Following the success of last year's Great Southern Classic which was run around Victoria, we were asked to devise a run around Tasmania , primarily for the people who had brought their cars from overseas to do the Adelaide Classic.

When you are trying to move a group of 60 or so people around Tassie and you want to accommodate everyone in the same establishment, which you want to be as 5 star as you can make it, the options are limited and the route pretty much describes itself - Devonport to Freycinet Lodge on day one; Lenna of Hobart day two; Strahan on day three; Cradle Mountain Lodge on day four and back on the boat on the final night.

This year the cars were again a wonderful and diverse group.

Paul Vesty and Doug Nye were in Paul's ex-works Ferrari California Spider and were 'sistered' by Lord Michael Cowdray's customer California Spider. Both cars were beautifully presented without being overdone - and they really flew! Stuart Loveday brought over his 360 Modena which needed new rears after the Adelaide Classic. Jack Klaver was able to organise some new rubber for the car on its arrival in Melbourne.

John Hunt brought his beautiful Gullwing from Guernsey and had some minor fettling done here by the Lindsay Fox Collection workshops, after which it ran faultlessly.

Stephen and Polly Lewis were XK 140 mounted. Tim O'Rorke drove his lovely 1936 Bentley drophead and the legendary Win Percy drove everyone around [sideways] in Stephen Coffey's Robnell. Win wanders around in a t-shirt which says on the front "Win says;it isn't hard" and on the back "to be nice." Nice sentiment.

Matt and Di Spitzley came again in their 1933 Touring bodied straight 8 supercharged Le Mans Alfa. To me, it's easily the best car I have ever seen. And it absolutely flys, driven beautifully by Matt.

Locals included Adelaide Classic co-founder David 'Duck' Edwards in his newly repainted Daytona, Targa Legend Reg Kenny and partner Kevin Hewson rollerskating around in Reg's Lotus Elise, Tom and Jenny Barr-Smith doing it in great style in the Healey Elliott, beautifully restored and very brisk. Peter Buik from Adelaide came in his new Porsche Turbo and loved the event so much that he's after something from Stuttgart for tarmac rallies. Nigel and Jane Price came over from N Z to drive the event in Gill's 356.

There were several other more modern cars and of course the Delage.

We had a great time. The weather was kind. The roads were just fantastic. We didn't see a policeman and our accommodations were excellent.

Other highlights were a fish and chips lunch on the wharf at St. Helens, World Champion axeman David Foster and World Champion Whipcracker Chris Beck doing their stuff for us. A cocktail party at Parliament House in Hobart hosted by the Tasmanian Premier. A most wonderful dinner cruise to the mouth of the Gordon River from Strahan and the wind up dinner at Cradle Mountain Lodge.

It's on again next year, this time in NSW. Stay tuned!