrast was stunning.

Also what a gathering of styles and colors! It just doesnt seem like we have the array of colors here as you guys have. Especially on the few of the series 1 cars like Shipper and Serco.

can't wait to see some more photos!

-Jeff
Jeff: the rational behind the meet was simply to get as many cars together as possible. If we ran it like the US Sharkfests, the turnout wouldn't have been anywhere near as good because not all cars were at a show and shine level, or up to be driven around a high speed circuit (I seem to recall some SFs have had a track event?). It was all very informal, not heaps of driving - only 300-400km each day over two days, informal meals and accommodation was left to the individual to allow for different budgets etc. I think it worked out great!

The state BMW clubs hold an annual national event for those who are more into the structured event and these get a very good turnout, just a very different style of event.
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hoadie
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Post by hoadie »

Paul Humpage wrote:I love this one Ben with that gorgeous afternoon light


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It captures the mood of the long but spectacular driver home perfectly.

I take it this wasn't when PC Plod in his 4wd was stuck to your arse?
That was roughly 20mins out of Cooma - I'd only caught you up shortly beforehand. I enjoyed that easy drive back to Canberra, mostly due to that subdued light I guess, it was really calming... until that Copper turned up..
Paul Humpage
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Post by Paul Humpage »

Sunday morning i got up early and found a spot by the river as you can't go all the way to the Murray and not stick your toe in the water

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As the sun was slowly coming up i thought i'd go the other way north to have a look before everyone else got up. 2 minutes out of town it's as flat as a pancake. Quite dramatic to someone like myself who grew up where nothing is flat but i can imagine the tedium of driving after a while

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I passed a dirt road, slammed on the anchors, reversed back and felt instantly at home.

Dirt is good

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Mid morning we all met up again and headed off south east to distant hills and bends and glorious scenery


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Garry got at the front around the Strathbogie/Boho area and for maybe half an hour i tailed him up hill and down dale with my foot flat against the floor, my auto box snapping between 2nd and 3rd and my TRX tyres holding on like you just wouldn't believe. This was probably the most fun i have ever had in my life in a car that doesn't involve squeezing in the back of a hatchback in 1987 down a country lane in England. But anyway.......flying along following another 6er bellowing it's way was spine tingling and i think i've used up my supply of adrenalin for the year.

No photos of that bit so you'll have to take my word for it. I needed both hands on the steering wheel.

A quick blast along the highway


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Then lunch in a beautiful spot excellently chosen by Doug who was allowed the best parking spot :D

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With a full stomach it was off homeward at a gentler pace through arcadian splendour

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The last stretch was along the dead straight and flat roads around the Shepparton area. At a decent pace i must admit it's a good way to cross distances in good time and i like to see farmland but you do miss the rolling hills quite quickly

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We had plenty of those the next day on our way home though and hopefully i shall post some photos of that tomorrow.

Regards
Paul
gwm635

Post by gwm635 »

=D> =D> =D> =D>
What can I say?? Paul and Ellis are photographic geniuses...
=D> =D> =D> =D>
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MrE
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Post by MrE »

And Sunday.

Some of the cars are a little dirtier today. Fortunately for me brown cars don't show the dirt.

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Hi there Bailey!! Image
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MrE
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Post by MrE »

These are some shots of our trip home via Hume Weir along the Murray River and through Kosziusko National Park. Garry put us on to this route and the whole way was simply breathtaking. No traffic, incredible scenery, and a great condition road the entire way. Definitely definitely worth doing if you're ever in the area.

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And here's that driveway shot Jeff. An adequate garage filled to capacity with E24s. So full in fact that we made the shit one park outside. That's right Paul, your car's shit!!
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Regards,
Ellis.
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gwm635

Post by gwm635 »

amibuggnu wrote:And Sunday.
Hi there Bailey!! Image
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He had the time of his life on the weekend! Thanks to everyone for being so nice to him
Paul Humpage
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Post by Paul Humpage »

As Ellis said with his excellent shots of the way home, the route we took back over the Snowy Mountains is without doubt a trip worth doing again. The route to Albury/Wodonga was a bit more interesting as although it was flat it was a bit of different flat to where we'd been before. The flooded trees at Yarrawonga and Lake Mulwala though were some of the ugliest sights i think i've ever come across here and miles away from the lake around paddocks and along the road were trees dying back from either salinity or disease from the reckless methods of flood irrigating paddocks. No wonder the Murray is up shit creek, we've really made a mess of things.

Anyway, approaching Wodonga the scenery started at last to undulate and around Rutherglen was rather beautiful with all the vineyards and some stunning colonial buildings nestled in the low hills. The higher slopes of the Great Dividing Range were getting tantalisingly closer in the distance but my camera was in the boot of the car :oops:

After lunch at a greasy spoon in Albury we headed off and crossed the Hume Dam

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We seemed to be the only people around.

After crossing to the other side the road followed the Murray River Valley and was a bloody ripper of a road. Little if no traffic, excellently maintained and a series of endless bends and dips and rises with stunning scenery especially to our left once we'd got passed the flood waters of the dam and the trees were alive and river flowed gently through the paddocks

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Very few photos from then as it was hands on driving for most of the way. A couple of times we'd come across cattle grazing the long paddock as there wasn't much grass in the fields with the drought. The farmers signposted that the cattle were there well in advance so it was never a case of coming around a corner to be confronted with some bovine chewing the cud in the middle of the road.


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We stopped outside of Khancoban and had a break before the road climbed steeply up.

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We doubled back into the town/settlement for a coffee and bun and then headed off the back way over the mountains

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After a very brief spell on the flat it was straight up the hills and the fun was on for young and old

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We took a break by Tumut Dam (?) and in the silence of the mountain air all you could hear were 30 straight cylinders ticking as they cooled down.


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The thin air badly effected Ellis's lobotomy

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Ah! The serenity

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Ever onwards and upwards to the highest points of the Snowies. The trees started to thin and dead trees from bushfires of some years ago dominated the landscape. Fortunately the undergrowth looks very healthy indeed so the future looks bright if there are no more serious fires. The growth is slow but in a generation's time there might be a full canopy again. The thinness of the air made the cars struggle at times on the steepest parts. Not exactly go slow but there was a reluctance to kick down and the pull up appeared to take a bit more effort.

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All was fun coming down the other side but as we got to the area around the Tumut 2 power station we came across a lovely new stretch of road with dark and smooth bitumen and as Ben first and me following took a corner there was a significant absence of grip. The day was growing older too and we'd started to spot kangaroos and wallabies on the road side so now was the time to ease off but not before a wonderful couple of kilometres by the Selwyn snowfields where you could see from the top of the hill the empty road in front of you snaking along down the slope so using the whole width of the road it was the last opportunity to shake out any cobwebs that might still be under the bonnet after 2 and a half thousand kilometres of driving over the last 4 days.

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At the bottom of the hill we said cheerio to Greg, Josh and Rosie who were having a huge drive all the way back to Sydney while we headed off down the Snowy Mountain Highway to Canberra, this time moving away from the mountains.

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It was a superb way to finish off a truly brilliant weekend. Without doubt the whole thing needs repeating at some place in the not too distant future.

Regards
Paul
hynek001

Monaro High Plains & Upper Murray

Post by hynek001 »

The pictures are great. Sandie & I were up that way at the beginning of March as we have lots of friends up there. The Monaro High Plains and Upper Murray area are sensational driving areas. There are many other drives around there, such as Tooma, Tumbarumba, Kancoban, Corryong. You just have to be very careful in the morning and dusk because there can be kangaroos in plague proportions. The area would be a sensational place for another get together.
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hoadie
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Post by hoadie »

I was thinking about all the dead trees in the Alps - were they burnt out in the big fire that made it's way to Canberra?

That's a great set of pics Paul, great bookend to the trip .
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Post by Paul Humpage »

hoadie wrote:I was thinking about all the dead trees in the Alps - were they burnt out in the big fire that made it's way to Canberra?

That's a great set of pics Paul, great bookend to the trip .
I think it was a couple of years before that when nearly the whole of the Snowies/Kosciusko went up in flames. Maybe 7 or 8 years ago?

Sitting at home i'm missing the drives of last week. What a sad git.

REgards
Paul
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hoadie
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Post by hoadie »

I'm in the same boat. I'm thinking of having a drive thru to Wombeyan caves this weekend to try and get it out of the system.
geecee

Post by geecee »

Hi Guys, I can't begin to tell you how bad I feel about missing this trip. :cry:

Just checked out all the brilliant photos and the stories attached, even recognised a lot of the roads you visited. The cars look fantastic and it sounds like you all had a truly great weekend with no real car issues (other than mine of course).

Congratulations to everyone who organised and participated - I sincerely hope to be on the next one, Murphy willing!!

Allan, please give me call so I can fix you up for the caps. Thanks again for picking them up for me.

Cheers,
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MrE
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Post by MrE »

geecee wrote:Hi Guys, I can't begin to tell you how bad I feel about missing this trip. :cry:

Just checked out all the brilliant photos and the stories attached, even recognised a lot of the roads you visited. The cars look fantastic and it sounds like you all had a truly great weekend with no real car issues (other than mine of course).

Congratulations to everyone who organised and participated - I sincerely hope to be on the next one, Murphy willing!!

Allan, please give me call so I can fix you up for the caps. Thanks again for picking them up for me.

Cheers,
It was a shame you were unable to make it Geoff, but you should try and join up with us for the local run Paul's put forward for May...

viewtopic.php?t=8678

It'd be great to see you there.

Regards,
Ellis.
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MrE
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Post by MrE »

hoadie wrote:I was thinking about all the dead trees in the Alps - were they burnt out in the big fire that made it's way to Canberra?
More or less, both the Canberra bushfires and the Kosciuszko bushfires were in January 2003, though they were separate fires. The main Canberra bushfires originated in Namadgi National Park which is adjacent to Kosciuszko National Park but separated by farmland, however all were started by the same event (lightning strikes) and were part of a massive firefront being fought by the region's rural fire services.

The Kosciuszko fire would have joined up with the Namadgi fire had it not been for the farmland acting as a firebreak, but the Namadgi fire kept on going north until it reached the city and the pine plantations.
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Oz6er

Post by Oz6er »

hoadie wrote:I'm in the same boat. I'm thinking of having a drive thru to Wombeyan caves this weekend to try and get it out of the system.
If you're after dirt you're out of luck, it's all sealed now.
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hoadie
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Post by hoadie »

Aussie_6er wrote:
hoadie wrote:I'm in the same boat. I'm thinking of having a drive thru to Wombeyan caves this weekend to try and get it out of the system.
If you're after dirt you're out of luck, it's all sealed now.
Both ways or just from the west?
Oz6er

Post by Oz6er »

hoadie wrote:
Aussie_6er wrote:
hoadie wrote:I'm in the same boat. I'm thinking of having a drive thru to Wombeyan caves this weekend to try and get it out of the system.
If you're after dirt you're out of luck, it's all sealed now.
Both ways or just from the west?
Actually rechecking the map they were talking about the Tablelands Way, you probably went down it on the last cruise down that way? http://australiancx.asn.au/forum/index. ... t=wombeyan
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hoadie
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Post by hoadie »

Aussie_6er wrote:
hoadie wrote:
Aussie_6er wrote: If you're after dirt you're out of luck, it's all sealed now.
Both ways or just from the west?
Actually rechecking the map they were talking about the Tablelands Way, you probably went down it on the last cruise down that way? http://australiancx.asn.au/forum/index. ... t=wombeyan
Yeah, that's the road to Oberon. I headed north that way, Ellis and Adam went south. It was mostly sealed 12 months ago but it looks like the main road in and out is still unsealed.
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