For some, it was their first time taking the trip to Sylvia’s Gap as part of the Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre’s (ARTHC) annual June long weekend convoy, while for others it was a case of, “I wouldn’t miss it, I come here every year.”
The run, and indeed the whole weekend which also includes a Saturday night dinner and auction, has become a “must attend” for those interested in road transport history, with trucking enthusiasts travelling from as far away as Queensland for last weekend’s event.
The annual fundraising dinner and auction at the Gundagai Showground last Saturday night was a big success, followed by a recovery breakfast, served up by the Gundagai SES, and the Sylvia’s Gap run on the Sunday.
The nostalgic drive saw more than 40 vehicles take part, which was down from last year’s run but still a good roll up, according to the ARTHC’s Daryl Weston, considering truck enthusiasts these days are spoiled for choice of events over almost every weekend of the year.
Drivers literally took a trip down memory lane as they made their way through the notorious Sylvia’s Gap Road which was especially opened for the event thanks to the landholders.
Gordon Garner from Tumut and Allan Pullen from Temora have over 100 years trucking experience between them and have been on every Sylvia’s Gap run since its inception.
The gentlemen said the great thing about the Sylvia’s Gap run each year is catching up with people they’ve met on the run over the years.
Don Turner drove all the way from the Gold Coast with his 1966 R200 International to take part in the run for the first time. It was also Shannon Kennedy’s first Sylvia’s Gap run. Shannon, from Thirlmere, drove his father-in-law’s 2014 Kenworth 909, which is part of the Miner’s Transport fleet.
Bruce Brown from Glenmore drove the Sylvia’s Gap run in his Toyota 6000, 1965 model.
Like Gordon and Allan, Bruce is no stranger to the Sylvia’s Gap run, having taken part in the popular event many times over the years.
