Cayenne & Macan

PAST EVENTS

Cayenne/Macan Run to Healesville

Sunday 13th August 2023

Story and photos by Chris Mason

With both co-captains (Jake Parsons and Reza Mohammed) of the Cayenne/Macan register present this is was always going to be a good day. Reza was managing this event, made easier by all the participants having been on runs before and some even familiar with the roads we were due to travel on. Some of the cars had already done almost a register run just to get there coming from places like Torquay and Mount Martha. It was a Goldilocks sized group, not to too big but also not too small, at around 20 cars. There was 1997 Coupe and an eclectic group of Macans and Cayennes. It was interesting to note there was a high proportion of GTS’s which added to the aural experience with their well tuned exhausts on start-up (and in sports mode during the run). The safety briefing was concise but we felt safe on the road with some of the unique colours in the pack including an orange (papaya) and a light blue (miami) to balance the blacks, night blue, silver, and the agate grey of the group. Other drivers could not miss us on the road.

We met at Bundoora and after a coffee headed north-east and eventually cleared the city traffic at South Morang and on to Hurstbridge. It is about here that my navigator and I made an error resulting in us being a good 10 minutes behind the pack which experienced run participants know is the ideal excuse to go just a little bit quicker in the twisty parts (always maintaining the speed limit of course!) to catch up. We caught the group around Whittlesea and the slightly misty condition started to change into glimpses of bright sunshine. The light traffic and a number of very courteous drivers pulling over to let the conga line of Porsches meant an early arrival at our midway group point at Kinglake. It was amazing to see how well the area has recovered since the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. The stop enabled us to have a comfort break but also to chat through our Porsche experiences and learn more about each other's cars.

If we thought the run so far had been great we quickly realised, as we headed to Healesville and our lunch spot, the best was yet to come. As we traversed the Kinglake to Glenburn Road the tall trees appeared together with some potholes, fallen branches, ducks and even a football at one point providing an opportunity to practice our slalom manoeuvres. Any road to Healesville is good value but the Myers Creek Road has to be the top of the list for enjoyment. The traffic remained light and the drivers willing to show how the Macans and Cayennes, although heavier than a 911, were more than capable of handling the damp conditions. Everyone drove within the comfort levels, some moving over to let the faster drivers through with almost all of us arriving at the Boat O’Cragio winery on the eastern side of Healesville a little earlier than scheduled. That gave us plenty of time to enjoy the view, positioning the cars and the participants for group shots, and even more chatting about what a great day it had been.

If the run so far and been good value, the return on investment jumped another level once we saw what was waiting for us in terms of lunch, wines, and the stunning views at Boat O’Craigo. Lunch was a cold meat platter, pizza and salad and the food quality was right up there. We had a room just for us and the service quality matched the food. Lunch over more of the shared Porsche experiences and a glass of wine made it enjoyable for everybody. The door prize, donated by our hosts, Boat O’Craigo, was won by our 997 driver Giovanni. The live music was drowned out by our constant chatter. Another return on investment impact was when everyone was given a Porsche cap and an international power adapter for each couple, how could they do all this for $50 per head including lunch! Overall a perfect day which ticked every criteria for being one of the best social runs. Thanks Reza (and Jake).

Cayenne & Macan Register Run to Alexandra

Sunday 26th March 2023

Story by Murali Wigna Click Here for Image Gallery

The Porsche Club of Victoria's Cayenne/Macan run to Alexandra was an event to remember. The run was organized by Jake Parsons, who did an excellent job of putting together a fun-filled day for Porsche enthusiasts. Along with Cayennes and Macans, there were a few Caymans and Carreras that joined in on the run, making it a diverse and exciting group of cars.

The run started from McDonald's in Tecoma, with Bob Morgan leading the group in his Transsyberian Cayenne. Despite some last-minute changes, including a cancellation and some late arrivals, the group set off towards Warburton for a well-deserved coffee break.

After a short delay, the group resumed the run towards Alexandra, but Bob had made headway, and was halfway to the final destination, before the rest of the group decided to get back to the run. Helen and Rohan took the lead in their 718 Cayman. The Reefton spur was a challenging piece of track that kept all the drivers' concentration at peak. It was a glorious, windy stretch of road that tested the ability of the drivers and the vehicles.

The drive was excellent, with good roads and little traffic to slow us down. The sheer drops and breathtaking views kept some co-pilots distracted, but the drivers maintained their focus, enjoying the thrill of driving their Porsches on some of Victoria's most beautiful roads.

Sadly, David and Kasia had to say goodbye to the group, as they were time-poor and needed to pick up their family by 4 pm. The rest of the group continued on to the Corner Hotel at Alexandra.

Lunch at the Corner Hotel was simple, well-prepared, and fresh, with a few bevvies and tall stories shared among the members. Jake had arranged some fantastic prizes for the raffle draw, and everybody was a winner, thanks to the small group and an overflowing boot full of goodies from Jake.

Reza was kind enough to donate a hand-carved wooden Porsche emblem, and the lucky winner was Giovanni, who was pleasantly surprised and chuffed with his score. We are all expecting this piece to see some love and care, and Giovanni has promised to share some pictures when he is finished with it.

The staff at the venue were more than happy to accommodate the members' wishes with food and drinks, and the run concluded with some beautiful group photos outside the Corner Hotel.

Thanks to Jake for organizing and being an ever-gracious host, and Reza and Bob for helping with lead and tail-end support throughout the run. It was yet another successful event by PCV, and everyone had a great time. Cheers!

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

Click Here for Image Gallery

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.