The gathering of the Corvette Club of South Australia and the combined clubs of Victoria was held in Mount Gambier and the beautiful surrounds of the Coonawarra wine region. We had around 55 people and 25 cars.

For the SA group, it started with a meet at Tailem Bend which lasted approx one hour due to one of our members having a leisurely lie in and drive (LOL). Finally departed to the bony banks of Milang where, for those who had small bladders, a pit stop occurred. Again on the move, this time towards Robe, where the cats were released for approximately 45mins to sample the local delicacies for lunch. The cats were then rounded up and if anyone has done these runs they know the time this takes. Strangely everyone behaved themselves on the road. I don't know whether this is a sign of a tighter economy or an aging demographic!

Next destination was the accommodation in Mount Gambier where we met up with the Victorian contingent and drinks and nibbles were enjoyed with the catch up. This particular Meet the Vics was the first time that a big bus was used to shift participants around for dinners, cruise etc. From the feedback I have received, it appeared to have been a well-received option.

Friday night's dinner started with herding the chatty participants in the direction of the bus with the meal held at Sorrento's Café with drinks and nibbles with exuberant story telling back at the hotel's gutter.

The following morning again back on the bus for our trip out to the Coonawarra region. Everyone was split into three groups for either wine tasting, premium wine tasting or a visit to Penola. After the combined lunch, the bus proceeded to drop off the participants in order for the various wine tasting/sightseeing activities. Due to the exuberance of the staff at the premium wine tasting who were passionate about their wine/region, the bus was reasonably delayed (40mins!) picking up the last group in Penola. Quite a few took advantage of the delay in the local pub which made for a relaxed atmosphere on the way home. A couple of hour break and then back on the bus for dinner at the South Eastern Hotel, with more drinking/nibbling back at our hotel. Various groups moved between rooms to continue drinking/nibbling and story-telling.

Sunday was the only time the cars we actually used in a cruise format. This was the cruise day from the hotel to the Sinkhole gardens, then out to the Feast Museum and back in around the lakes for various photo ops. An unintentional U-turn was required due to Mark (the other organiser) not being able to follow his GPS/I-pad/phone/Betty's instructions…. His excuse was that his glasses were the issue. Lunch was organised with the Lions Club of Mount Gambier. At the completion people wandered back to the hotel to continue more drinking/nibbling and tall tales. Dinner was at Café Belgiorno in a private function room which proved fantastic as this group was becoming more boisterous at each ensuing meal.

During the course of the weekend a couple of people managed to stand out and received gifts of merit. Mark received a new pair of glasses from Toys R Us and our initial time management member received a new timepiece in good working condition. Great night had by all - irrelevant really as Julie and I had a great weekend and partied with some fabulous people which was the main purpose.

Again, great to catch up, meet new people and continue old friendships. Meet the Vics 2023 is in the early stages of development and may require thinking outside the box as most members are retired!

Hope to see you in 2023.
Cheers
AJ