Stuart Park & Sandon Point Carpark | Wollongong Area NSW
Sunday: 23 March 10am – 12pm
Community Display | Stuart Park NSW
Today marked the second month of our journey. The weather forecast predicted morning showers, but it was clear when we set out. We left a bit earlier, as we knew the event would be held along the foreshore, which was likely to be quite crowded, and we wanted to secure a spot to display the car.
Upon arrival, we found most of the parking spaces were full, but we managed to find a spot to unload the car. We initially parked it in a larger space near a tree and set up a gazebo across the footpath. However, we felt the car’s visibility was not as prominent as we would have liked. After further exploration, we found a footpath entrance further down the road, which allowed us to drive the car up onto the grass and set up a second gazebo next to it. This placement ensured the car was sheltered from the rain that had started to fall and was clearly visible to passersby on the walkway.
The rain persisted for part of the morning, which reduced the number of people out walking. However, as the day progressed, the weather cleared, and more visitors came to see the car and learn about its history. The area across from our display was a landing field for skydiving, which added an interesting dynamic, with groups of skydivers landing nearby and some coming over to view the car after their jumps.
We had a diverse range of age groups and backgrounds among the visitors, all of whom were amazed to learn that the car had the ability to drive around Australia a century ago. The local car enthusiast club also visited during the morning, and they were quite excited, as one of their teams had recently won first place in a related competition.
At the conclusion of the event, we reloaded the car into the trailer and set off for the next event at Sandon Point Carpark.
Sunday: 23 March 1pm – 3pm
Sandon Point Carpark Display | Bulli NSW
As we drove north, we encountered some navigation challenges with the GPS, but we were able to find our way to the next event location using our phones. Unfortunately, the weather continued to deteriorate as we approached the coast, and by the time we arrived at Sandon Point, it was raining quite heavily.
Undeterred, we donned our rain jackets and unloaded the car, setting up the two gazebos. We parked Bubsie under one of the gazebos, and the local community members set up a BBQ under the other. A couple of the volunteers assisted in adding an informational card to the sample bags, which were available for visitors.
Despite the inclement weather, a few people were already waiting in the car park, having seen the event advertised on social media and eager to see the car. One man, in particular, stayed for the entire duration and was delighted to have the opportunity to crank-start the car when it was time to pack up and reload it into the van.
While the rainy conditions did limit the number of visitors, those who did come by were very excited to view the car, take photographs, and receive the informational sample bags. Kevin took the opportunity to provide a talk about the story and motivation behind their journey, highlighting some of the experiences the team had faced.
Although the turnout was not as large as we had hoped, it was encouraging to connect with the local community members and support their efforts to engage with the public and share information about the car and its remarkable history.
