Australia is the world's flattest and lowest continent, the highest peak being Mt Kosciuszko at 2228 metres (7310 feet). Conveniently this Alpine region lies between my home in Gippsland, Victoria and the Nation's capital, Canberra where Auto Italia is held, so it was very tempting on this trip to take in some alpine scenery and the magnificent roads that that usually includes.
SPYDUH was prepped and polished before departing the day prior to Auto Italia, she easily covered the 700 odd kms to Canberra via the Monaro High Plains in time to find a car wash and rid herself of accumulated road grime from 2 hours of drizzle and wet roads near the south coast towns of Lakes Entrance and Orbost. Although the weather was a little damp, the soft-top remained stowed away
.Sunday's weather in Canberra was absolutely magnificent - a perfect autumn day. SPYDUH hit the usual tourist spots prior to locating the Auto Italia venue which was on the lawns facing the 'Old Parliament House'. The car show finished with an awards ceremony at about 3pm, so there was time for a pleasant drive back into the high country that evening.
The following morning brought frost and fog, but also promises of a clear, sunny day. SPYDUH, still with the top down, headed for the Alpine Way and the ski resort towns of Jindabyne and Thredbo. At Thredbo the car was parked for a few hours whilst I took a chairlift and a 13km (8.2 mile) stroll through patches of snow to the summit of Kosciuszko and back in perfect alpine weather. Then there was time for a quick bite of lunch before continuing along the magnificent Alpine Way to Khancoban, blasting through massive perpendicular rock cuttings that amplified SPYDUH's exhaust note beautifully. From Khancoban it was a downhill run out of the mountains following the southern branch of our country’s largest river system past scenic lakes and farmland onto the plains.
I arrived home around 8pm that evening after an epic weekend covering 1700km of trouble-free, top-down motoring over some of this country's most scenic roads. The sunburnt nose will fade, but the memories will linger.
SPYDUH at Canberra's Carillion in Lake Burley Griffin.
The view from Australia's highest Peak, Mount Kosciuszko
