Maserati Spring Weekend to Jenolan Caves and Mayfield Gardens
By: David Stuatt-Watt Club Captain
We mustered at the M4 Service centre for a coffee and a chat about our upcoming weekend.
Our first stop was Brunch at the Nepean Rowers Club overlooking the beautiful Nepean River, the devastation of the floods was evident with the toppled trees lining the river bank.
The Club provides adequate parking and we were able to get our first photo of our magnificent machines nice and clean.
From the Nepean we wound our way along the Great Western Highway through the beautiful Blue Mountains all the way to Mt Victoria for a pit stop and to chat with Mountains resident and Maserati Club member Walter Kmet who arranged to catch-up with us. It was good to see Walter and he was able to confirmed that he and his wife Katherine would join us for lunch at Mayfield Gardens dressed in ‘Vintage Style.’
With Jenolan Caves Road closed we headed off through the lush green countryside to Oberon to pick up the back road down to the junction just above the Jenolan Caves. Although we were assured that the caves road was sealed, what we were not aware of was Council roadworks on the back road, 3km of wet road-base. We did our best four wheel driving but picked up a new hue to the Maserati colours, a dull matt grey!
The last 3kms of road into the caves was restricted to one way travel with ‘escort’ and given we are Maserati we managed to negotiate priority for the escort down and priority parking in Car Park No1, by our self. We didn’t quite arrive in style given our very dirty cars, see photos.
We checked in to Caves house and had the choice of relaxing, afternoon tea or a caves tour, in the end four male members went underground with our guide ‘Mausey’. Denis Cribbin suggested Mausey would be better doing stand-up at the local RSL, but regardless we had a good tour saw wonderful formations and learnt about the broader caves history.
When the clock struck time Maserati took over the bar for pre-dinner drinks and then we had a well prepared and appetising three course spring meal with much wine and conversation.
Because the club re-arranged to stay at Caves House after the road re-opened, the venue provide free breakfast as a thank you. Given the festive night before we had a late breakfast, but spent two hours negotiating a some car photos in front of the historic house, where no cars are allowed, and then received priority escort back out of the valley and then on to Oberon. Thank you to Mausey who was on shuttle bus duty and had grown fond of us thanks to Denis and Santo!
We said goodbye to Richard and Jan and the Freemantle Grand Turismo in Oberon and then the remaining group headed west to Mayfield Gardens.
Despite the fact it was still bitterly cold and many flowers were late, the landscaped gardens were spectacular and the Maserati group walked the entire area open to the public; we needed to as lunch was to follow.
Walter and Katherine joined us and were obviously the best dressed for lunch. We reflected on our action packed weekend and also listened to the wonderful story that is the meeting of and world escapades of Walter and Katherine.
When lunch was finally done and some shopping concluded at the produce store we gradually headed our way home through the wonderful countryside that is the central tablelands. We left Walter and Katherine at the restaurant because Katherine was recognised by a fan and then all the young ones wanted selfies; nice to be famous for something besides our Maseratis.
