Found Spaces

Carlo with Bo Zheng, Mark Dwyer, Helen Zlotkowski, Rohan Connolly Cayman 718 of David and Maria Di Palma followed by the Boxster of Peter and Jennifer Howard

Boxster & Cayman Register

Run to Alexandra

Sunday 7th August 2022

Story: Bo Zheng Photos: Ken Anson

It was the first Sunday of August, on a misty but clearing morning when twenty Boxster/Cayman drivers quietly gathered at the foot of Mount Dandenong, Tecoma. This was to be a day of mountainous roads, consisting of both sharp chicanes and wide sweepers. The drivers prepared themselves with a fast breakfast and beverages before a quick brief by the run organiser, our very own Carlo from Porsche Club Victoria.

The carpark soon came to life, with the sound of flat engines turning over. The four generations of Boxsters were of course present, from 986 to 982, but even more joyously painted in Amaranth Red, Racing Yellow, and Sapphire Blue. One Cayman was claimed to have the best trim in Victoria, with white paint paired to platinum wheels and graphite blue interior. This was not all, as I was soon pleasantly surprised by a car in my rear view mirror from the luftgekühlt era, a 964 Turbo.

The first rendezvous was at Warburton, which is approximately sixty-minutes in length depending on the driver. The drive consisted of numerous urban roads and roundabouts initially, transitioning to longer rural roads approaching Yarra Junction. This was a good warmup to the day, with drivers getting familiar with the group and road conditions. The weather also quickly cleared, which set up the next section for more pace.

After a brief coffee and croissant, drivers set off for the ninety-minutes run to Alexandra. The immediate section was Reefton Spur, which consisted of very technical roads with undulating grades weaved into each bend, and constantly changing cross-falls. At times, the road would super-elevate outwards in an adverse fashion, requiring the driver to adjust corner entry accordingly. Of course, no risk-seeking behaviour was observed, partly because members are all mature adults, and partly because the convoy soon caught traffic. This was likely for the better, as a new 982 owner later resonated reservations with finding a car’s limit on a public road. I myself particularly enjoyed this section, especially so as I sat behind a curvaceous 964 Turbo.

This soon changed once the cars passed Marysville, where the sun showed itself above the clouds and the roads straightened to become high speed sections. The direct sun rays refracted on tainted windscreens and made it more challenging to see ahead, however this did not stop the later models to take advantage of their higher power and overtaking lanes when present. All done in safe road manners, the drivers enjoyed themselves one last time before arriving at the final stop.

Lunch had been arranged at The Corner Hotel Alexandra courtesy to the club, where a well deserved two-course meal and drinks ensued. Depending on your luck, the menu consisted of either chicken or lamb, finished with chocolate or carrot cake. Socialising followed when drivers exchanged their emotions from the drive, as well as other topics relating to their cars, their cars of other makes, and inventive modifications which could or could not be queried by relevant authorities. The mid-engined owners of this register definitely do manage to extract high amounts of enjoyment out of their cars.

As a finish to the run, Carlo invited the new members to conduct a raffle of wine provided by the club. Courtesy of new members: Mark Dwyer, Bo Zheng, Helen Zlotkowski and Rohan Connolly, we congratulate: Bryan Langton, Ken Anson, Dr Ken Marriott, Rada Popovic, and Leo Fusinato. In addition to the winners, one bottle was also used to entice a new member into summarising the day. Here presents, yours truly.