Around 160 Austin vehicles converged in the Barossa last month for the biennial “Austins Around Australia” event.
Calling Tanunda home base for close to a week, 350 people enjoyed the sights and sounds of the region, whilst partaking in a range of fun-filled Austin related games from “Rocker Cover Racing” to a “Funkhana” held at the Kapunda Trotting Track.
Convenor, David Grear said Austin owners came from “everywhere” for the event, including far flung regions of Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania.
“We’ve got people from England and New Zealand here too,” said David.
Participants enjoyed a number of breakfasts and dinners at historic Chateau Tanunda before heading out and about on a variety of runs including a drive to Birdwood for a display at Birdwood Mill.
“Today we are going to Kapunda and tomorrow we are going to Mannum and then on Friday we are buzzing around the Barossa!” David told The Leader during the jam packed week.
Local participants, Leonie and Ian Sweetman of Eden Valley said they were having a wonderful time with like-minded people driving around in their 1932 Austin Roadster, a car Ian purchase when he was barely a teenager.
“We’ve been members of the Austin 7 club since year dot,” laughed Ian.
“I bought this car when I was 14, it’s my first car. It was just a mess when I bought it. First of all it was green, now it’s red, the next time it could be blue!”
Leonie said participating in the event allowed them to be tourists in their own backyard.
“It’s absolutely magnificent driving around the Barossa. Living here you really appreciate it. But, when you are going slowly like you are in a car like this, you see a lot more!” she said.
