AOA 2019 - Day 4 Report
Having studied the layout of the glorious Chateau Tanunda facilities, I got there well before breakfast and sneaked (snuck?) the car in front of the buildings. This was a perfect backdrop for the car, as it is rare to be able to photograph a car these days without the usual restrictions in places such as this.
The main gates for Chateau Tanunda. The Flying A signage can be seen and the Austin 7 Club of SA used them very effectively on all our runs and at venues - very few people got lost.
The destination for the fourth day was Mannum, a run though the hills and dales to this town on the Murray. This time I had Alf and Josie Grant from England in my car, so it was inevitable that a few miles out of Tanunda, I pulled over and let Alf take over. Great to have a fellow Freeway enthusiast drive my car, and it also gave me a chance to take a few photos on the move.
Alf at the wheel - note the finger tip steering! You can’t do this at parking speeds - it’s all hands on deck for those manoeuvres.
The Bianchi A40 on the move, Mannum bound.
The lunch place at Mannum was right on the river in the Mary Ann Reserve - apparently the council had let all the Austins park on this idyllic patch of green. There was plenty of shade, sitting areas (even a rotunda) and space for Austin people to talk Austins.
Overlooking the Murray River from the Mary Ann Reserve at Mannum
The perfect river view
Alex and Irene Slota’s 1972 Kimberley Mark II - the youngest Austin at AOA - 47 years old!
The good ship Mayflower cruising down the river.
A perfect setting for a Princess and an A99 Westminster.
We were determined to get a group photo of all the Queensland Austins in a line, and after a really concerted effort with lots of muttering, we managed to get the 13 all lined up. The added bonus was the Austin 2-45F Truck of Allan and Coreena Long from Mildura, where we were allowed to clamber up onto the back to take photos from this slightly elevated height.
The Queensland line-up - Atlantics, Healeys, Somerset, Devons, Westminster, A30, Cabrio, 1800 and Freeway
These two photos give an idea of the absolutely beautiful setting on the Murray.
Alf and Josie Grant with their adopted Freeway
Again, it was an easy drive home and another free night. This was the sight in the motel I was staying at when the one casualty of the day, this Victorian A99 was towed in by Tail-End Charlie.
Once again, Adam Francis was left sorting out the intricacies of a C-Series and why it was running roughly and not accelerating at all. All sorted by the time they left to go home.
