For Galantry (My 1975 Galant Hardtop)

1980 was, for various reasons, a very exciting year for UMPH, one being that he turned 17 and got his driver's licence.  It was also the year he nearly bought a green 1750 Alfa 105 from Dick Pou Motors on Hobart's eastern shore but ended up with an Escort van instead.

  

Wiser heads advised against the flashy Italian classic; Alfas were unreliable, they said.  So, too, were Fiats, knocking a white 124 AC from a dodgy car yard in New Town out of contention.  However, it appears that the pundits had never experienced a mid 70s Escort because, if they had, UMPH's van would have been given the thumbs down, too! 

The following year was, in automotive terms, much better.  Putting the Escort debacle behind him, long-term rally aspirant UMPH found himself a red 1975 Galant hardtop at Arnold Autos in Argyle Street, North Hobart, and soon outlaid the then princely sum of $3,800.  It was to be a long relationship.

   

Two icons of Tasmanian transport

Galants and their smaller siblings, Lancers, had built a solid reputation in the '70s as highly competitive rally cars.  Indeed, one Chrysler ad of the time, to the tune of the Beach Boys' Little Deuce Coupe, proudly announced that in addition to their "overhead cams that made them move real good, there was one more thing: they won the Southern Cross Rally!"  UMPH was sold!!  The fact that it was a two door was glorious icing on the cake.     

Fast-forwarding 34 years, four engines, two gearboxes, innumerable tyres, shock-absorbers and exhaust systems, and two re-sprays sees The Galant, as it came to be known, living in comfortable semi-retirement.  Or maybe that should be semi-comfortable retirement, because, when The Galant does come out, it's usually for some tarmac action on some of Tasmania's excellent country roads.  Maybe not the Southern Cross Rally, and not quite Targa, either, but there's still fun to be had! 

A (Super) Oscar winning performance

So what better way to spend an afternoon than a trip to Geeveston in the Huon Valley, 45 to 60 minutes' drive south of Hobart, in a Japanese classic for a classically Japanese lunch of sushi?  A quick cup of coffee at Hobart's Small Fry kicked things off nicely, before collecting UMPH's passenger in crime, a man who was, in a former life, Tasmania's second best forensic photographer.  We'll call him the G-Man.

The run from Hobart along the western shore of the Derwent River, through Sandy Bay, Taroona, Kingston and Blackmans Bay, was uneventful.  The mish-mash of 50 and 60 km/h zones along Sandy Bay Road and on the Channel Highway never ceases to confuse and annoy, so apologies for anyone stuck behind UMPH in a 60 area, as he's decided it's safer to treat the whole stretch of road as one long, continuous 50 limit just in case there's a speed camera lurking road-side.

The once joyous run from Taroona's shot tower to the Kingston Golf Club has been ruined and is now a stultifyingly boring 60 km/h.  Even the bit between the crest of the hill towards Kingston, heading south, has been zoned at 60, even though there are no houses, driveways or intersecting streets.

The cockpit: tatty but functional

It's not until the 'Fork in The Road' roundabout at Kingston that the road finally opens up, even if it's also been hit with more ridiculous speed limits.  This time it's a blanket 90 km/h for all country roads, a result of the unscientific Kingborough 'Safer Speeds Demonstration,' which allegedly showed a correlation between a lower speed limits and serious and fatal motor vehicle collisions.  Doesn't anyone understand that it's usually drivers exceeding speed limits, whatever they might be set at, that cause these prangs? 

It didn't matter, though.  It was a glorious day and with all four of the Galant's pillar-less windows down, UMPH and the G-Man were able to take in the sights of North West Bay and listen to the Galant's crackle 'n' pop exhaust as they pushed on to Margate, Electrona and Snug. 

The day got even better when UMPH took a punt on a clear run through Nicholls Rivulet Road.  Readers who remember his frustration at being stuck behind a succession of slow vehicles on his last run through there can only imagine his annoyance upon being confronted with a 40 zone, a lollipop man and a couple of tree trimming crews within the first half kilometre, nearly causing him to chuck a quick u-ey and press on via Kettering instead.

Luckily, the road after the arboreal choke point soon cleared, allowing UMPH an exhilarating full-noise assault on NRR's brilliantly twisty, well cambered, smooth-sealed asphalt.  The run from the Channel Highway to Cygnet - as opposed to coming from the latter- is basically uphill, totally changing the experience from being of short to medium bursts of throttle and lots of heavy braking to one of sustained third gear acceleration.  It doesn't matter that it's in a blanket 90 zone, either; it's all about cornering, so there's plenty of fun to be had without breaking the speed limit.

Old school engine bay (with 2.0 litre motor, Weber carbie, 4 into 2 exhaust, electronic ignition and V8 Holden radiator)

The road from Cygnet follows the banks of the Huon River, providing a more than pleasant view of rolling pastures and orchards, before coming to Huonville.  A left turn at the bridge there saw UMPH and the G-Man heading along the other side of the Huon, en route to Geeveston, via Franklin, Port Huon and Kermandie.  Kermandie's eponymous hotel includes the excellent Sass restaurant, a long term favourite of the UMPHs.

Some things just aren't meant to be!  Highly regarded Japanese eatery Masaaki's (20/B Church St, Geeveston - Ph: 0408 712 340) and destination du jour was closed for the day.  Next time UMPH will phone ahead!

Now rather hungry, UMPH and G-Man re-set their sights and headed for Frank's Cider Bar, Cafe and Museum, on Main Road, Franklin.  There they settled in for a later than planned lunch of competently prepared scrambled eggs and bacon, an okay quiche, a tasty salad and very enjoyable berry smoothies and iced chocolates.  A mixed report card but pleasant enough.

The final run back to Hobart retraced much of the route until Huonville.  There, instead of turning at the the bridge, UMPH and G-Man headed along Main Street and out onto the Huon Highway, past the turn-off to the excellent Home Hill Winery (another UMPH favourite), then Willie Smith's Cider Bar on the left (yes, cider is a big deal down the Huon), before climbing out of the valley and up to Lower Longley, where the second big dose of fun began.

The Huon Road from Lower Longley to Ferntree and the Nicholls Rivulet Road both offer drivers with a sporting bent lots to enjoy; each features shortish straights and tight, twisty bends and both have hills either side, giving something for raucous exhausts to resonate and echo off.  Both have featured as Targa stages.  However, whereas the latter is all smooth seal, the earlier stages of the former are old fashioned blue stone on tar and the road surface is rutted and tortuously uneven, adding another dimension to the experience.  The road improves a bit after the Longley pub but there are still some undulations to keep drivers on their toes.  

Having put in a suitably sporty run, all that was left was a picturesque amble from Neika to Fern Tree and into South Hobart, allowing The Galant's brakes to cool, before heading home.  A most satisfactory day indeed!


U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au).