Our trip to the 2007 Nationals in Victoria was great as usual.   We headed down the pacific highway hoping the long lengths of freeway would help, but that was a dismal idea. Apart from a relatively quick run around sydney, it was a terribly slow trip, with poor weather , lots of poor roads and plenty of traffic. Afrer a 16 hour drive, we stayed in a B&B at Golburn, we have used before.. 

The rainy weather started again once we got to Phillip Island and washed out the 1st days’ Councourse. Thankfully the weather stayed good for the remainder of the week and trip home. The week was busy as usual, with a mix of social and competition events.

The Nationals were held in Queensland this year, from September 13^th to 21^st.

 We started off at ‘Cherrabah” a country homestead resort near Warwick on the Darling Downs with Registration and the Welcome Dinner.

Sunday the 14^th was Pride of Ownership in Warwick on a lovely day.  The rain held off until the evening but Greg Bird, (Nationals Organiser and entertainer) and his band, Tuxedo Junction, had to pack up and come into the lounge to play their fantastic music or risk the temporary shelter landing on them as it filled with water.

 Monday the 15^th was Morgan Park competition.  This went well in great weather and the CAMS stewards and Clerk of Course were most complimentary about this stress free and relaxed day.

We were going to the Nationals in WA. Neil had the TC so it was to be the TR7. We were going to go on the train but the train would not take the TR7, as it did not have enough ground clearance. So we tried to put it in a truck in Adelaide and fly across. The truck wanted the car empty so we drove across. The TR7 needed a roadworthy. When it was almost ready the gearbox decided it did not want to go to WA. Oil leaked out. So it was into the 4WD TR8, ie, Discovery V8. It has the same engine lineage as the TR8 and has mag wheels. It too decided it would blow a head gasket but both head gaskets were replaced and running again, the day before we left. 8weeks later we arrived at Busselton. We had been to Adelaide for 2 weeks and had driven across the Nullabor and around the SW corner of WA. Fixed the cruise control too. The resort was easy to find, there was a Triumph on a trailer parked outside the entrance. Next day it was the show and display day and a few local Triumphs turned up too. Monday was competion day and a good day was had by all, but 1. Despite 4wdisc brakes the Triumph still wanted to fly. Didn't do it any good either. The rest of the week was taken up by driving around the Wineries, navigation run, motorkahana, food, more food and more wine, then more food and wine every night. The final night dinner was a more relaxed affair than at previous rallies I have attended and much appreciated by those that I spoke to. On the way home we shredded a tyre at Wilcannia, put the spare on and while at rest area 55k later on, 1 of the front tyres was going down. Dialled RACQ and they ended up getting a tilt tray from Cobar 200k away. As it was sat night we waited till Monday, had 4 new tyres fitted and off we went back home. Will we be going to the next Nationals in NSW, (Does it stand for Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong) yes, already filled the paperwork in. Hopefully in the TR7 this time. Chris Roberts, Blackbutt.