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KINGSCLIFFE DAY RUN.
21ST November 1999
Another great Mini Owners Club success. Despite the cyclonic weather at our destination, this best describes the day.
The day started at McDonalds at Mount Gravatt where 30 plus Minis gathered in the car park. After a briefing from our leader for the day, Tony Formosa, we headed off down the Pacific Highway to Nerang right on time at 8.30am. Well, all except one, Dave Perkins was still inside getting his third Big Mac for the morning. We arrived on time at Nerang, and yes Dave was with us. We meet the Gold Coast and Tweed Heads members which swelled our numbers to 41 Minis.
One eye was looking at the sky to keep an eye on the rain drops that were starting to fall (I wasn’t looking forward to polishing underneath the S again) and the other on Dave in case he headed back in for another Big Mac. We were all present and headed off into the mountains and the Numinbah Valley and to our first stop, The Natural Bridge.
On the way up the mountain I started to smell petrol. I had a quick look behind me and in front, but Bob Ward was no where to be seen. You see, he normally has the fuel leak troubles not me! Luckily Tony decided to stop at the Mountain View Café for a regroup, so I checked under the bonnet to find a stuck needle in the float bowl and fuel spewing out everywhere. So it was my turn to do running repairs with 40 other Mini owners looking on.
By the time we hit the rain forest in the Natural Bridge National Park, the rain was coming down at a steady rate. Well I guess that is why they call it a rain forest! Most of the members put on a brave face and headed into the forest on a 10 minute walk to view the Natural Bridge. I must say that it was worth the walk, even if some forgot to take a brolly. I told Gayle that we would not need it and to leave it at home and just bring a hat. Boy, am I glad she takes no notice of me!
Next stop, Chillingham, and we stopped to have a look at a Mini graveyard. All I can say is, it is a pity to see so many classics rotting away, but I guess everyone has their own ideas. While we were here the local Northern Rivers TV Crew arrived to capture the moment for their local news. They made our Club Captain Tony a star and gave us some nice publicity on our pride & joy.
The rain then just got heavier and with lights ablaze and the wipers wiping, we headed to Murwillumbah and back on the Highway to Kingscliff.
On arrival at our destination we knew we were closer to Melbourne as the weather could only be described as “bloody awful”. The rain was tumbling down and the wind was practicing for the next cyclone. I told Gayle that we would not need a jumper, as it was next week I was going to Victoria. This time she did take my advise and only took one for her! A quick meeting and it was decided to find a better place to set up the barbie so we relocated to another park. Two of our Tweed Heads members were members of the local Rescue Service, so they disappeared and returned with the rescue truck and put up some much appreciated tarps to keep us dry.
While the cooks were getting the tucker ready, we noticed our fearless leader Tony had been bailed up at a police car and talking to the driver. I knew he couldn’t be trying to talk his way out of a speeding ticket as we all know that the S speedo does not go over 50mph, so I went over to investigate. All was revealed as it was our club member, Mark Warrall, who was on duty and could not resist finding an excuse to check out the rabble in the park.
The food was cooked and all were feed, yarns on the trip were told, ideas on what we could do with that Mini graveyard were discussed, the rubbish collected and it was back on the road to home.
The rain had stopped by the time we reached Tweed Heads so it looked like it would be a good trip. That was till we got to just north of Nerang when we came across a Toga White Cooper S with a Burgundy roof parked on the side of the highway minus its driver. We stopped just up the road to find the driver, who has a strong Scottish accent, about to get into his daughter Cassie’s Mini K. Tom McQuilken had run out of petrol!! His excuse, “I didn’t think it was actually empty when the gauge said it was empty”. You couldn’t get the grin off Cassie’s face as Tom clambered into the back of the K and headed off to find a servo. But that grin was about to change ….. more on that later!
With the S topped up with fuel and Pat talking to him again, Tom headed for home and joined the fabulous traffic jam on the highway. I think it took longer to get from Nerang to home than the trip from home to Kingscliff. How you can sit in stop start traffic for 30 minutes and travel ˝ km and then speed up to 110kmh for 3 km and then stop again and repeat this for the entire trip is beyond me!
Now back to that grin ….. as Tom rounded the final bend from Mount Cotton and on the homeward straight, there was a Tamarisk Green Mini K 100, just like Cassie’s, parked on the side of the road. So Tom thought he had better do the right thing and stop to see what the trouble was. You guessed it ….. Cassie had run out of petrol!!
And yes!! I have to polish the underneath of the bloody Cooper s again!
John Heselwood.
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