Big Day Out at Lanyon for CACMC cars of all ages

The club run for February 2021 left from Cooleman Court on Sunday 14th. Around 25 cars representing 7 decades headed for Tidbinbilla via Cotter Road and Paddy’s River Road, took a shady break for tea/coffee at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve Visitor Centre, then continued along Tidbinbilla Road to Tharwa before crossing the Tharwa bridge and ending at Lanyon Station.

Bob Garrett’s red 1929 Hudson Super Six (above and below) got the honorary heroics award. It navigated the long and steepish climb up Paddy’s River Road from the Cotter crossing, plus all other hills and dales on the way, without changing down from top gear! 

Special arrangements had been negotiated for a photo opportunity on the gravel forecourt at Lanyon. Brian McKay’s teal 1930 Ford Model A Roadster (above and below) would have got the Early Bird award if we had one. He arrived three hours early at Lanyon (by a more direct route) and was kindly ushered to prime central position on the forecourt.

The facility is operated by the ACT Government. Limits were set for number of vehicles on the gravel and a further number in the driveway avenue, by the gate.

For this historical site, the oldest club vehicles got first opportunity for the limited photo places.  A wider group could assemble in reserved areas of the public carpark, with Lanyon, the Murrumbidgee and the Brindabellas forming a backdrop.

A wide-angle lens, even when held high on a selfie-stick, can only cover so much.  The club’s younger classic vehicles found picnic spots on the grass, still enjoying the views toward the homestead and mountains.

Apparently a Lanyon magpie offered to take this fly-over shot of some of our finer vehicles in the carpark. No cars were injured or insulted in the making of this shot.

Geoff Hall’s nippy 1963 Fiat 1500 served as mobile camera-car for the event. This called for some bold overtaking of more fancied sports classics, in order to get shots of them passing by.

 Thanks to Geoff for some of these stills.  Don’t miss Geoff’s two short (but action-packed)  movie grabs of the event:

Tidbinbilla Road to Tharwa and Lanyon

Classics line up at Lanyon Homestead


Participants List  (oldest to youngest vehicles):

Bob Garrett – 1929 Hudson Super Six

Brian McKay  – 1930 Ford Model A Roadster

Phil & Fay Cancillier  – 1939 Buick Coupe

Richard & Dilber Thwaites  1953 Daimler Conquest

Malcolm Noad  – 1956 Austin Healey 100/4

Darron & Janelle Kavanagh  – 1957  Ford Thunderbird Convertible

John Tuckey 1958 Rochdale Mustard

John Liston 1960 MGA

Geoff Hall + 2 – 1963 Fiat 1500

Chris& Irene Berry  – 1964 Humber Vogue Wagon

Michael & Vanda Catanzariti  – 1969 Holden Monaro GT

Roger Amos  – 1969 MGB

Howard & Margaret Taylor  – 1970 MGB

Graham Waite  – 1970 Triumph 2.5 sedan

Brian & Margaret Ely –  1972 Triumph Spitfire

Dave Byers  – 1972 Vanden Plas Princess Mk III

David Fox  – 1973 Leyland P76

Graham Bigg  – 1978 Triumph TR8

Michael & Anne Toole  – 1979 Commodore

Paul McKeich  – 1979 Holden Kingswood SL

Joe Micallef  – 1980 Honda Prelude

Ian Hooley  – 1982 Toyota Cressida

Hilary Sorrell & Peter  – 1989 Honda Concerto

Gerry Walker  – modern

Helen Phillips  – modern