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PAST EVENT

Sunday 17th of June 2012 - Country Cruise Five Valley Dash Revisited

A country cruise through the Collie, Ferguson, Preston, Blackwood and Capel Valleys for people who love to take their Five for a long Drive.

This country cruise is back by popular demand with some changes from last year; we are doing some new roads, others are traversed in the opposite direction and we end closer to Perth.

The plan is for you make your own way down to the start in Pinjarra some 83 km south of Perth, that way we get a chance to spend some time on roads further away from Perth. From Pinjarra the 504 km drive along secondary roads takes us into the forests of the Geographe Bay hinterland, farmland, hills, vines, National Parks, State Forests and of course that magic bit of twisting blacktop along the Blackwood River. We end 60 km south of Perth at the Jarrahdale Tavern to reflect on the days drive and share some stories.

All in all you are looking at a total distance of some 645 km, a bit more if you hail from the northern suburbs and a bit less if you are a southerner.

Please note that this is not a relaxed tour of the region with long lunches and coffee breaks; it is about the drive and the roads. This spirited drive may challenge a single driver, or it will be a bit more laidback (but no less fun) for two. It won’t be a navigation exercise; the instructions are straight forward.

We meet at Dôme Café in the Coles Pinjarra Junction Shopping Centre. To get there take the Kwinana Freeway heading south, take the Pinjarra exit and when you get to Pinjarra turn left at the T-Junction with South Western Highway; after 200 m turn left into James Street; the Dôme will be on your left.

Aim to be there around 8 am if you want to have brekkie at the Dôme, or a bit before 9 am if you are having yours beforehand. The briefing is in the carpark near the Dôme Café at 8:50 ready for a 9 am start.

Please leave home with a full tank of fuel, unlike normal cruises most of you will need to refuel on this cruise. I suggest you top up after 159 km in Donnybrook at the BP (Ultimate 98), Gull or Liberty stations (these only sell PULP). This should then see you through to the final stop in Jarrahdale 345 km later with enough to spare to get you home. If you have a limited range you can also top up with Ultimate 98 at the Nannup BP 238 km into the run when we stop for lunch or with Vortex 98 at the Caltex at the afternoon regroup in Waroona 252 km after Donnybrook.

The 128 km first leg of the drive sees us heading south for a loop through the Lane Poole Conservation Reserve before we turn east to explore the area around the Wellington Dam and the Collie River Valley ending with a regroup at the St Aidan Winery in the Ferguson Valley for a stretch / driver change / toilet stop.

The 109 km second leg starts with a drive along the Crooked Brook in the Boyanup State Forest, followed by the undulating and picturesque drive through the hills, grazing land and orchards of the Capel Valley. We continue with a drive through the Mullalyup State Forrest to Nannup where we stop for lunch.

We start the 162 km third leg with the infamous 41 km of winding, bending, twisting bitumen that follows the Balingup Brook and the Blackwood River past farmland, bushland, and pine plantations to Balingup. Signs warning of bends are random and don’t indicate the severity of bends even when they do exist and if they put one sign on every bend they would run out of signs! We continue via Charley Creek and the Ferguson Valley to our last regroup in Waroona.

The 105 km last leg starts with a loop through the Lane Poole Conservation Reserve followed by Dell Park Road and a trip across the Serpentine Dam before we finish at the Jarrahdale Tavern. We should get there around 4:30 pm to reflect on the days drive before you make your own way back home.

Please RSVP by email to events@mx5club.com.au before 11 June so we can confirm our lunch booking at the Nannup Tavern and know who should be at the meeting point before we depart.

Members attending

Aart & Andree ter Kuile
Marianne & Marc Feron
Peter Hall
Johhny & Kim Reble
Barrie Parker & Don Messenger
Ryan Perreau & Chau Ngyuen
Dave Currell
Deryck & Norma Simons
Peter & Julie Leslie (Visitors)
Marietta & Darryl Raymond (Visitors)
Paul & Mercédès Andriessen
Matt & Jan Kemner
Pat Gannon
Don & Anne Guan
Phil & Kaye Schulz