G'day all,

Well, it's back on again for 2014. This is the 5th year of raising funds for ACRF, and will be the last (for the foreseeable future anyway) as The Bug has a well-earned rest.

This year's trip will see The Bug leave the shores of Mainland Australia and head overseas. That's right, we'll be heading all the way to the Apple Isle, the southern-most state of Australia, better known as Tasmania, to raise funds for and awareness about ACRF.

Joining me on the trip this year will be Bob Hickman, who has offered his time and services to help raise funds for Australian Cancer Research Foundation. Also following me will be Mario in his '66 Bug. Mario has accompanied me on two previous Bug Off Cancer! drives in 2011 and 2012.

We will be departing Sydney on Sunday 21 September for the leg down to Melbourne. We then depart Mainland Australia on Monday 22 September for the Trans Bass Strait crossing to Devonport. The drive will be for 7 days before departing our southern cousin's island on Monday 29 September and returning to the Mainland on Tuesday 30 September, before making the homeward trip back to Sydney on Wednesday 1 October.

We have a target of $6,000 this year, and we need your help to meet it.

If you'd like to support our drive, you make donations at http://www.justgiving.com/bugoffcancer2014 

You can read more about what we've done and will be doing at http://www.bugoffcancer.com.au  or follow us and like us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bugoffcancer 

Will post regular updates as they happen.

Regards,

Norm Elias

Great work Norm

I wish to drive behind ..... good luck ....

Do you know how many kms are in the tassie loop?

Amazeer, the Tassie loop is about 1200km. The Sydney-Melbourne return trip is bigger than the Tassie loop.

This is the Bug Off Cancer! Service Centre in full swing getting the Bugs ready for the 21 September run to Melbourne before getting on the ferry to Tassie and raising funds and awareness for Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

If you'd like to help, you can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/bugoffcancer2014/ 

This'll be the last drive for a couple of years, as I'll be taking a break and giving the Bug a break also.

Cheers,

Norm

Day 1 of Bug Off Cancer! 2014 began this morning (Sunday 21 September) at about 4:40am in drizzle.

The drive started well until the car went spluttering past the Campbelltown exit southbound on my way to Camden to pick up Bob. I initially thought it was a fuel pump problem as the problem persisted until the Narellan Road turnoff which was a seeping left loop. After exiting the loop the problem appeared to disappear which then led me to believe it may have been water in the bottom of the fuel tank causing the engine to splutter. After picking Bob up from his place, we made our way back on the freeway and thought nothing more of the spluttering until it reappeared around Bargo and persisted until Goulburn where we made a pit-stop near the Big Ram.

After checking the fuel line from the tank was clear, our attention turned to the pump as there was no fuel inside the fuel filter. After running the engine, it became evident that the pump was not delivering the fuel to the carburettor. As I carry spare parts with me, I had a spare fuel pump, so we removed the old pump and installed the spare. This took all of about 15 minutes. Once fitted, the engine was run and fuel was being delivered to the carburettor. We were on our way again with the next stop being South Gundagai for a refuel stop and morning tea. From Gundagai it was on to Kalkallo which is about 30km north of Melbourne for another fuel stop and late lunch.

We reached our accommodation in Melbourne at about 4:45pm after travelling 459 miles or 734km in metric language.

We met up with a friend of mine and his wife for dinner which capped off an overall good day with good food and even better company.

Hangin' with HMAS Otway in Holbrook.

And this is what we're welcomed with in Melbourne after travelling 459 miles or 734km in metric language.

Wow,we are flying over to tassie on tuesday and doing pretty well the same route,but not in a bug.
Will keep our eyes open for the cars.

Give us a wave if you see us. Bugmaniaar.

Sorry about the lack of updates over the last couple of days, but there was no internet access on the ferry or at Strahan, but here's an update.

On Monday morning, 22 September Bob and I had breakfast Green Refectory Café in Brunswick. After breakfast, Bob and I made our way to VW Performance centre to buy a new “spare” pump for the one that was used on Sunday. Whilst we were there, we were allowed to go in to the workshop and have a look at their operations. There, I met Sam who was doing the bodywork on a 1960’s Karmann Ghia. His work is of craftsman quality and his attention to detail is to that of the standard of the factory as they built the vehicles.

After we dragged ourselves away from VWP Centre, we met up with Mario, Harry and Peter at King Laksa Café in Flemington. The food was superb and the company was great. After lunch, it was off to the harbour port where Bob, Mario, Harry and myself spent the afternoon having milkshakes and coffee taking in the perfect Spring day Melbourne had to offer.

At 4:30pm, we began boarding the Spirit of Tasmania. Mario and I were one of the first vehicles on, which meant we drove down to the bottom of the ferry garage, meaning we would be one of the last ones off the next morning in Devonport.

After putting our belongings in our cabins, it was back down to the bar for pre-dinner drinks. The only thing on TV was the galah Brownlow medal awards. Yes, I did mean to say galah and not gala!

At 7:30pm the ferry began moving while we were having our dinner and mobile phone reception was lost by the time we passed the heads of Phillip Bay. After dinner, the evening was spent watching the movie "The fault in our stars" in the cinema.

Down at the port of Melbourne waiting to board the Spirit of Australia.

Day 3 - 23 September

The ferry docked at in Devonport at about 6:00am and we disembarked after being one of the last ones off at about 7:30am. Once clear of Quarantine, we drove around the corner to Dockside Café where we had an “All you can eat” special for $14.95 Once breakfast was done, we made our way to little beachfront town of Penguin, west of Devonport, and arrived at about 8:45am. We were given a little history lesson about Penguin whilst we were there. A few kilometres west is a town called Sulphur Creek. Sulphur Creek was meant to be named Penguin and Penguin was meant to be named Sulphur Creek, but due to some bureaucratic bungling, the towns were mixed up and the wrong towns were given the wrong names.

From penguin, it was on to Table Top Cape, and arrived there at about 10:00am. The views from the top were breathtakingly magnificent. We met some lovely people at Table Top who recommended a neat little café back down in Wynyard. After taking in the sights at the lookout and Lighthouse, we made our way down to Bruce’s Café. Along the way were a couple of cyclists hogging the road. I was going to give them a Sydney “get off the road honk” but thought better of it. Lucky I did, because soon after we pulled up to Bruce’s Café at about 1125, those very cyclists pulled in to the café and sat down next to the other cyclists we were talking to. It’s a small world. Especially in Tasmania.

Just some more Day 3 pics.

Day 3 - 23 September (continued)

After yarning with the cyclists and having some of the best coffee around, we made our way to Tullah via winding and hilly forest roads for lunch. We arrived at about 2:00pm and went to the local tavern, which was closed and wouldn’t be open until 4:00pm. So we made our way along the road for about 1km where we made the second “discovery” of the day. Tullah Lakeside Lodge Café. The tavern being closed was a blessing in disguise. The Lodge café was fantastic with it overlooking the lake and mountains. The food was great and an hour or so well spent.

After lunch, it was off to Strahan, or as pronounced by the locals, Strawn. One is quickly correct if pronounced otherwise. We arrived at Strawn at about 4:45pm. Once checked in, we were told about a play taking place at the Strawn Ampitheatre. So Bob, Mario, Harry and myself made our way down to the amphitheatre for the 5:30pm show. We were given a 50% discount because of the fundraising drive we were doing. The name of the play was “The Ship That Never Was”. This is Tasmania's longest continuous running play, spanning a life of 21 years and written by local historian and writer Richard Davey. Because of the generosity of the box office lady/actress in the play, I gave her a couple of Bug Off Cancer T-shirts. The play ran for about 1hr 20 mins and was very enjoyable. To my surprise at the end of the play, the box office lady/actress mentioned our drive and our Bugs outside and if people could donate to the cause. There was a lot of chatter amongst the audience as they said they had seen the Bugs and a total of $90 was raised because of the help of the box office lady/actress. You can view the website of the play at http://www.roundearth.com.au  I owe a BIG THANKS to the box office lady/actress for her helping Bug Off Cancer!

After the play it was off to dinner on the other side of the lake at the Strawn Tavern where a good sized meal is served and filled an otherwise empty spot.

Day 4 - September 24

Today started out very overcast and began raining in "Strawn". We had breakfast in the local café and it must have been a bit much for the young waitress to have four boisterous guys early in the morning ordering breakfast as she was unable to hide how stunned she was at serving us. After a while young Stephanie would just roll her eyes and sigh whenever we said anything. This is a sign we were now accepted and able to be tolerated. After breakfast Stephanie waved us goodbye and gave us a big smile as we left the café.

It was now 1030 and time to get ready for the 300km drive to Hobart. After driving 40km drive on winding, mountainous and wet roads, it was time for a coffee stop in Queenstown. The township seemed very quiet without much activity. When I asked one of the local shopkeepers if this was a normal day, sadly the reply was yes. This was due to a copper mine recently being shut down due to three deaths in six weeks last year. Only one pub remains open from three in the town.

During our coffee break, a nice young lady by the name of Loretta and a VW enthusiast came and asked about the Bugs parked outside, as she owns a 1973 Bug and one of those new fandangled front-engine mounted water-cooled Bugs. Even her wedding cars were Bugs. She sat down with us having her lunch whilst we drank our coffee as we exchanged VW stories. Loretta asked if we went to the play last night in "Strawn" and we replied yes. She said she knows the box office lady/actress and that her name is Kyra. I'm so glad that I now know the name of the person that helped us fundraising last night. THANK YOU AGAIN KYRA!

After departing Loretta and Queenstown it was back on the road for another 86km of winding, mountainous and wet roads to Derwent Bridge for lunch. The Derwent Bridge Hotel was closed for lunch, so we moved on to the Hungry Wombat Café about 200m down the road. As it was getting late and still raining, it was time to make the final 174km on wet and winding roads to Hobart. All went well till about the last kilometre before our hotel, then tragedy struck. A TRAFFIC JAM in Hobart!!! Who'd have thought? That last kilometre took about half an hour!! Half an hour for one kilometre in Hobart!!! That's a first!!! Once checked in to our hotel it was down to Salamanca Square for some nice Italian dinner and unwind for the day.

More Day 4 pics.

Give you a wave you say.....
Heres my son stalking one of your cars..

You must be staying where we are. And that's my car!!!!

This is a WIN News Tasmania story on Bug Off Cancer from yesterday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWbUoLe5v4g 

Got internet again.....
Seen your F/B Page,awsome job guys..Well done..
I'm back on the plane tomorrow and you still got a long way to go..
Seems that we covered most of the same places. Great place for a drive and a lot of interesting history Tassie.