After over 7 years in planning, the 44^th TSOA National Meeting which ran from Friday 17^th to Friday 24^th October 2025 finally happened, and it was well worth the wait. As many may know, this event was originally planned for 2020 but was cancelled due to COVID.  However, having already negotiated a fantastic deal with management at The Anchorage resort at Port Stephens, the NSW team was able to lock in 2025 at a fixed room price only 15% above that agreed for 2020. As a result, we had exceptional accommodation at a price way below current room rates. We all had great views over the marina and Port Stephens Bay, with balconies and terraces to soak in the view.

There were 110 registered participants (over half from NSW) with SA having 14 members attend.  Due to being in NSW, where there are over 400 TSOA members, and the exceptional value offered at The Anchorage, registrations were filled within a few days of release to the market, with a long waiting list. Due to the inevitable withdrawals as the time approaches that happens every year, almost everyone on the waiting list were able to be included in the final numbers.

Most of the SA contingent drove over, with Lawrie and Kaye Placing leaving a day before the rest of us, to catch up with friends in NSW en-route. Sue and I took the soft option and trailered my TR5 there, borrowing Neil Martin’s car trailer. Stephen Wade, Duane Kaak and Ian Rigby all drove their Triumphs and Roger and Cherri Lange decided at the last minute to take the Porsch Boxter rather than the TR7, due to the forecast hot conditions. Air conditioning in cars is a wonderful invention which is noticeably absent from many Triumphs.

Disaster struck between Tailem Bend and Lameroo, when Ian Rigby’s saloon had electrical problems. Ian had recently replaced the distributor, but the replacement still failed. The combined expertise of Ian, Roger and Duane concluded that there was no easy fix, and so Ian organised for the RAA to truck it back to Adelaide, and for his wife, Raelene, to drive her car to the breakdown spot, with their son in law picking her up from there to take her back to Adelaide. Ian then drove Raelene’s BMW on to Port Stephens, having a night arrival in Hay, our first overnight stop.

I also had problems between Balranald and Hay, when the inside wheels of the car trailer clipped a large steel object on the side of the road (thought to be a dropped road train trailer coupling) and I managed to wreck both tyres and rims on that side of the tandem trailer. Having only one spare, I limped into Hay, with the second flat tyre totally disintegrated by the time I got there. Luckily, we were staying next to a tyre shop, and I was able to get two new rims and tyres, bright and early the next morning. Fortunately, there appeared to be no damage to hubs or wheel bearings from this incident.

We all enjoyed a second, incident-free day and night in Dubbo, before driving through to Port Stephens on Day 3. Ian’s wife Raelene flew to Newcastle, Duane’s wife Meranie and daughter Indy flew to Sydney and then caught the train to Newcastle, and Dino and Lisa Vettese trucked their Stag to Sydney and then flew there and drove to Port Stephens.

As always, everyone had a great week renewing old friendships, making new ones, and celebrating our love of Triumph cars. There were quite a few “first-timers” attending, as well as a lot of us who make it an annual pilgrimage.

Our first event was the welcome dinner on Friday which had a “beach” theme, bringing out the best of the creativity of the rally delegates. The main function room was not available on this first night due to a wedding at The Anchorage, and we were in the breakfast room, which includes under cover verandahs. There was a massive thunderstorm and heavy rain which required some people to relocate so as not to get wet, however the lightning show was spectacular.

On Saturday we all washed and polished our cars and headed into the d’Albora Marina in Nelson Bay for a show and shine. This was a great venue (at least the equal of last year in Albany which was until then the best S&S venue in living memory), and there were many locals who came out to see our vehicles, and with lots of food and coffee options around the marina. No trophy was awarded, however there was a “people’s choice” as well as casual judging.

Peter Wards, who is well known to many TSOA members as a now-retired professional Triumph restorer was judged in first place with his superb TR6. This car had also won this year’s TSOA NSW Concours event. Trevor Norris from Victoria’s immaculate TR7 V8 was second, and our own Dino and Lisa Vettese’s Stag was third. The popular vote was a tie between a far from standard TR6 with a 3.9 litre TVR V8 motor, owned by Steve Ralston from NSW, and Ron Farrugia from Victoria’s modified TR5 .

Dinner on Saturday night was at The Anchorage, with happy hour drinks on the Sunset Terrace. This is a facility built out on the breakwater where we had dolphins putting on a show right in front of us, as they did every night we had drinks at this venue. The shared plates meal was exceptional, although far more food than anyone could do justice.

Sunday saw us drive some 50km to Ringwood Park hill climb, a facility owned and operated by the MG Car Club of NSW. This is a neat little loop track, with cars doing individual timed runs, and no CAMS licence was required to drive it. Duane and Roger took their Stag and Boxter respectively around the track, however both exercised commendable restraint, knowing each vehicle had to get back to Adelaide. After lunch, spectators also were able to drive the track in parade laps behind a pace car.

The first “Ironman” events were then held at Ringwood. For the uninitiated, there is an annual competition between the states, of essentially novelty events, with the winning state taking away the perpetual “Ironman” trophy. This is very large, quite unattractive, is hard to transport in cars with limited space, and must be brought by the winning state to the next Nationals. Naturally, it is keenly fought over, with each state hoping to win this highly sought-after national trophy.

There was a competition for cars getting as close as possible to a pole marker without touching it, and then driving through cones with a ball placed on the car bonnet, without letting the ball come off. Dino, Lawrie and Duane flew the flag for SA in this event. (Editor’s note – Lisa navigated for another driver who eventually was declared the winner – well done Lisa!)

Monday was a 60km drive to Newcastle and a tour of Fort Scratchley, the primary defence for Newcastle against invasion by potentially the Russians and others in the 19^th Century. We were then encouraged to explore Newcastle including the “Bathers Way” walk and beaches. We enjoyed a meal that night at Nelson Bay Golf Club.

Tuesday saw us drive some 40 km to Lemon Tree Passage on a peninsula in Port Stephens, to have a lunch cruise on the “Wangie Queen”, a 100-year-old former Sydney Harbour ferry. Port Stephens Bay is some 134 square kilometres in size, much bigger than Sydney Harbour, and so there is a lot to see and do.  We had good weather for this cruise which was very enjoyable, with no sea sickness. That night was free, with some of us going out to dinner in Nelson Bay.

Things were heating up weather-wise by Wednesday, with the temperature reaching 39 degrees. The organisers decided to change the original program to make this a free day and allow everyone to cool off as best they could. There are some great beaches in the Port Stephens area (both in the bay and on the ocean side) as well as two swimming pools at The Anchorage. Some of us went to visit the “Fighter World” museum at Williamtown RAAF Base, some 25 km from The Anchorage. We were treated to seeing take offs and landings of the RAAF’s new F35 Joint Strike Fighters on the runway right next to the museum, and well as close up looks at retired aircraft including an F111 and an FA18 Hornet jet fighter. (Editor’s Note – a small number found a slot car track and did some laps!)

We went to the Nelson Bay Bowls Club for dinner that night. As many may know, in NSW gaming machines are in sporting clubs rather than hotels, and as a result, these are often huge facilities, most unlike the modest bowls clubs in South Australia. Nelson Bay boasts several bars, gaming areas and large dining facilities. Our 110 people were easily accommodated in one of their function rooms.

Our final day was Thursday, and we drove some 65km to the quaint town of Morpeth, where we had a series of “observation run” questions to answer. Luckily a cool change had come through, and we all enjoyed spending time in this historic township. (Editor’s Note – Morpeth is the birthplace of some noted Aussie companies, notably Soul Patterson, Arnotts and Brambles)

Before dinner, we had the final Ironman event at the Nelson Bay Golf Club driving range, which was a timed event for radio-controlled model cars, including slalom and motorkhana.  Our driver was the youngest attendee, Indy Kaak who put up a mighty performance. She found reversing a bit tricky but otherwise was right up with the best of the older and more experienced drivers.

Our final dinner was at The Anchorage, with the theme being “dress to impress”. The only perpetual trophy on offer was the Ironman trophy, and sadly South Australia could not repeat last year’s famous victory. With 60% of the attendees, NSW had a Melbourne Cup field of Iron people to select from for their teams and were crowned the winners. SA vowed to come back stronger than ever next year and try to wrest back this much sought-after trophy.

The week was fantastic, and I doubt whether anyone else will ever be able to match the standard of accommodation and meals provided by The Anchorage at future National meetings. The organising committee, headed by convenor John Stokes, did a fantastic job of making sure the week ran very smoothly, and everyone in the NSW club really pulled their weight to make it such a great event. It was encouraging to see a lot of new faces to the Nationals, and I am sure that, after such an enjoyable week, many of these people will be planning to attend next year.

On the last night, Peter Connor from Queensland gave a presentation on next year’s Nationals to be held at “The Platinum International Hotel” in Toowoomba from 10^th to 17^th October 2026. The program looks great, and whilst we won’t be in a beachfront resort, we all agree that the heart and soul of the TSOA Nationals is the camaraderie we enjoy at each event, and the fun of visiting new places that we would otherwise be unlikely to see. Expressions of interest will be sought shortly, and registrations will be opening early in 2026. Demand is expected to be high.

No major dramas were reported on the way home, although I can report that Duane, Stephen, Sue and I had a meal at a pub in West Wyalong, and I won the meat tray raffle. Read all about it in last week’s edition of the West Wyalong Gazette.

Thanks again to TSOA NSW for putting on such a well organised and enjoyable week, and we look forward to seeing the Nationals family again next year in Toowoomba.

Alex Smithson