The Forest Classic Rally is held in the second week of April around the beautiful countryside of Wangaratta. It was a very difficult rally navigation wise and the SMA entered two teams: Phil Meikeljohn with Peter Jacobs navigating, entered the turbocharged rocket, the white Alfa 105 and Stephen Canny driving my red (and more honest) Alfa 105, with me trying to navigate. It was not a rally for novices, although they did have a touring section, in which I think we should have entered.

The Tour entrants are issued with specific instructions where to go. In the competitive section, we had to discover where to go! Every via was given a grid reference. So you can imagine trying to juggle rulers, pencil and magnifying glass. Im getting old you know, which is not helped by a vehicle with a very stiff suspension and a youthful driver determined to wring the last ounce out of each corner who is oblivious to the fact that his old man has not a clue as to where the hell we are or which way to go to get there!

When I raced yachts and everyone was soaking wet, cold as buggery, hungry, thirsty, urgently needing to go to the toilet, coming last, surviving the elements by the skin of our teeth, wed often make the comment: "Sure beats working!" through clenched teeth and trying to believe we meant it. Well, on this rally, I didnt say it, because I definitely didnt believe it!

I think its the first time in my life I really did not know where that tribe of Indians (you know - the Wearthefukarwie tribe) lived. Anyway, we sent up smoke signals (coming from my ears) and slowly worked it out, only to get lost again later in the day. You may have gathered by now that it was difficult. However we managed to find a few stubbies that evening to drown our joint sorrows. We were secretly glad that Meiklejohn and Jacobs had stuffed it up as well! Otherwise you can imaging the suffering wed be put through for the rest of Phils life - which wouldnt have been very long because I could not have handled it.

However, all was not so bad. The Motorkhanas were good fun and the route took us through the beautiful country around Wang, the Ovens Valley, Beechworth, Bright etc. The Director Jeff Whitten even sent us on a transport section to the top of Mount Buffalo for lunch. This was not a closed road, but a 100 kph speed limit is no obstacle on a road such as this. Quite a few tourists after being passed "at tremendous speeds by racing cars" rang the local cops and complained. The Director assured him by phone that we were obeying the speed limit. Ho Hum! And we were warned, prior to the run down about this, but I dont think it slowed many down. Not my driver anyway.

The dinner that night was very sociable. We forgot about the days events with a little bit of help from some more of the local red and retired early to tackle the following day.

Day Two proved to be just as taxing. It would have been more disastrous with a hangover. By now Id sorted out the tricky bits and with a great deal of concentration, got some of it right! Again, it was a glorious drive. If you are ever up that way, a great road I had never been on before is heading South East from Benalla to Moyullah. Head South East through Ryans Creek to Myrrhee and then turn North East through Willowbank to Angleside. The road winds along the verge of a State Forest though a valley of constant bends past hidden-away farms and vineyards. No traffic. Just Farmer Brown occasionally. We roared through here, no doubt disturbing the peace. I can imagine them leaning over their fences, saying: "Did you see that bloody red foreign car? Making all that noise and disturbing the cattle and grapes." We had to do this for 15Ks or so because we were on an average speed section which we had started in the wrong direction due to another navigational error. So, much to Stephens delight, we had to make up time. Didnt we? Anyway we had a great drive.

The rest of the day progressed without incident, although I must admit by the end I was getting pretty stressed. It was relentless concentration the whole way. It was a challenge I didnt need right then and I was bloody glad to finish. Had a nice lunch at the Drage Aire Museum - looked at all the old aircraft - not as interesting as old cars however, and left straight after to drive home.

Im not knocking the rally, people go to a lot of trouble to set these events up and we are very appreciative of the effort. We will certainly return for another crack at it - but this time with some preparation!