Easter in Orange
05 April 2016 / Story: Josh Fitzgerald, Stephen Carter, Grant Webber Photos: David Gazzard, Grant Webber, Josh Fitzgerald
Any given long weekend is a perfect opportunity to pack the MX-5 boot and head for the countryside. This time the Hunter Chapter set its sights on Orange and its surrounds.
Meeting at our usual spot at the Beresfield Service Centre on the first day of a long weekend is always a squishy affair as 26 members, 14 MX-5s and a Lotus jostled for parking spots with the never ending stream of holiday traffic. Given the amount of holiday traffic on the road, very wise advice was taken and an alternative route was devised to avoid the chaotic M1 roundabout. Diverting through the backstreets of East Maitland we quickly found ourselves on the Hunter Expressway heading north away from the traffic chaos. We soon were at our first turn off onto Bureen Road that sweeps and rolls through bush and farmlands and ends in Denman.
After a morning tea break and meeting up with the another two cars and 3 members in Denman, we turned onto the scenic Bylong Valley Way. A road that should be on any MX-5 owners to-do list. The Bylong Valley Way links the Golden Highway near Sandy Hollow to the Castlereagh Highway near Ilford via 140kms of rolling roads through sparse countryside and sudden sheer cliff faces poking up out of nowhere. It really would be a tragedy if this valley were turned into an open cut mine.
Despite the odd bit of slow traffic here and there, it was an enjoyable journey until the heavens opened just as we reached our lunch destination at the Rylstone Hotel, not that anyone was complaining, the local area desperately needed a good downpour of rain.
After a very hearty meal at the pub and rains dissipating on we pushed towards Bathurst. Aiming to avoid the middle of Bathurst due to the festival on that weekend, we took advantage of a recently tarred road up towards Hill End and down through Turondale. A cliffside road that would make the perfect hill climb track, Hill End Road allowed the more spirited drivers up front to attack some very tight corners and switchbacks all the way to the top of the hill. Certainly my favorite road of the tour so far!
Regrouping on the outskirts of Bathurst we continued in a more leisurely fashion to Orange (including the standard missed turn/detour through suburbia) via the back roads leading to Milthorpe, possibly the prettiest town in the area. Not before long we arrived at our destination where we met with the Sheddens (another 2 MX-5s and 3 members). With everyone checked in out came the beverages for some relaxing happy hour drinks. Unfortunately the motor lodge didn’t have a common area to accommodate us so we improvised…by drinking in the car park. We're classy like that here in the hunter.
The showers of Friday had moved on and we were met with a glorious sunny morning on Saturday. After a brief briefing by Kuntry Kuzzin at 8:27 the group rolled out at 8:30, joined by locals Ian and Carmel in their white NC taking our total tally to 20 cars and 34 members! The route was via Molong and Cumnock to our morning tea stop at Yeoval. Entertainment along the way was provided by the Animals on Bikes, a collection of sculptures adorning the roadside. We bombarded the local cafe, most likely giving them their busiest thirty minutes ever.
A leisurely trip into Parkes highlighted that we were in the country, encountering on the road cattle, interesting farm machinery and a farmer who didn't think it was necessary to pull off the road to park. We left Parkes on our way to the Dish and had another encounter, this time the "Kombi Natmeet". A few Kombis turned into about 80 at the Dish. They were great to see but it meant we were competing with their occupants at the cafe for lunch.
After refuelling our bodies we made a short trip back into Parkes to visit the Henry Parkes Centre featuring its four museums - The Elvis Exhibit, Motor Museum, Historical Museum and Antique Machinery Collection. There was certainly something here to interest everyone.
From here Kuntry Kuzzin handed the lead over to our convenors to lead the way to the Canobolas Smith Winery for some wine tasting to conclude our day. The winery had available some very nice wines for tasting including cheese, breads and yummy butter.
After stocking up on more wine than could fit in the boot, everyone made their own way back to the motor lodge for some more happy hour car park drinks before dinner at a local pub.
Sunday morning dawned crisp and clear; and the Easter Bunny had visited all the cars. Thankfully the morning was not too hot so the lovely chocolate eggs stayed solid rather than melting into the windscreen. Thanks Easter Bunny!! Checked out and loaded up we headed off to the historic Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit. Gnoo Blas, located on public roads just south of Orange, was used between 1953 and 1961 for open wheel racing staged by the Australian Sporting Car Club and hosted the inaugural race of the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1960.
A short trip from the hotel took us to Sir Jack Brabham Park on Huntley Street. A quick perusal of the information signs and the obligatory group photo, and we were back on the road for a tour of the 6 km circuit. Whilst now speed limited and changed with the usual road furniture it was still clear that the original Gnoo Blas must have been a real driver’s circuit in spite of the apparently innocuous track map; starting on Huntley Rd, round Mrs Mutton’s Corner and on to Bloomfield Road, then back along Forest Rd to complete the lap. Hard to imagine the lap record with an average speed of just under 180 km/h and the record average over the Flying Eighth (of a mile) of more than 270 km/h.
Following our lap we headed south out of Orange, along some beautiful roads built for a Sunday morning cruise. Past the Aerodrome and through Millthorpe led us to our mid-morning regroup and comfort break at Blayney. From Blayney the roads became twistier by the kilometre, along Athol-Newbridge Rd and Wimbledon Rd to Georges Plains, then via The Lagoon on to O’Connell.
Finally we turned on to the stretch of blacktop that was the sole reason for selecting this run home from Orange; the legendary Tarana Road. This 44 km road is a stunning mix of flowing crests and curves, switchbacks and dips through dense bushland and numerous single lane wooden bridges over the Bathurst-to-Lithgow rail line it follows. An unexpected Easter Sunday market at Tarana had us pushing on to our planned stop at Lithgow for lunch, but not before some true rollercoaster sections running past Lake Lyell on Magpie Hollow Rd.
Lunch was at Lithgow Workies, which as we now know is home to the largest meals money can buy; though it was fun seeing young Alex Sheddon attempting to eat a lasagne that appeared larger than him!
Our run along The Bells Line of Roads toward Windsor was punctuated by a few impromptu stops in search of new season local apples. At this stage we said our goodbyes to many of the Hunter-based members who preferred to beat the traffic heading north, while our Illawarra-based weekenders headed south. This left a group of six cars travelling back to Newcastle avoiding Easter traffic along the way. Kurmond Rd looped us around Windsor, then through Ebenezer and over the Hawkesbury River on the Sackville Ferry. At this stage we decided to avoid the M1 Motorway entirely so turned left for Wiseman’s Ferry (thanks to the Ferryman who brought the ferry further up the ramp for the little cars!).
A brief but intense rain storm as we travelled along Yarramalong Rd provided an opportunity for a comparison of roof closing speeds for NB, NC hard-top and ND; it appears progress has saved us 10 seconds! A final muster at Morriset for petrol for the NB (progress also gives us better efficiency!) and final goodbyes saw us all on our way home after a fantastic weekend of great roads and even better company.
A huge thank you to our organisers/run leaders for helping over the weekend! (The Easter Bunny noticed!)
David Gazzards Photos: HERE
Grant Webbers Photos: HERE
Josh Fitzgeralds Photos: HERE
