Cayenne & Macan

PAST EVENTS

Cayenne/Macan Register Run to Old Dalyston Church

Sunday 24th July 2022

Story: Jake Parsons

Photos: Pike Peters, Kelly Parsons & Reza Mohammed. Click Here for Image Gallery

With Porsche recently celebrating a milestone of 20 years since the first Cayenne rolled off the production line what better way than to celebrate its SUV success than by going on a Cayenne/Macan run! After 6 straight days of pouring rain and gloomy clouds there was a winter outlier and it just so happened to be the day of the run. Clear blue skies and crisp fresh air awaited the 35 keen attendees. We all met at the McDonalds in Mulgrave and embarked on the journey that would take us up through Emerald then on some picturesque roads towards Gembrook.

Leading the pack was Bob and Gail Morgan in the big Cayenne S Transsyberia. A first gen E1 Cayenne, but with its 4.8 litre V8 there was no issue with it setting the pace and you could hear it working its way through the hills. Followed by the stylish and ultra-quiet E-Hybrid of Robin Humphries. Unlike Harry Styles, this group of Porsches managed to stay in One Direction and no one got lost as we made our way to Caldermeade Farm for morning tea.

We were also joined at the farm by Tas, Marlene, Linley and Helen who met us there directly. Although the weather gods did smile on us that day, the reminder of the prior week’s conditions were no more evident than with the gravel, or should I say muddy car park at the farm. However, once seated we all had beautiful fresh scones, cream and jam and some beverages of choice. It was also a great place for a walk around and the kids could go for a play. It was great to see I was not the only one crazy enough to bring the little ones as the Xie family also brought along the children which was great to see.

The cars were no longer sparkly clean but we pressed on for the next section and the most engaging part of the drive. But hey, what’s a bit of mud on the tyres of a capable SUV? This is the part that sparked conversation from our guests as to who had the best seat in the house, and I think I have to agree it was the passengers. From Nyora through to Loch and beyond were some of the most stunning views on any part of Victoria. As the day was crystal clear you could see as far down to the Latrobe valley to the left and even out as far as Westerport Bay and Phillip Island on the right. We did have Michael Trovato in his 981 Boxster S on the run and was great to hear the snarl of the flat 6 through the hills. The family Cayenne diesel is whisper quiet so I did have the panoramic roof open to hear that glorious note of the 981 Sport Exhaust. I told the family it was for fresh air!

Seemingly in the middle of nowhere we arrived at a little church in Dalyston. Sunday, I guess was the right day for it. However, this church is now converted into a quaint restaurant and had a great feel to it. Plenty of parking and lots of room outside on the lawns for the children to play, and play they did. Inside was a terrific atmosphere chatting to all of the guests. The meals however were quite large and I could not quite finish the main, although there is always room for dessert!

Generously my Porsche Doncaster cousins Fabio and Spiros came along and we all got a lovely Porsche tyre gauge as a gift. With the main raffle prize of an ultra-cool 74 911 RS model won by Helen Baxter. Thank you to the Doncaster team for the support on this run.

With 2 gorgeous stretches of driving roads, plenty of tasty food and great company as well as the best SUV products around I am confident we all had a great time. It was also fantastic to see the variety of cars with every generation covered. E1, E2 and E3 Cayenne attending as well as Macan. Petrol, Diesel and E-Hybrid we had all of the variants in attendance. The faithful family Cayenne Diesel managed the entire run with some spirited driving at just 6.9L/100 which with today’s fuel prices I could not complain about! I would like to thank everyone who attended for making it such a great and enjoyable occasion. The SUV chapter is developing nice and I am certainly looking forward to the next adventures for Cayenne/Macan.

Cayenne/Macan Run to Donna Buang and the Innocent Bystander

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Sunday 20th March 2016

Story by Cony Nicolau Photos by Kelly Parsons

Sunday March 20th not only hosted the opening round of the Formula One season at Albert Park but more importantly the first Cayenne Macan Register run for 2016 after a brief hiatus in which time Cayenne and Macan models have continued breaking sales records for Porsche around the world.

A 9:00am meet up at the customary Mulgrave McDonalds consisted of 7 Cayennes spanning each generation, a new Macan, a beautiful 911 SC plus an Italian V12 (that also uses a horse). Coffees and breakfast were enjoyed as the day’s itinerary was discussed under clearing morning skies following the storms of the previous 3 days which could make our intended roads potentially tricky but also managed to keep the Sunday traffic to an absolute minimum.

Our roads included driving on some of the Yarra Range’s most scenic and enjoyable roads leading to Warburton for our first break. These were then quickly surpassed by some of the best back to back switchbacks all the way up to our Porsche photo op at the Summit of Mt Donna Buang. Following our photo break at the summit, complete with Porsche branded water bottles for all (thanks Jake), a new feature was added to the run consisting of a 10km well-maintained but tight gravel road over the top of the mountain. Due to the recent storms there were some small branches and light debris to be negotiated here and there but the experience was well worth it given the views we were fortunate enough to see plus driving at 5-10kms an hour allowed everyone to absorb and take in the sights, sounds and smells of the incredible subtropical rainforest we were travelling through.

When the gravel ended the tarmac started and we were once again presented with some of the nicest sweeping roads on the backside of the mountain. Suspensions were lowered, dampers put into sport and a last blast was enjoyed by all taking advantage of absolutely zero traffic until we turned towards Healesville for lunch at the award winning Innocent Bystander.

Upon our arrival and being escorted to our private table we were firstly treated to an incredible assortment of fresh tapas, followed by gourmet wood fired pizzas culminating with some seriously decadent deserts, not to mention the wines from the owner’s personal WA vineyard. The exceptionally high quality and super friendly staff ensured that all members left with not only full bellies but massive smiles on their faces.

That probably also had something to do with the fact that we had almost endless options to get in a great drive on the way home from Healesville or equally to just stay on the Maroondah all the way back in to town.

Either way our great Porsches once again delivered comfort, speed, excitement, flexibility and massive fun for everyone – basically the perfect day.

Given recent feedback, our future runs may incorporate more gravel or ‘light’ off road sections for those members interested in exploring their Porsche’s capabilities further plus we may look to offer club members a professional off-road training day at Sandown.

Alternately we may split future off-road runs from regular road runs for those members that do not want to venture off the tarmac and again look at offering professional advanced driver training to really get to know your Porsche beyond regular road limitations.

A big thank you once again goes out to Ken for all his support and assistance to this register’s captain plus to Kelly for some truly great pictures taken on the run. Thank you all.

Cayenne & Macan Register Run to the Cuckoo Restaurant

Sunday 27th September 2015

Story by Cony Nicolau Photos by Cony & Werner Nicolau

Click Here for Photo Gallery

Sunday September 27th saw the first Cayenne / Macan Register run after a brief hiatus in which time Cayenne and Macan models have continued to break sales records for Porsche around the world.

A 9:30am meet up at the customary Mulgrave McDonalds saw 8 Cayenne owners, a Cayman representative plus a certain Italian marque (that also uses a horse) assemble to discuss the day’s activities under an overcast sky.

The run was planned to take in some of the best driving roads throughout the Yarra Ranges starting in Lysterfield, then up to Launching Place before returning down through Cockatoo and culminating in a 4 course buffet lunch at the Teutonically themed Cuckoo restaurant in Olinda.

Incredibly the clouds began to break just after our 10am departure time and by the time we passed the Cardinia reservoir the sun was out and a beautiful day truly began. The earlier weather must have put off the usual Sunday impediments to Porsche enjoyment and we were blessed with virtually no traffic, especially on the most enjoyable sections comprising of endless switchbacks, hairpins and clear safe straights. Although no speed limits were ever threatened by anyone, everyone arrived at our half way rest stop with a massive smile on their faces and an eagerness to get right back at it.

After allowing our ultimate driving machines to cool down in the shade while we rehydrated and discussed technique variations for the return journey, we embarked on the highlight of the run, road C424. Either way that it’s driven this has to be one of the best driving roads around Melbourne, and on this occasion we drove it south towards Gembrook.

Before we knew it 2 unforgettable hours had passed and we were now entering the steep driveway into the carpark at the Cuckoo in Olinda for lunch with both car temperatures and adrenaline levels running rather higher than normal.

After organizing drinks the 4 large buffets were inspected closely by all in attendance and a satisfying silence fell over the table as our tanks were refilled. A big thanks goes out to the Cuckoo staff who were kind enough to have a special table set aside for the Club together with our own wait staff and all for a discounted group price. The German songs, October Fest hat and yodelling were a bonus.

Future Cayenne / Macan Register runs will build upon the success of our 1st run and continue to explore the best driving roads for us to enjoy our Porsches on. As always members from all Porsche Club of Victoria registers are encouraged and welcome to come along on our both midweek and weekend runs.

Last, but certainly not least, a very special mention and thank you is due to Ken Anson, who was instrumental in launching this new Register and assisting its first Captain with literally everything – Thank you Ken.