Demonstrating impeccable timing, our friends in South Australia chose Sunday the 6th of December, 2015, to celebrate the impending holidays together. By all accounts it was a lovely day, and you can catch up on everything that went down thanks to this report by Andrew Stevens.
Sunday 6th December dawned in Adelaide with a weather forecast of 41 degrees C, a total fire ban, and no sign of relief. Just the sort of weather to be inside with the cooler blowing, a cold beer, and an advance copy of the F1 season review DVD.
Or, if you’re a Lotus owner, it’s the ideal day for a drive in the hills, and the annual SA Lotus Owners Christmas Lunch!
This year saw us kick off from our usual monthly run venue, travelling in law abiding convoy on a picturesque drive through Mt Lofty, Ashton, and Marble Hills, then taking in the twists and turns of Corkscrew Road and Gorge Road. We were headed to Birdwood for morning tea, and then on to Golding Wines outside Lobethal for lunch.
Given the weather forecast, it was an all “Elige” run, with none of the classic Lotus owners risking their cooling systems in the heat. Lee brought her tame Frenchman “Phillippe”, and on arrival in Birdwood, whipped across to the museum to show him the wonderful display at the National Motor Museum, while the rest of us got stuck into iced coffees in the café courtyard.
After topping up on caffeine, and with rubber duck in the lead, our conga line of red and yellow Elises and Exiges, interrupted only by Andrew and Sheana’s titanium Europa S, and Chris’s black Exige, snaked its way through the hills to Goldings.
We were greeted by the lush greenery of the vines and roses in full bloom. The 44 starters were treated to a refreshment upon arrival, and the place was soon humming.
Goldings had wisely placed us in our own area of their recently refurbished stone tasting room, where large fans provided plenty of cooling air. With a continuous supply of delicious pizzas, glasses of wine, coffee and cakes, all dispensed with cheerful flair by the staff at Goldings, there was plenty to go around. The conversation flowed and promises of participation in 2016 were extracted.
It was good to see a couple of the newest CLA members turn up. A couple of people who hadn’t been to a Lotus run in years returned, to be reminded just how friendly everyone is at the end of another busy year. And Darren’s Elise seems to have been cured of its reluctance to start, so he should have no excuses from here on in.
So that’s it for another year in SA. Happy Christmas and safe motoring!
