FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

The time has nearly arrived and it’s nearly departure day.  Although in reality, departure day for me will be 5.00pm tomorrow night when I leave my workplace and enter the car park.  It could be pouring rain for all I care – I will be on holiday and nothing will dampen my enthusiasm.  The thought of sitting in a car for approximately 8 hours per day for 6 days straight doesn’t phase me either.  I’ll be on holiday, I won’t be at work, I won’t be doing chores, I’ll be exploring that big wonderful place we all call home.

The trip is about the reminiscing, of previous Nationals and the funny/hilarious/rude and sometimes tragic things that happen while on those trips.  It’s about the whole adventure, the event, the travel to and travel from - the whole package.  It’s the leap frogging on the highway, it’s the stories in the bar at the end of the day, or the stories the day after about the events in the bar the night before.  It’s the “oh did you see that idiot”, or “what a maniac” referring to some road user who doesn’t drive the way sane people do.  It’s about the release of tension that has built up in the weeks prior to the event and the renewing of friendships.  It’s about talking about the next event, while still on this one, and mentally preparing yourself for what needs to be done in order to attend (Tassie) - and it’s never soon enough.  When’s the next one….. are we there yet …. (hands up all those who say “are we there yet” when you’re only 10 kilometres into your journey).

Remember when you were a little kid and your parents took you on holidays.  You used to sit in the back seat of the car and you were so excited.  You played games like I spy or Punch buggy.  Really - are we much different than that now that we are adults.  We all pile into our cars and hit the highway, with big grins on our faces, excited, and very easily excitable, we do silly childish things, like pull faces or put musk sticks or snakes up our nostrils while overtaking our friends.  We look out the windows at the cows, we see the punch buggies and then we spot another FE/FC, or old Holden (or even other classics) and we all get excited.  It's "ooh, I wonder who that is", or "are they going to a Nationals", or "cool, there's Harry and Fred from the NT Club". 

I wonder what funny stories will come of this event.  Of course we will all be talking about the wedding.  But there is already stories – like Fred and Candy driving 800 odd kilometres to progress only 300 odd kilometres.

There was this one time, at the HD-HR Nationals, when Graham and Ray had to share the bathroom after a particularly heavy night of drinking – one in the toilet bowl and the other in the vanity sink…….. don’t think I’ll elaborate any further on that one except to say that you should always carry a spare toothbrush.  Anyway you get the picture  ……  I’m sure if you ask, Graham or Jodie will fill you in on all the details.

So, until Saturday, (when the ACT contingent posts our first day’s report), happy and safe travels.

Kathy

Hi All,
I am SO KEEN to go! After reading Gary & Bruce's "Tailbone problems" I'm glad that we've decided to use the car trailer, modern seats will be much better for our aching bones, but not as much fun as driving the FC !

WE're leaving Canberra at 6am on Saturday, so hopefully will cross paths with some other FE/FC's on the trip. We're travelling with COLT and will be meeting TAILSHAFT at Wave Rock for a "Club BBQ" & then travel into Perth together.

This will be more than a drive, it's an adventure! Really looking forward to the trip and meeting up with our FE/FC friends from around the country. Hope you all have a safe trip.

Cheers,

Graham

Have a safe trip, and keep us posted!!!

Cheers
David

PS - Have you packed the trophy?

Trophy's in the FC already!

And don't forget that BEETROOT and hubby are coming too! Travelling with me. looking forward to it.

And don't forget Maddy, Bec, Erik and Oscar too.  Jeesh Graham, you're slipping. 

Haven't you gone yet?

1 more sleep David

Are we there yet??

Car packed, trailer packed, now to just get through 1 more sleep. Brekky arrangements have been made and not too long before we leave.

Perth, HERE WE COME!

See you guys in Mildura Saturday night at the caravan park. Give me a call 0432084846

Well, Colin, I will be able to make the Friday night / Saturday morning in Perth en route to Ireland - I'll keep an eye out for you!!  ::)

DAY 1 - 5.15am

It's twenty three hundred and eighty six miles to Perth, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of musk sticks, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses. 

It's got a grey motor, a 138-cubic-inch plant. It's got cheese cutter tires, crap suspension, crap shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters, so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say? Is it the new Natsmobile or what?

Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don't fail us now  we’re on a mission to Perth.

(Love that movie)
Kathy

"Fix the cigarette lighter."

(http://www.customminifig.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/blues-brothers-custom-minifigs-by-shmails.jpg)

Love it Richard.

Day 1 was fairly uneventful.  Lots of little funny things happened, but nothing much to report on.  We left Canberra at 6.00am.  Our first stop was at Wagga Wagga where we had a late breakfast.  We then headed onto Hay for lunch.   OMG it was so hot - 38 degrees.  Off to Mildura for our overnight stop.  Decided to have a bbq for dinner - that was yumm.  Lots of banter around the bbq and we were joined by Scott (GOA350) and Jarrod who are stopping here overnight also.  They'll head off in the morning to meet up with the VIC crew while we head to Wudinna.  Lots of roadwork along the way and chatted to a few truck drivers who wanted to talk to us about our cars.

 
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First stop, Mcdonalds at Wagga


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The girls cooking lunch at Hay


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Mud on the front of Col's car after the roadworks near Narranderra


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At the caravan park at Mildura, our first night's stop

Travelling a bit slower today just south of port pirie at the moment. Heading for wudinna, which is about 350kms away. It"ll be a pub meal tnite.

We set off from Mildura just before 8am (or was that 9am).  Maddy unfortunately left her phone in Mildura so we'll have to pick it up on our way home.

We thought we'd start the day off with takeaway coffees.  They were nice coffees but she filled them so much that every time we went over a bump we wore it.  But David ended up spilling his coffee and then Colin dropped a water bottle on the floor between his legs and as it was dangerous having a water bottle rolling around under the drivers foot, David leaned over from the passenger side, reached down between Colin's legs, and retrieved the water bottle.  Then we found that the pages of the itinerary were sticking together - apparently that was from the spilled coffee.

It was a long day and we finally made it to our cabin in Wudinna at about 6.30pm.  A quick counter meal and we're back in the cabin preparing for bed and re-charging the numerous electronic pieces of equipment that we don't seem to be able to do without.

Tomorrow we're off to Border Village, but stopping for sight seeing on the way.

Good on ya Paul. Looking forward very much to catching up.

I'm so very happy NOT to be driving my FE to the Nats this time. My back would be Buggered!

I caught one of my tie down straps just in time, it was cut half way through, we stopped once because Dave thought he saw smoke coming from a trailer bearing, all was good.

Another great drive today, where are all the cars? We have only seen GOA350.

Looking forward to a GREAT Nats.

Colt.

We arrived in Norseman Tuesday afternoon without any dramas & enjoyed a BBQ feast for dinner, followed by apple pie with ice cream (Yuummmm!).
This morning we're going just down the road for breakfast (Esperance, only 200km!).
Tonight should see us at Wave rock, then about a 4 or 5 hour trek into Perth on Thursday. Can't wait to see you all. Tony, did you need your travellers kit yet?

We also found Fred & Candy's graffiti at The BP Servo at Caiguna and added to it (I hope the Victorians see it!  ;D)

Cheers,
Graham

Just left esperance. Beautiful coastal town. On our way to wave rock for the night.

We made it to Hyden (Wave Rock) by about 3.30pm today & had a look around the rock. It was well worth the look. We expect to be in Perth tomorrow sometime shortly after lunch.

There's a few pics below from the last couple of days.......


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Here's Fred & Candy's message (after we added a bit to it) at Caiguna


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The obligatory pic from the start of the nullarbor


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Here we all are at the "Bight"


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Kathy, Maddy & I at Wave Rock


Perth, here we come!

It's shocking  :o :o :o

All these Eastern Staters coming over and graffitiing our beautiful state


tutt tutt tutt

 8) 8) 8)

Hello Perth. We've arrived.

It's been good to see everyone arrive safely today, although very tired from epic minimum day journeys across the Nullabor. So far it's nearly exclusively FC Holdens at the Country Comfort Motel... how far behind are all the FE's? ;)

We are the good type of graffiti artists. That tape is bloody expensive.

Well, after a FANTASTIC weekend in Perth, we're now well on our way home.

Thanks to all in the WA Club for hosting such an excellent event, you can all be very proud of yourselves.

Also Congratulations to Graham & Cathy on their marriage (what a great wedding!).

We departed Perth at 5am on Tuesday & made it to Balladonia for the night (about 1000km), via Kalgoorlie, where we had lunch. As you'll read in one of the other posts, we came across Gary & Bruce having some trouble with the Ambulance at Kambalda. We overtook Graham (?) with the Red panelvan from Mackay, just North of Norseman. Dennis & Lyn were already at Balladonia when we arrived at about 6pm.

This morning we headed off at about 6.30am and travelled about 1000km again to arrive in Ceduna at about 7pm.

Tomorrow we're going to try to get to Mildura (about another 1000km) & then have an easy (!) 800km run to home on Friday.

I'm not sure where Colin (COLT) is as he left Perth later than us. I hope all is going well.

Cheers,

Graham, Kathy & Maddy

Those are some serious miles guys. Hope you're stopping every two hours for a break!

We travelled approximately 20 miles south to a farm stay near Armadale. The drive really took it out of us, so we've decided to rest up for four to five days with some mates from the Winnebago RV Club.

We spent hours yesterday giving the wagon's red motor a tune-up after having a new muffler installed. We checked and rechecked all (and even replaced some) of the plugs, leads, points, filters, mixture screw and idle and got it running really well. However, (the same as during the Nats), if I am to accelerate hard, upon backing off the red motor continues to cough and splutter to a point where it's almost undriveable. If I turn the engine off and on again, it goes away and if I drive smoothly, it stays away. Weird.

Safe trip guys!

Thanks to the WA guys for a fantastic Nats. We all really enjoyed ourselves.

I arrived home at about 3pm this arvo after five days driving. Stopped at Norseman, Nullarbor(this place HAS to be experienced overnight just once!) Pt Augusta and Hay. Thanks to Jim, Phil and Elaine from SA for the company for the hard part of the trip.

 I had some awesome drives, between Burra and Renmark, then the Hay Plains for some reason I couldn't seem to keep my tow car in check. She just wanted to take off, so I gave her her head. Totally awesome!

Tim, you'll tire yourself out at that rate, I'll have a word to Bec for you, we'll have to cut your driving time in half. I bet your carby has some crap in a jet or the bowl. If you can put up with it for four months We'll check it out when you get home.

Colin.

I meant to put some stats in the previous post.

Average economy, 17.5 Lt/100km. VE Calais V 6.0LT. Average speed, 91.8 km/h. Total Km's travelled, 7,947.( from Canberra). Fuel used, 1,396 Lts. Running time, 86.41 Hrs. I haven't tallied up the fuel cost, too scary! The dearest fuel price for me was $2.05.7, paid at Balladonia on the return trip, a cent and a half dearer than on the way over.

A great trip, something everyone should do at least once.

Colin.

Thanks Col (& Keith)

We've got the wagon booked in for a carbie service tomorrow morning in Armadale.

Glad to hear you arrived home safely Col & GP. 8,000km during 86 hours puts it all in perspective. We're on target for arrival home in early August via the northern loop of Australia. Bec worked out the distance and it looks like we'll have to crank it up to an average of 80km/day.

See you at the August Club Meeting!

Cheers, Tim