Annual Bright Gathering

Bright Not the Nationals 2022

Best weekend we’ve had at Bright yet.

Weather was predicted to be bloody awful, but instead it was bloody brilliant.  One heavy rain storm on the way up was the worst of it.  Unfortunately, Mig’s MR86 conked out in the rainstorm, leaving him stranded for some hours at the roadside.  The clubbie crew went back with trailer to pick him up from near Milawa.  Dad Ian came up from home the next day to pick the broken car + broken driver.

Beyond Mig’s issues, there were no substantial problems.  Just Ashley missing a bit of oil at Falls Creek & Ian Diven complaining about his tyres’ poor grip – then admitting they were 16 years old!  David from Sydney had a “discussion” with the constabulary on the way there over a fellow road user’s view of his driving, though it was not quite clear which green car was being driven “by a f%!#n idiot”.

One of the joys of Bright is meeting up with good folk from interstate.  We had friends from Canberra, Khancoban, Sydney and South Aus.  In this crowd were Ruth + Paul Dube.   Paul’s had a rough trot health wise in recent years and he gets around with an oxygen bottle under his arm.  My God, this didn’t stop him enjoying every moment, nor did it slow him down in the little red car any.

Some came away purely for the social aspect; it’s easy to understand why.

On Friday we had a fangs up Mt Hotham/Dinner Plain + Mt Buffalo.  Both exciting roads.  Fascinating driving through the mist approaching Hotham’s peak.  One moment, the yellow lines were visible only metres ahead, then an opening for a couple of corners would appear and bang! stomp on the right pedal again.

Saturday for most was our usual “big lap” – Bright > Mt Beauty > Falls Creek > Bogong Plains High Road > Omeo for lunch > Dinner Plain > Hotham > Bright.  It’s impossible to describe how much fun this mix of roads is.  Little traffic, a million bends, spectacular high country scenery and all with good mates.

Others spent the days mooching around the brewery, shops, bicycle paths and the like.

Evenings and breakfasts were bubbly social affairs.

Best conversation of the weekend was when we’re deciding which route to take from Falls Creek.
Paul Dube: “I’ve got 2.5 hours of O2 left”.
Group: “Hmmm … if go left, it’ll be heaps more hours than that”
Paul: “Ahhh, it’s okay.  I can always dial it back a bit”
Group: “Fair enough, it’s not like you’re deep sea diving, or having sex”

The VCBG visits Bright every year on the last weekend before the Vic School  first term holidays. We welcome clubbie drivers from the southern corner of N.S.W, or anywhere else. The Weekend is colloquially known as a Not The Nationals as it is open to everyone, but is characterised by its lack of organisation – although we do like to have every one driving in the same direction…