Classic not Plastic.......

By Helen Lacey

Some of you may know that my hubby is a motoring enthusiastic. Or Rev Head. Or Hoon. When we first met I figured I needed to embrace the whole idea or be a Holden Widow. So, I learned to love. It was a long road...but eventually I got accustomed to things like engines revving in the garage, spanners clanging, wheels spinning, and the fact that the whole enterprise is something of a money pit.

And here she is....the mistress who lives in the garage....

So, in September, for five days, I put on my best Hoon Hat and we headed from sunny Queensland and drove south to Maitland (A long trip with no air conditioning) in a cavalcade with nearly twenty other like-minded Hoons for the bi-annual event called Toronafest. This is an event all about the  Torana...all makes and models, whether hidden or driven, and motoring enthusiasts from all over the country flocked to Maitland to celebrate their love for this Aussie icon.

I had my laptop and a writing deadline, so I figured I would hole up in the motel for a few days and let hubby do his thing with his peeps and I'd ignore the fact I was way out of my comfort zone. But as it turned out, the whole experience was nothing like I expected.

It was fun...

We met up with some friends and made new ones along the way. I empathized with other long suffering wives or partners, reminisced about my car back home with air-con, and looked forward to getting to our destination. Maitland is a nice town and the people came out in droves to see the parade of vehicles. Economically, the event is an important one for the town and thousands of people swarmed to see the 400 plus Toranas that were on show. On the Saturday there was a convoy through town and to the drive-in. On the Saturday night a gala dinner with several motoring celebrities (Although the only person I recognized was Bev Brock)  And on Sunday the main event - the showcasing of all the cars that had arrived - all polished and preened and presenting a colorful display on the field.

And the best thing - the event raised close to forty thousand dollars for charity.

And the trip home was a great way to relax. So, Toranafest 2019 is already booked into the dairy.

Happy travels! However that might look.