UPCOMING EVENT
Boxster & Cayman Early Autumn Run - Sun 21st March 2010
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PAST EVENTS
BOX STALLION WINERY RUN - Sun 23rd Nov 2008
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I had a quiet drive from my hillside home at McCrae up the back of Arthur Seat Road, hood down, beautiful Sunday morning. I arrive early, at the Arthurs Seat Hotel car park, my pick up point. Quietly, sitting on the park beach, enjoying the sunshine, taking in the stunning view across the valley down and across Port Phillip Bay. Oh yes, very peaceful.
Then the gentle comforting roar of 10- 12 Boxsters “cruising” up the Arthurs Seat mountain road, just heard above the birds singing and the wind in the trees - what a sound - invigorating. Straight into the car park, 10-12 Boxsters. 1,2,3,4 what’s this a 911?, another one oh no it’s a 935, 993, 7,8,9,10, a Ferrari - what - can’t be one of us?
I gingerly introduce myself to the driver of the seal grey Boxster who offers me gifts galore. A rusky hat --- I wondered why everyone was wearing one, a chamois and a name tag and neck band. Feel like I am a celebrity in a corporate tent at the grand prix!
Scones. jam and cream sir? Certainly…why not? Lots of chit chat about the stage 1 drive to this meeting point, cars etc. Don’t you want to see the view? Did you know that two RAAF planes crashed into Arthur seat during practice for WW2, killing all but one? Neither did I. Interesting.
40 minutes s later it’s off around Arthur Seat National Park and beyond heading towards the Box Stallion Winery. 9 Boxsters, 964, (sorry) 993 and a Ferrari!!!!! Oh well, it is a great looking Daytona. I join up the back of the group followed by the Daytona.
Right out of the car park, left into Purves Road as we cruise off along the picturesque ridge line of the Arthurs Seat National Park through Main Ridge. A hard right into Browns Road, a great piece of road winding down through the hills to the level area of the plains behind the hill top. Tricky left hand turn into Browns road where it meets Jetty Road. This piece of road I know well. Used to hammer the old 911 Targa through here. But hey, the Boxster is so much faster through these 40- 60 k marked corners. Smooth road surface used to make the 911 very twitchy – not the Boxster ---- yyeeessss!!
Through the twisty bits and the long straight stretch heading to Boneo Road. Police love this spot, often see them hiding in Old Cape Shank Road. Left at the round about into Boneo Road, all waving at the boys training at the CFA unit on the corner as 12 Porsches accelerated along through the veggie gardens on both sides of the road. From here Boneo Road starts rising up through the sand belt often called the cups, and past the Cape Shank and National Golf Clubs. Only got caught by one BMW three series station wagon turning in for a mid morning game - 9 holes of golf before a leisurely luncheon of course!
The relatively smooth and straight road heads up and passes through the Mornington National Park where you quite suddenly drop quickly through some great twisty down hill corners, left, right, left as you start to climb out of the valley onto the plateau again, great fun, jeez this Boxster hangs on—sensational. No way could I have done this at this speed in the Targa. Heading towards Flinders a gentle left hand curve hill and rising out passed the blow hole and great views out to Bass Straight to the right, wealthy Toorak farmers on the left. Left to the intersection of the Mornington -Flinders Road. Right turn down small 110 k hill and up into the 80 and 60 zones of Flinders township. At a quiet 60 kms passed the coffee houses and the Latte set, left into Wood Street at the Flinders pub and out the back of Flinders heading towards the winery a 60 zone the local Constabulary regularly control. We all got a bit split up in the previous sector, 5-6 Boxsters disappeared into the distance headed by lead foot Ursula I believe - it was her run after all!
The 60 becomes 80, the 80 becomes a 100. That’s better. Black Boxster, red 964, yellow 3.2S Boxster, Silver Boxster, me in the seal grey followed by that incredibly fast accelerating Daytona - hope it has got good brakes! Yes it has.
Cars spread along this road and following behind I can see sparkling black, red, yellow, silver Porsches hurtling down the steep decline in the distance in the spring sunshine…looks fantastic--- wish I had a camera buddy along or a video. Oops 90 zone here as you go passed the turn off to Point Leo and along a bit Shoreham Road – Mr. plod is hiding in the trees on the left. Pings you for doing 95 here, but we all get through safely.
Ok it’s 100 again - oh no a b……y learner in mums Mazda 3. Luckily it only slowed us for about 2ks as they turn left heading back along the Red Hill turn off. Another long straight with gentle sweeping curves, left, right and then hard left into Merricks’ Road. This is a narrow rough road but with some good stretches through the forest before we take a left onto Bittern Dromana Road and right into Tubbarubba Road – I can smell the winery from here or is it just my imagination.
Tubbarubba Road is wine making country, wineries, cellars and actually wine makers are both sides of the road here. Yes I can definitely smell it and even taste it.
Box Stallion is on the left and was once an old horse stud farm. Slowly over the gate plug in the dirt and gravel drive (don’t want to hit the bottom) left onto a beautiful green lawn 12 Porsches and a Ferrari pull up side by side. What’s that comment I heard - what are all these European cars doing here?
We all sat quickly and ordered the wine. This is Pinot country, the best on the Peninsula, if not the state. Ursula ordered Rose. “ROSE” - I know some people are starting to drink it again bbuuuttttt!!! Poor Ursula finished up having to drink the whole bottle or did Peter help her? I think I saw a partially empty bottle left on the outside table!
The quiz --- have you all answered the quiz?? A flurry of biros, mobile phones dialing out to phone a friend--- these are hard questions. Time’s up hand them in. Peter does the count while we order spiced lamb rump with tomato and cardamom relish and coconut samba or crispy skin chicken crispy skin breast with kipfler potatoes and almond salad. Mmm….mmmm - what’s that about the Flinders latte set?
Oh yes the Encounter Pinot, slightly more expensive than the Red Barn Pinot but well worth it. . How’s the Rose Ursula? Great food and wine – recommend it for others.
Quiz: Three categories - travel, music, general knowledge. They were hard, here’s a sample:
1.The world’s only colony of mute swans is farmed at the site of a middle aged abbey in which British town?
2.Who had a hit song “the Logical Song”
3.When is red mullet a green mullet?
Who dreamt up this quiz? The winner with 10 out of 30 (told you it was hard) – Steve and Abby. Other prizes given out for the couple that tried the hardest, named Ursula’s favorite ghost, funniest answers and the one with the least answers!
Let’s have another bottle of that Encounter Pinot thanks. Lunch over, a stroll and chat out in the gardens over looking the valley and vineyard beyond while the last of the wine was sipped down. Oh yes, a pleasant Sunday afternoon.
Stage 3
Some decided to head on home, others headed off towards Mt. Eliza and the Manyung Gallery for coffee. Left out of the winery straight down Balnarring Road through Tuerong and onto old Mooroduc Road passed Dromana Estate Winery on the left and across the dangerous double lane Mornington Peninsula Highway (Moorooduc) heading north to Mt Eliza. Where did all this traffic come from? Sunday afternoon, all the weekenders heading home along with the day trippers to Mornington Peninsula, slow and busy traffic. It is times like these I am glad I live permanently on the Peninsula. I’m on holidays every day!
Through the slow moving roundabouts , more feed in traffic, passed the fresh fruit and veggie Peninsula Farmers Market and left into Wooralla Road, a fast narrow downhill straight stretch heading down to the old Mooroduc train track, (don’t hit too fast it’s a rough one) and a slow wind up the hill behind other cars to the Nepean Highway . Left onto the Highway and left into the Manyung gallery.
A quiet walk through the gallery checking out some of the art work, sculptures. Mmmmmm… What’s this - a Hens party! Bit strange, normally held at night time. I asked the Bride. She said we are still continuing from last night- big party!
Sitting around the bench table, Ursula organized coffees all round, a small debriefing takes place and just for the end of a sensational day, a stainless steel sculpture of Boxster was placed in the centre of our table - a fitting conclusion.
Enormous thanks to Ursula and Peter - fantastic organizing. Next trip please - when??
MORNINGTON PENINSULA FUN RUN - SUNDAY 11TH FEBRUARY 2007
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It was windy but warm as we met at the Windows-on the-Bay carpark in Mordialloc for our fun run to the Mornington Peninsula. Present and correct were:
Aranka & Bruce Young, Geoff & Barb Mould, Boyne & Ros Alley, Will & Barb Darvall, Wayne & Lindsay St Baker, Graeme Robson & Sharyn Long, Jacqui Collihole & Greg Hannah.
Seven couples, seven cars, each supplied with a map and comprehensive directions to Red Hill Estate Winery, with a preliminary stop at the McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park near Langwarrin. And clutching a word puzzle to be completed and submitted by lunch time.
We made a colourful, orderly procession down Nepean Highway and had no trouble finding the Gallery and Sculpture Park. As we “oohed” and “aahed” at the sight of amazing art forms which greeted our arrival in the grounds, Barbara Mould made the marvelous suggestion of coffee . . . and we readily joined her in the Gallery’s excellent Café overlooking a languid lake and stunning sculptures.
Energy restored, we ventured into the Gallery to view the exhibitions on offer. While weird to some and wonderful to others, it was all worthwhile to experience. However, the oil on canvas, The Divinity of Being; The Heads; The Chambers of Being; The Eyes of Stealth, was merely reminiscent of the geometric fabric prints of the seventies to one of our party. And how did the jumbled letters and patterns of Maudsley’s isograph and ink represent How we are, not how we’d like to be? Perhaps the Art Chats at the Gallery on Thursdays would shed enlightenment on the philistines among us . .
The first sculpture to harness our attention was Phil Price’s elegant creation, Ratytus, inspired by a New Zealand flightless bird. The work consists of a curving blade hoisted high, spinning on one axis and revolving gracefully on another, giving the impression of attempted but failed flight.
The artwork most venerated on the day was Darren Davison’s Homespace, a stainless steel house entered through a light-lock. As your eyes adjust to the blackness, a myriad of stars emerge from above, the light disconcertingly reflected below bringing with it a sensation of the viewer being suspended in time and space. It’s a pity some of us missed it because of a penchant for browsing and a disposition to purchase in gift shops!
Happily sated by culture, we comfortably traversed the remaining peninsular terrain To Red Hill Estate, where we imbibed the wonderful wines and a luscious lunch at Max’s Restaurant. The winner of the competition was announced, and rewarded with both a bottle of red and the task of writing this article! Conversation flowed as freely as the wine as we discussed the finer points of our Porsches, saved the world from global warming with progressive ideas on eco-friendly architecture, while renewing friendships and making new ones.
Thanks again to Geoff Mould and Aranka Young for their excellent planning of a very enjoyable day, and to everyone for their infectious enthusiasm for the Porsche brand! We now look forward to the prospect of our forthcoming Tasmanian trip with the wider PCV membership – bring it on!
- Rosalind J. Alley
21 February 2007