Alan Carr is working very hard — double-clutching many gear changes and battling a fairly primitive power-steering system as he descends the winding, narrow road from the Great Western Highway into the Central Western NSW town of Oberon. But he’s obviously loving every minute of it.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Some would say that he’s just driving an old bus. And technically he is, but it’s a very special old bus.
What’s in Alan’s very experienced hands is a — it’s probably better to say THE — 1947-vintage Flxible (yes, folks, the spelling is fine as is) Clipper that was specially built in the US, complete with right-hand drive, for the late Sir Reg Ansett and used by him as the model to manufacture more than 130 coaches in Australia for his fleet.
It revolutionised road transport in its day and still provides a remarkably comfortable ride.
“Before this vehicle arrived, all mass road transport in Australia was carried out in vehicles that really were just a development of the horse and dray,” said Alan.
“With vehicles such as this one and the many replicas, road trips between cities such as Sydney and Melbourne suddenly became a realistic proposition.”
Why, it even had air-conditioning that involved more than just opening a window.
And, boy, does the magnificently restored Clipper turn heads as it arrives in the parking lot at Mayfield, the truly majestic gardens just outside Oberon, on the back road to Bathurst.
The vehicle, number-plated simply ‘ANSET’, is part of the fleet of Katoomba-based Fantastic Aussie Tours.
It’s one of the largest coach operators in the Blue Mountains and runs a range of scheduled services and nationwide charters, including a Mayfield garden day tour every Wednesday between January and April, and between September and November.
The cost of that is $95 per person, including entry to the gardens, a gourmet lunch in a private room, and a gift to take with you. Just don’t expect to necessarily arrive in a 1947-vintage Clipper.
And if you’re looking for a place to stay in the mountains, especially if you’re arriving with a group of say four or five couples, then Blackheath’s Allview Escape comes with an outstanding wow factor.
You could say that the name implies it all really. The place would be all view if you forgot for a moment that it also offered plenty of comforts.
The accommodation is perched right on the edge of the Grose Valley and I’m sure the outlook is fantastic all day long, but especially in the late afternoon, when the sun bounces off the magnificent cliffs and the kangaroos start to graze just metres away, it’s a truly magical spot — am I really here or is this just a dream?
Allview offers two fully self-contained cottages — the five-bedroom Malie’s House and the slightly smaller, four-bedroom Isabella.
Just unpack the car, sit back, crack open a good bottle of bubbly, and enjoy the setting — though both cottages do offer direct access to mountain trails leading to local features such as Pulpit Rock and Govetts Leap.
There are obviously easier ways to reach the latter, though. Hop in your car and take the short drive along Govetts Leap Road. It’s well worth doing. The outlook is truly spectacular and it is a lot less crowded than the better known Echo Point.
IF YOU GO
Fantastic Aussie Tours, 91 Barton St, Katoomba, phone 02 4780 0700. Visit www.fantastic-aussie-tours.com.au
Allview Escape, Hat Hill Rd, Blackheath, phone Malina on 02 4787 5391 or 0418 457 722. Visit www.allviewescape.com.au