surferboys nats diary

[surferboy]

and here we are


The West Aussies started our Nats Party onthe Thursday (nothing better than a lnglong weekend  )


on our way back to Nats HQ after dinner at the pub

[surferboy]

FRIDAY 21st MARCH
NATS DAY 1

I relaxed all day

Some used thier time to wash     and polish                and scrub                                                                         



and.....later....wash some more....

and wash again (just incase you missed something the first time  )

Fish and chips for dinner
We all practised our queing up


and caught up with all our old friends and made some new ones


such as Tailshaft Tim...who brought me my "surfboard" idiot board
the last time i saw it was in a rubbish bin at Jindabyne in 2005

THANKS Tim 
Its things like this that make the Nats really worthwhile

  & Cathy

[surferboy]

sat 22 mar  Nats Day 2

Show and shine day

I'll let the other guys do the shiny car pics

with face painting


and a cruise around town
]


we queued up for a lovely bbq dinner


and relaxed and did some more catching up with mates


The kids got funny magicians

which all the parents loved

some of us chose to show how inttel..inti...entelig...inntelegen....dumb we are at the quiz night

Our table WOULD of won (if they had asked different qwestions)

  & Cathy

[surferboy]

sun 23 mar  Nats day 3

CRUISING      





and SPORT

warming up


Gary would have been perfect if it had been an FE boot and badge


 

Dinner was supplied



  Cathy

[surferboy]

Heres Steve checking directions for the cruise

(just before the second U turn  )



and TROPHY DINNER

sorry but I've got to post this one

longest distance travelled

AND THIS ONE

The West Aussies collect the sports trophy AGAIN
lets ALL sing a rousing chorus of
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

AND BIRTHDAY CAKE

but no naked lady jumped out 


  & Cathy

[surferboy]

mon 24 mar

Nats day 4   going home day (but some of just love it so much we just hang around)


The West aussie gang


we went sightseeing somemore
Mt Gambier was a lovely place to cruise around with some lovely sights to see
 

the stragglers had one last final get together before the weekend finished


THANK YOU to all the South Aussie crew who organised a terrific weekend.
Cathy and I have really enjoyed every minute of it. The Nats is much more than just a bunch of car guys and shiny cars. This weekend with all the fun and enjoyment certainly reinforced that

  & Cathy

PS See you all again in Orange 2010
     and we can't wait for 2012

[surferboy]

tue 25 mar

cant drag out the weekend any longer unfortunately
so we've started the trip home 

the road out of Mt Gambier looksa bit like this ( i think )

or it could be the road out of anywhere ......I tell you, they all start looking the same

on the road to Victor Harbour. More Semis on our tail


  & Cathy

[surferboy]

wed 26 mar

after the busy Nats weekend and all the partying
we took time to relax with a spa room in Victor Harbor
where we enjoyed the sunrise 



NO I'm not posting the spa photos !

  & Cathy

[surferboy]

thurs 27 mar

on the road again
stopped for 5 minutes at Hahndorf in the Adelaide hills

Cathy went puppet shopping for the grandkids


I loved the leather shop


a lovely place

we left 2 1/2 hours later !

  & Cathy

[surferboy]

fri 28 mar

were feeling good
the wagon is running really well

so we decided to take a small detour on the way home
turned left leaving Port Augusta and drove South to Port Lincoln

guess what
the road looks somehing like this


  & Cathy

[surferboy]

sat 29 mar

heading north to get back on track
was going to stay overnight an Ceduna but changed our plans (again)
and decided to stay at the hotel at Streaky Bay



BUT...there was a wedding on and THE WHOLE TOWN was completly booked out


so we stayed in Ceduna
where the highlight on a Saturday night was a birthday party at the pizza shop
(sorry i didnt have the camera with me so i cant post pics of a pizza shop  )

  & Cathy

[surferboy]

sun 30 mar

Heading home  back across the Nullabor


you do a lot of this driving a 1958 Holden across the country 

stopped at Penong in the cold wet windy weather before turning off the highway to drive the 25 kms of gravel track to go surfing at Cactus and caught up with some locals

who said "surfs not on...but you should have been here last week ! "

so we didn't go
BUT I WOULD HAVE (honest...would i tell fibs  )

this is the local surfboard makers shop


on the Nullabor

and you thought I was silly

had to stop for this photo








only in Australia 








LUNCHTIME




  & Cathy

[surferboy]

mon 31 mar

We must have done to many miles
                       and to many states
                        and to many time zones
                         and to many towns

my brains frazzled
I've got no photos to post 'cos i put them in yesterdays 

 

[surferboy]

TUESDAY 1st APRIL

after 26 days
and 8,300 km

Arrived home

our adventure ended
4.40 pm
 








  & Cathy

See you all in Orange 

[customFC]

Hey  & Cathy
Thank you for an entertaining insight to parts of Australia I have never seen.
Enjoyed following along.
Look forward to your journey to Orange.
Regards
Alex

[EffCee]

What an inspiring story. I have never been across the Nullabor, have always wanted to but have never done it. To do it in a good old Holden must have been great. I really enjoyed some of the pictures of the scenery. Must have been a great trip.

I look forward to meeting you both in Orange, and following your next trip across.

Keith

[FC427]

Surferboy your trip across Australia in an inspiration to all and what a mighty old Holden to take you there and back ,and some great shots of the trip .....FC427.......

[Paul In Ireland]

Isn't your speedo in miles? And how many miles to the gallon did you average for your trip?

Thanks for the posts - I have enjoyed it.

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

What a great read!
My only worry is what's gonna happen in 2012?

[FC427]

Stinky by 2012 fuel will be well over $10 a gallon it will be a expensive trip to get to WA and back I better start saving a few $$ each week for the Trip so it won't have an impact on the hip pocket.......FC427........