For many rev heads, the weekend represents that blissful moment in the week where you can take your pride and joy out for a drive, free of any pressures. Rain, hail or shine, a leisurely Sunday afternoon cruise can be the perfect way to wrap up the week and for Melbourne’s Otium Club latest drive day, it was just that.
We were invited along for the journey which would see members of the club driving from the eastern suburbs of Melbourne up the surrounding mountain ranges to the north, through some tight and technical roads and some thrilling motorway driving.
Otium Club is perhaps the largest car and lifestyle collective in Australia and includes all manner of exciting exotics in its ranks from limited-edition Ferraris to a completely bespoke Ultima GTR and an array of heavily modified sports cars and supercars. If you own a rather special performance car, you’ll be welcomed with open arms.
Due to the energy-sapping rain of the day, many members brought along their daily drivers for the day, including a handful of Audi RS7s, BMW M models and the finest from Mercedes-AMG. Despite the less than ideal conditions, spirits within the group were high, perfectly reflecting the club’s hospitality, friendliness and family-like vibe it provides.
The first leg of the drive saw the 40+ vehicles drive towards the small town of King Lake, nestled at the top of a hill and only accessible via a narrow road with worringly-steep dropoffs. While most took it easy up this ribbon of tarmac, the bangs, crackles, pops and thunderous howl of over 10,000 hp filled the surround mountains in a stunning cacophony of wondrous noise.
Following a much needed fuel stop, our squad of sports cars continued north for a brief stopover in Yea. The shock on the faces of locals seeing our collective roll up was priceless and soon matched by the curiosity of the local police force. No harm no foul and we all enjoyed the final blast south west to Whittlesea, enjoying more picturesque roads, good company and great cars on the way.
While the weather restricted the cars being driven anywhere near their respective limits, the turnout and vibe displayed perfectly highlighted just how incredibly well cars bring people together.
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