Recently, Greg and I joined the five NSW Rivieras driving to Adelaide, SA, for the Riviera Owners Association Meet. Once in Adelaide, we met up with 21 Rivs from the other States. The NSW Rivs met in Goulburn and travelled in convoy to Wagga Wagga for our first night. It was lovely to see Chris Wilson, who joined us for dinner that evening. Our second night was in Mildura – we drove through a dust storm on the way – and then on to Morphettville Motor Inn, near Glenelg for the three day SA Meet. This was a very central place to be, the tram stop was nearby and took you to Glenelg or to Adelaide CBD and we were right next door to a large Tavern/Bistro, which could provide all our needs. All the cars went well and it was good to be travelling together on such a long drive.
Graham and Terry Line hosted the event. This is the first time they have organised a Riv Meet and it was superb – they thought of all the details. We had dinner in the Rec Room of the Motor Inn, cooked by our hosts, on Thursday night which was great as we were able to easily catch up with the other Riv owners from Interstate.
Friday was a run to Strathalbyn – what a beautiful, historic township. We visited the guys at “Collectable Classics” and wandered down to the Museum and the historic Courthouse/gaol. We explored the interesting streets and found antique shops and cafes to amuse us. The drive back was through beautiful green countryside – no water shortage here. We arrived at Magpie Springs Winery and received a warm welcome and delicious cheese and fruit platters while we tasted their lovely wines and marvelled at the artwork on the walls. What a delightful, peaceful place. We were able to park all the Rivs in a line with a back drop of the vines – great photo opportunity. The weather became cold and windy so most of us scurried home.
Saturday saw us driving to the Birdswood Motor Museum, again through beautiful scenery. Terry and Graham had organised morning tea and a lovely lunch to be provided here by the Lutheran people. Also on display were the Bentley Club and a classic motorcycle rally shared the grounds with us.
On the way home, we visited Melba’s Chocolate Store where there were many free samples!! Next door was a very interesting and tasty cheese shop, as well as a Liqueur Whiskey outlet! Many of our wallets were a little lighter after this stop. We visited the lovely home of Hans Heysen, called “The Cedars”, his studio and gardens and the tour guides were full of interesting information. There were paintings of his and his daughter’s throughout the home. It is a faithful representation of a family home of the 50’s. They had 8 children.
Sunday was the Show’n’Shine held in the car park right next door. Many local classic cars joined us. After the Show’n’ Shine, we went for a drive along the Adelaide suburban beaches and further along the coast to Port Adelaide. The traffic was light and we were able to stay together as a convoy. Lunch was informal at the historic Largs Hotel on the beachfront.
Dinner that night was in the function room at the Tavern next door. Terry had decorated each table with bright, car themed centrepieces, the trophies were on display, the room was very welcoming and the food was delicious. The Queensland Club is to organise the next ROA Meet and they announced that it will be in a NSW Regional Town, to be advised closer to the date. This is the final event, so we all said farewell, until next time.
Quite a few of our NSW cars were staying for another week as they had family and friends to catch up with so Greg and I took our time coming back to Sydney, enjoying the drive and another great Buick experience.
The full Picture Gallery is here
Greg & Geraldine Massey