A Day at the Shelford Duck Race
An Unforgettable Sunday Adventure
On a very blustery (but sunny) Sunday, we embarked on an interesting journey to the Shelford Duck Race, located 46 kilometres from Geelong. This annual fundraising event promised a day full of fun, and it certainly did not disappoint.
Our adventure began with participating in a show and shine, where we proudly displayed our vehicles alongside around 90 other makes and models. The variety of cars was astounding, each with its own unique charm and history. It was fascinating to see the enthusiasm and care that each owner had put into their pride and joy.
As the day progressed, we indulged in a great display of food. The food stalls offered an impressive array of options, (but not forgetting the traditional sausage sangar!) To complement our meals, we could sample local wines and craft beers.
Entertainment was abundant throughout the day, with live performances from the “kilted” Police Pipe band and to ladies demonstrating their proficiency at delivering excellent covers of ABBA classics and many other songs. The market stalls were a treasure trove of unique finds, offering everything from handmade crafts to vintage memorabilia.
For those seeking more interactive experiences, there were demonstrations showcasing various skills and crafts such as the SES attempting to demonstrate the “jaws of life” cutting open a crashed car. Children and families enjoyed the amusement rides, their laughter and excitement adding to the festive atmosphere. The colourful rides providing thrills and joy to the little visitors.
The highlight of the day was the famous Duck Race at 3pm. Spectators gathered along the riverbank, eagerly anticipating the start of the race. As the 1250 ducks were released into the water, cheers erupted from the crowd. The sight of the brightly coloured ducks bobbing and floating down the river brought smiles to everyone's faces.
The Shelford Duck Race is a fundraiser for the village school, the cricket club abd the local Progress Society. It is more than just an event; it was a celebration of community, creativity, and joy. It was a day well spent, and we look forward to returning next year for more fun and excitement.
Anne Lane #1112
The BMW Clubs Australia (BMWCA) AGM this year was productive and some good information and ideas.
Some things to come out of the Sunday group discussions:
· BMW Drivers Club New South Wales (DCNSW) will run the next Nationals in 2027, proposed to be at Bathurst date to be confirmed, we suggested over or close to the Challenge Bathurst weekend, so there could be some form of Motorsport. See what happens.
· BMW Classic, BMW Group Australia (BMWGA), BMW Ag and BMW CA all want digital copies of all club's magazine each year but not paper copies.
· We will be having quarterly Zoom meetings, probably cars only, with the Executive and cars delegates, starting in April
· BMWCA will be sending out a quarterly magazine and want content.
For issue 1 they want a short history of the club, plus Steve’s story about winning the International Club of the Year Award.
· Most of the clubs have issues getting and retaining volunteers for events and for committee roles. Some clubs actually pay people to support most of their key roles and are looking at how to reduce their overheads. Some have paid helpers for treasurer, secretary, social media, graphic designer for the magazine to name a few.
· Common theme is lack of communication from BMWCA about anything, and interaction and sharing of ideas between clubs is lacking. I put as number 1 on our list, as not having the view of other clubs as rivals and we need to work together more.
· Side discussion with Craig Florence (SA) about the corporate program and how they make new members joining for the BMW Corporate Program ( - to get the 3 year BMW Service Inclusive at no cost offered by BMWGA to BMW club members) to sign up for the three years of the program. Their dealer pays the membership and tacks it onto the price of the car. Something we could look at, or a three-year corporate program option on the membership page, that would have to be taken up if they want a letter confirming membership for the corporate.
· All agree it is very hard to run motorsport days without combing with other clubs, cost of track hire etc..
· Also lack of facilities to use for motorsport and driver training in some states
· All clubs are supporting Charities in similar ways
· Most clubs up on membership, 3 or 4 losing a little, membership up as a whole.
Monday:
· CEO of BMWGA Wolfgang Buechel is very much in favour of having a close relationship with BMW Clubs and now that BMW Classic is under the control of Marketing instead of corporate, we should see a lot more interaction between BMW and clubs.
· We can request a letter directing BMW Dealerships to engage with and support clubs and it will be signed by the head of BMW Classic.
· Seems we have come full circle, and BMW recognises we are their best salespeople instead of just consumers. His words were ‘Clubs are more important than ever’
· BMW no 4 in ev sales last year 7,700 ev’s in Australia
· BMW sold 29.6% of ev’s sold in Australia: more than Volvo, merc, Audi, Hyundai, GWM, Porsche, Lexus, combined
· Next generation of batteries will see 900km range coming end of 2025
· I asked about long term ownership and second/third owners, did BMW have a strategy for long term ownership of ev’s or were they designed to be recycled in say 15 years? Answer was good, BMW batteries can be replaced as modules, so if you have one module fail in 15+ years you can replace the one module at hundreds of dollars instead of the whole battery pack at many thousands of dollars. Current generation batteries are expected to last 15-20 years, even old i3 batteries are still only showing roughly 3% loss of capacity/use, far exceeding what they expected when they built them. Due to the quality of the materials in the batteries they use apparently.
· All ev m3 next year with 1500+ hp, 4 electric motors and so much torque it can’t be measured, so they reckon. The numbers are ridiculous they reckon, and computers will control everything to keep it on the road. But there will still be an ICE version of every M car as well.
· 1 in 5 BMWs sold in Australia are M cars
· Very interesting chats at BMWGA with the BMWGA people we saw at Bathurst. All of them want us to be involved with the GT4 series at Phillip Island in the Speed Series at Phillip 4-6 April, to do a display and support the BMW GT4 cars, apparently going to be 7 racing. No details yet.
· BMW looking to be even bigger at Bathurst in 2026 and they want a club display up there. Asked about the possibility of laps on the Monday ride day, they only had 2 cars up there this year, the journalists took all the track time driving the new M3cs touring and M5, next year they said they would have a truck load. Hoping to have some rides to give away. We talked to NSW and Canberra about a club display up there next year. See what they do.
· Bikes do some training at a place up near Myrtleford that can accommodate cars too. Probably x5’s or X cars, as it is dirt roads to get there. I’d love to do an X drive; this could be an interesting option. Vic Bike club do about 6 training weekends there each year.
· Most of the bike clubs report that club meetings have transitioned from at someone’s house or business looking at how to fix things on bikes or tune them up to how to diagnose them with a computer and fix electronic issues.
· Bike sales pretty static in 2024
· All clubs report membership fees static
· BMW is allowing Dealerships to hire out floor stocks of bikes for weekend rides, apparently this is huge in Europe.
Clubs International Report
· BMW Classic now run as part of Marketing Dept
· Most challenging time for BMW with emission targets coming, so far they are years ahead of the curve, ev sales helping this.
· You will see more use of heritage cars in BMW ads, and more of a heritage focus and closer ties with clubs.
· Social media very important to have a presence and link to BMW
· BMW love Instagram in EU, more facebook in Australia
· BMW have 9 lawyers chasing trademark infringements and illegal copies of parts but none chasing people or clubs using the roundel wrong.
· Whilst they frown upon wrong use of the roundel etc, they won’t chase you unless you are making money from it.
· They have allowed some huge online ‘clubs’ to keep using the BMW name even though they aren’t official clubs, as long as they don’t bring disrepute.
· 50th anniversary of 3 Series very important to BMW and want us to focus on it.
· Will run awards for best promotion of 50th Anniversary
· BMW Clubs International Council (CIC) put out 2 electronic newsletters a year.
· New BMW CIC website up and running, but still being built, so some areas not working yet: https://bmwcic.org/
· BMWCA are starting a quarterly newsletter to go to clubs/members… they want content about major events etc.
· 5th May is declared the actual 50th birthday of 3 Series and BMW will be doing 50 Days of the 3 series around that time. We should too.
Summation
· Overall, a pretty good weekend.
· We got to drive some cars to teach the clubs about TourBoss, CCV not using it yet, but Tony W wants to. Jo and I took a full ev x2 ixe, I was pretty impressed with it, on the return we had a 118i, comfortable M seats and nice as an introduction to BMW,
· There were some questions about what happens if BMW stops paying for the licence for TourBoss and some were scared they would get to love it and then be left holding the bill.
· It was accepted by most though I think.
· BMW are paying $13500 odd for the corporate licence. An individual club would be way less than that,
Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.
PO Box 81, Tyabb VIC 3913 Incorporated in Victoria #A0102695G BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc is a member of: BMW Clubs Australia and the BMW Clubs International Council Motorsport Australia Affiliated Motorsport Club
Even though it was not actually blowing a gale at the Torquay Motor it felt like it.
Nonetheless our members turned out and enjoyed the day. This event always has a great variety of vehicles ranging from 1913 to modern supercars.
Continuing what seems to be a tradition the only prize winner in our group was a non-BMW, Jeff Palmer with his MGB V8 GT.
Andrew Brown, spectators but not displaying, won a "luck door' style prize for submitting a people's choice vote, - $1,000 voucher from Helo World Travel. Nice pick up.
Lots of interest in our member's lovely cars - thank you for bringing them along and braving the wind.
We even made it into the local newspaper!
Also at the show was one of our menmbers, Chris Houghton-Allen (#770) with a fellow LandRover owner.
He reports
We met at Flagstaff gardens and travelled together to Torquay where we joined a queue at 8:15 am to enter the show area at Elephant Walk.
The 2 vehicles parked next together and immediately spectators were asking questions with Mark having a steady line of people to talk to about his magnificent Series 2A.
It was amazing that the Series 2A made it to the show as, on Friday night, Mark and his trusty helper started, and completed by midnight Saturday, a swap of the transfer case. No leaks and a short test and he was ready for Sunday!
There were nearly 400 cars of all makes and varieties on display. The wind was quite full on and the expected 26o was not met during the day bit it did get a little warmer by 2:30pm.
We waited for the results and while none of us won a major prize, Mark’s series 2A was declared the LROCV winner.
After a very enjoyable day, with much chatter from many spectators and other exhibitors, we were glad to head home in the warmth of the cars. We look forward to the next show!
Lawrence Glynn #3
Treasurer
After much of the Grampians National Park was devasted by fire in December, the trip was organised to inject some cash into local businesses that were hit hard in what should be their peak season.
Yet, with even more fires starting in the Park in January, the trip was in doubt right up to the day before departure. But with Halls Gap in the clear, we went ahead with a slightly modified itinerary.
On a scorching summer’s day, the group started their convoy from Ballan and I joined just west of Ballarat. First stop was Ararat for lunch followed by a tour of J Ward, Ararat's Old Gaol and for over 100 years a lockup for the criminally insane. The facility housed Bill Wallace from his age of 44 until his death at 107 and 11 months, a world record as the oldest prisoner. It was an eye opener to see the conditions and treatment of those incarcerated.
Next Trevor led us on a short drive to One Tree Hill Lookout, up a hill climb track that is recognised as the hardest and steepest on the Victorian Hill Climb Championships circuit. After a spirited ascent, the summit revealed some amazing views of the region and the Grampians, well, those parts that weren’t blanketed in smoke haze.
Then a leisurely drive to Halls Gap, with the only hazard being an echidna that was making its way slowly across the middle of the road in front of our convoy, thankfully dodged by all. After settling into accommodation, some sampled the local brewery, and later we all caught up for evening meal. Our outdoor dining experience included views to smoky skies that masked a red blazing sun, and small flecks of ash falling onto our pizza which just added to the earthy flavour.
Next morning the wind change had replaced all the smoke and we were greeted by clear blue skies. Most made their way to the Halls Gap Zoo, while I got some work emails attended to. I rejoined for lunch at Pomonal Estate, a winery and brewery. Excellent food was served up and some wine and cider tastings went down a treat.
With so many road closures given the ongoing fire, our plans for some twisty road driving had to be dropped, so a free afternoon was then spent lazily taking in the scenery or enjoying the motel facilities. For evening meal another great dining experience at the Kookaburra Hotel.
The hospitality staff at all venues were so fantastic and very appreciative of our custom.
On our last day I took the long way home with a drive south from Halls Gap to Dunkeld through the length of the Park. The vastness of the fire devastation was evident as kilometre after kilometre repeated a blackened forest. Here’s hoping for a quick recovery of the environment and that not too many little creatures were lost.
A great trip and a huge thanks to the organisers, and to all attendees for their great company.
Drew Matthews #903
BMWDCM recently organised a short 4-day trip with 2 (over-night) stays at Halls Gap, after becoming aware of the severe damage to tourism caused by the recent fires. The purpose being to inject some much-needed tourist dollars on which the town relies after the mass cancellations the town suffered.
The residents of Halls Gap had faced a close call as a bushfire raged perilously close to the town's outskirts. The fire, fuelled by the dry summer conditions and strong winds, threatened to engulf the serene landscape, turning the peaceful haven into a scene of chaos and destruction. Thanks to the swift response of firefighters and volunteers, the flames were contained just 200 metres from the town’s edge, sparing it from devastation.
On arrival, we discovered that the motel we were had booked into suffered some severe plumbing issues, therefore we were all upgraded to a very up-market motel minutes away at no extra charge. This motel was almost full of fire fighters with their trucks from every imaginable part of Victoria. (a rig from Tasmania was also spotted).
Dinner the first night was enjoyed outside on a restaurant’s forecourt, with flakes of ash temporarily descending on us and our food. The sky was black with an orange tinge but with a change of wind direction, it all cleared away by the time we had finished our dinner. (phew!).
The clearings around our motel were a sanctuary for kangaroos and emus, which graze peacefully, seemingly unfazed by the presence of humans. The air was filled with the sounds of the Australian bush, from the raucous calls of cockatoos to the melodic songs of magpies. The rich biodiversity of the area is a testament to the thriving ecosystems that flourish in the Grampians and this wonderful scene was very much appreciated by us all.
Day two was spent at Halls Gap Zoo. It is a 53-acre zoo located about 7 kilometres from Halls Gap. From the zoo you can see Grampians National Park. It is Victoria's largest regional zoo, holding over 120 native and exotic species. It was a very pleasant day, walking for 2 ½ hours (and catching some sunburn by those of us prone to this problem). We all commented how much we learned about wildlife when reading the stories of the animals and birds we encountered along the way.
Lunch was an extraordinary experience at Pomonal Estate, which is a newly established Winery, Microbrewery and Cider House located in the picturesque town of Pomonal, 10 minutes from Halls Gap and nestled alongside the Grampians National Park. We all enjoyed some amazing wine tastings, great food and then an opportunity to purchase from a great display of local produce. A very congenial dinner was arranged for day two, the food was great and enjoyed in very pleasant surroundings, in walking distance from our motel.
Day three was time to book out of our motel and think about heading for home. All our amazing firefighters descended on the same café where we had planned to have breakfast, so a trip back to our motel restaurant paid dividends as we were the only patrons there.
With some reluctance we finished this very enjoyable get-away, the trip was exceptional and all thanks to our Treasurer Lawrence Glynn, who made sure that every moment was organised to perfection.
Photos : Lawrence Glynn, #3 Treasurer
It was the first victory for BMW M Motorsport in the GT3 era at the Mount Panorama Circuit. The last triumph dates back to 2010 with a BMW 335i.
Team WRT remains undefeated in the 2025 season after successes at the 24h Dubai and the 6h Abu Dhabi (both UAE). On the sidelines of the race at Bathurst, the new BMW M3 CS Touring celebrated its world premiere.
The iconic racetrack provided the perfect stage for the debut of the latest BMW M special-edition model in the high-performance sports car sector. A 405 kW/550 hp six-cylinder in-line engine, bespoke chassis tuning, exclusive design features and weight savings resulting from the use of numerous carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) components provide the ingredients for an unadulterated racing-car feel.
Team WRT owed its 1-2 finish primarily to a perfect race strategy. Throughout the race, the two BMW M4 GT3s consistently gained an advantage in fuel consumption, which ultimately decided victory or defeat. While most competitors had to pit for refuelling just before the end, both BMW M4 GT3s were able to continue without stopping.
Read the full article here
Dear members,
Welcome to 2025!
I hope everyone has had a great Christmas and New Year break and is looking forward to the coming year as much as I am.
Is it now only just the end of January, yet with so much already happening within our club it definitely feels later.
But what a great start to the year we have had so far.
10 January we had over 80 members attend our twilight drive up through the Dandenong ranges ending with coffee and donuts at Krispy Kreme. It was great to all meet at Ringwood BMW and have a chat to the staff there before the drive. Unfortunately, Jo and I were unable to attend as we both contracted COVID early January. Great turn out of members but also fabulous to see so many non-members attend then become members after the drive. Welcome all. Again, using TourBoss for this drive it made such a large group much easier to control having 2 lead cars and the digital navigation guiding all through the evening to watch a fabulous sunset at the top of Mt Dandenong.
19 January had a large group of BMWs displaying at Cruden Farm for the Festival of Motoring. Great weather, beautiful cars and lots to see and do through the day. This is a brilliant event and one you need to watch out for each year.
26 January was our annual Australia Day drive which started with lunch at Yarra Valley Lodge, again a huge turn out with over 70 attending with some amazing cars, from historic registered cars to the latest models. Great to see the diversity of our club members cars. The one thing that makes both Jo and I proud is the families who bring their children young and old to these events. We are a family, and this shows. After lunch we headed off again using Tourboss with two groups again for ease of driving. Great roads, fantastic navigation and like the twilight drive we finished the drive at the Pancake Parlour in Doncaster and might I say, we all enjoyed some the of nicest pancakes I have had in years. This event also had members and non-members attending which makes us very proud.
30 January a large group of members are attending the Bathurst 12 hour. As with all our events we invite members from all the states, and it is wonderful to say we have members attending this year from NSW BMW Drivers Club as well as Melbourne. There will be some of our club members camping as well and they will be joining us in the 12-hour suite for some of the exciting BMW experiences Jo will produce for us. Watch out on FB over the weekend for photo updates from me and the others attending. We also have members officiating over the weekend as well as racing too so watch your screens and see if you can spot some of our members live on TV.
We took a different route up to Bathurst this time, heading East through Gippsland then North up through the Snowy Mountains, with an overnight stop at Cooma, on through Canberra to Bathurst. It was a much nicer drive that the usual Hume Highway trip and we will head back that way too after the weekend’s fun.
Jo had an email from Sunil Vohra, Chief Executive Officer of Motorsport Australia, who is also a club member, and he will be putting in a guest appearance over the weekend as well. Jo always manages to pull some surprises out of her hat, so let’s see what she has instal for us all this weekend.
I’ll give a fuller report next month but so far we have had visits in the suite from other BMW club’s members, dropping in for a chat, as well as other people we know. We had a visit today by Craig Lowndes dropping in to tell us about the Prostate Cancer Foundation that they are supporting with their entry in the 12 Hour. We managed to raise $1500 in donations whilst he was there, so thank you to those that donated on the spot. Very proud our members support a charity that has a lot of meaning to me personally, having just gone through the prostate cancer surgery. Bruce Stewart from Walkinshaw Andretti dropped in for a visit too and shared he also has just undergone Prostate Cancer surgery, so it is very fitting we are supporting such a great cause.
Upcoming events, always lots going on and something for everyone!
4 February is the Midweek Halls Gap Fire Recovery 2-night trip away. With the devastation of the bush fires our club is very passionate about giving back to the local communities and this is one way we can help, by going to the regions most devastated and injecting some much need cash into their economy. Spots still available if you are retired or can manage a few days off.
8 February is the Pre Torquay-Motor Show Cruise. This is always a fun drive and a great way to meet the members who will be attending the display on the Sunday.
9 February Torquay Motor Show. Join us for this great display of cars. There won’t just be BMWs but cars for all marques around the world. See if our David Pye can take our best European car of the display again.
9 February our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship will start with a hill climb at the iconic Rob Roy Hill climb. MG Club have spent thousands of dollars resealing the track and updating the facilities, so be sure to join us and our members at this great track. Even if you are not competing, come along and support those who are. Entries are open now. This event is also part of the Victorian Inter-club Hill Climb Championship. It would be great to get a lot of BMWs there to try and get lots of points for the interclub challenge.
14 February Presentation Award Night at Waverley BMW. This is going to be an awards night a little different from most. Seeing that we are hosting the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals this year, we thought we would do a more relaxed night at the newly renovated Waverley BMW. If you have not been through the new dealership, make sure you register, as its amazing. State of the art facility with all the latest technology. Come support all our members who will be awarded their trophies from 2024. Thank you to Grip Auto Time Pieces for sponsoring the Show and Shine awards.
21 February is our Twilight Drive North-West and dinner. This is bound to be another great drive with dinner at the end at Carolins Springs West Waters Resort.
23 February Traction Tyres/ Yokohama Drivers Championship round 2 at Sandown. Entries are open so be sure not to miss out on this event too.
Wow! I am exhausted just typing what we have on for February, its going to be a full-on fun filled month with events to suit all our members, nearly every weekend! Jo and I will also be attending the Clubs Australia AGM in February, to catch up with all the national goings on and meet with BMW Group Australia as well.
Check out the calendar for our full list of events and to register for those listed above.
Early this month Jo sent out a Save the Dates calendar which I would urge you to hold onto and diarise some of the major dates, so you have an idea of what we are doing and what you want to do for the year. There will be more events added to this, and we will update it as we move forward.
The biggest event on this year is of course our BMW Nationals which will be held at Caroline Springs over the ANZAC Day long weekend. 24 April – 27 April. Visit https://bmwclubnationals.com.au/ for full information on this event please go to our designated website. We are lucky to have some fantastic sponsors on board who are all listed on the website.
Want to be an official for this event? Contact Simon on officials@bmwdcm.com.au and let him know what you are interested in doing over the weekend and your skills. We will need photographers for all the events, so if you have a keen eye for a good photo please let Simon know you will be able to help out there.
Accommodation is filling fast. If you are coming and want to stay at the Mercure WestWaters, please go to our national’s website and use the link which will take you directly to the discount booking form.
What are the Nationals you might ask?
Each year BMW Clubs Australia clubs converge on the host state to meet and enjoy events put on by the host state. Even years are BMW Motorcycle clubs and odd years are BMW Car clubs.
BMWDCM were invited to bid for the Nationals back in 2023 and Jo and her band of very eager helpers have been busily planning this event since.
We have lots planned for this years Nationals from cocktail party at Melbourne BMW to ANZAC dawn service and Gun Fire breakfast. Followed by 2 drives. One long all-day drive and a shorter drive for those who want to be back to clean their cars ready for the show and shine on the Saturday.
Friday night will be a great fun night with our 70s themed trivia night, fancy dress is optional, but we would like you to try to make an effort. Be sure to have your phone fully charged as the trivia will be using an app to ensure we are eco friendly with no paper wastage.
Sonax Australia will be at Calder Park with their wash station to help any who want to get their cars ready for the show on Saturday and this cleaning area will be available both Friday and Saturday.
Saturday is going to be the Main Event with the Southern BM Super Sprints which is part of our club Championship.
Shannons Insurance 3 Series Car display and of course if you are not entering the show and shine you can also put your car on display it does not need to be a 3 series. We are hoping for a huge 3 series display, as 2025 is 50 years of the 3 series and this is, of course, one of BMWs most popular model ranges.
Sonax Australia Show and Shine will be outstanding, we have already got some amazing cars registered. Bring your car and put it in the competition. Remember this is not a concourse but a show and Shine. The car needs to be clean, scratches and dents which can’t be cleaned out do not lose points. We welcome all BMWs to join us for this show.
There will also be trade stands for you to browse through and of course you are more than welcome to watch the super sprints while your cars are being judged or admired.
At the end of the track event, we will be doing the Racer Industries Parade Laps, which all are welcome to join as long as you have registered and signed a disclaimer. Make sure to complete this before the day to avoid missing out. No, you don’t need a race licence or a helmet. These are controlled laps around the full track including the Thunderdome.
We will be doing some photos, time permitting, of the group going around the track, which will be available for all after the event.
Saturday night will be our formal awards nights sponsored by Grip Auto Timepieces. This night will be time to catch up again with your old and new friends and congratulate all those who have won their events over the weekend. There will be some great prizes given and also some great silent auction items to bid on through the night. All proceeds will go to our charity Peter Mac Cancer Research, which you can make a donation beforehand if you are not attending using this link.
We are still in discussions with our guest speaker, but Saturday night should be one you will all remember.
Sunday, most will be heading home to your respective states or heading off to enjoy some of our wonderful state with some great driving roads the Peter has prepared.
Our last official event for this weekend will be the farewell breakfast. This is an informal morning wishing our friends and members a safe trip home and we will look forward to catching up with most of them at events through the year we hope.
Peter has put together an amazing Nationals Booklet which all attending will receive. This is full of exciting details which you will want to take back to show all your friends and family.
All attending and booking with the Nationals Package will receive a fantastic welcome pack which I am sure you will all love and use for years to come.
Merchandise is available for you all to order also, on the website, and all officials will receive an officials shirt for free.
Remember go to the website https://bmwclubnationals.com.au/ to make your bookings.
A lot of you have seen me out and about at events and it is heartwarming all the kindness and beautiful messages both Jo and I have received regarding my health. I am on the road to recovery now and very happy that my first PSA test since the operation has come back with flying colours so I must be doing something right.
Memberships have gone through the roof this month and I feel it is due to all our great events which are already happening this year. Welcome to all the new members that have joined recently, I hope you enjoy your club as much as we do.
Check out our calendar here. There are lots of events there already and we often add more in as well, so go back every now and then to see if anything new is coming up that you might like to attend.
I will finish here as I have said a lot, but we do have a lot on for you to enjoy. It will be a very busy year, so join in and enjoy what we have to offer. If you have any suggestions, we are always open to new ideas too. Get in touch with Jo or the committee if you have an idea for an event you think others might enjoy.
Take care out there, drive safe and see you at the next event.
I can’t believe we are at the end of the year and about to start a new and exciting year. I hope you have all had a great year, if not 2025 promises a new start with lots to look forward to.
1 December - We started the month with the last round of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Phillip Island. It was a great day and as usual, everyone had a fantastic time.
8 December – Christmas Show and Shine and Family Picnic at Cruden farm saw some amazing cars out to join in the fun, with some entering the Show and Shine, others putting their cars on display and some just attending for the fun of the day. We had a visit from the big man in red which was exciting for big and small kiddies. Raffle prizes were donated by Bell Motorsport and nearly everyone went home with something. Our raffle and egg and bacon breakfast raised nearly $900 which has been paid into our fundraising account for Peter Mac. Thank you to all who donated, bought raffle tickets, attended and most of all volunteered to help us out. This was my first official event out with the club after my surgery and by the end of the day I was getting very weary.
14 December - many members attended the Bell Motorsport Christmas BBQ and thank you lunch for Bell Motorsport's customers, and BMWDCM's member and volunteers. Thank you again for all those who came and helped out. Jo was only 3 days out of hospital from recent shoulder surgery, so all the helpers made things much easier for both of us.
We really enjoyed Christmas day with our family, I hope that you had a fantastic day, whatever you did.
Your hard-working committee are taking a few weeks off and will be back in the swing of things after 13 January. Any questions, please email info@bmwdcm.com.au.
Jo and Peter have been working on events for 2025 already and the year is looking very exciting. We have a draft calendar for you to mark some save the dates. This is subject to change and some events confirmation, but we will do our best to keep it as is.
Check out the calendar for our full list of events and to register for those listed below.
10 January is our first drive event. Another Twilight Drive, this time through the Dandenong Ranges, starting at Ringwood BMW. We will be using TourBoss, as with all our drive events from now on, so be sure to download the App for full drive instructions once the event code is sent out.
19 January is the start of the car show season for 2025, with AOMC Festival of Motoring at Cruden Farm. Be sure to pre-register to enable you to enter with the rest of the group, our pre-meet location will be sent to you if you pre-register.
On 26 January we will be starting with lunch in the Yarra Valley then doing an afternoon drive for our annual Australia Day drive. Look out for the event notice in your emails.
30 January is our Bathurst 12-hour suite. There are possibly only 6 spots left with this event, so don’t miss out and get your bookings in ASAP. There is no better way to watch this world class event and get all the private tours and special extras we manage to organise, than to join us in the BMWDCM suite.
February, March and April are full of great events too. Check out the yearly calendar. Some of the events are not ready to register with yet but you can save the dates for when the event notices are released.
24-27 April is our big event for the year with the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals. Registrations are going well and accommodation is filling very fast, so be sure to book in at WestWaters Caroline Springs and complete your registrations for events.
We have lots of stock in our merchandise store for you to get ready for 2025. Head on over to our store to place your order.
I thank you all for your ongoing support of our fantastic club and welcome all the new members who have joined our club in 2024.
To the sponsors who have supported us in 2024 and are coming back on board for 2025, thank you.
All our volunteers and officials, I thank you too. Our events would not be as great as they are without your help.
As we start a new and exciting year, I wish you all a safe and happy holiday time with your friends and family and remember some of our friends may be alone, so give them a call or just drop in if you are in their general area.
Take care and I look forward to seeing you all in 2025.
Wow December already! We are now heading into the festive season, and it will soon be Christmas. Where has the year gone?
As most of you know I had my surgery on the 25 October and had to have an extended stay in hospital, with even an unexpected stay in ICU for a couple of days. A bit of a scary time for Jo and my family and we really appreciated all the kind messages and well wishes, it really did help.
I am now home and slowly mending but this has really been a long slow journey and will take me a few months to be back to my normal self.
November started with our group touring Tasmania which started in late October but went over to November over the Melbourne Cup long weekend. This event is always something our members love to join, and we were sad not to be there. We used TourBoss with this group which was great for us at home to be able to watch were the group was and for Jo to help with booking lunches, know accurately what time the group would be there etc. TourBoss is a great addition to our club drives. You can see some fantastic photos in our photo gallery from the trip and also read about some of their stories from our members on our blog.
9 November saw a large group of members join us at Sandown Historics for a display and to watch all the action on track. This was a picture-perfect day weather wise and had a great turn out of cars to watch the Historic Racing. Always a great event and well attended.
Sadly, due to my ill health we had to cancel our hill climb planned for this month. Watch out next year though, we are hoping to add more hill climb events to the calendar. We are also looking at ways to combine with other clubs to lessen the risk to our club when running high-cost events, like track days, where we have to hire a venue to run events.
14 November was our AGM at the German Tivoli Club. This is one of those events which is a necessary evil, but we are proud of the attendance, and we had a packed house with over 50 members attending for dinner first then the meeting. We have a new committee which is the same as the previous committee, so I would like to thank and congratulate our hard-working committee for a fantastic year in 23/24 and we look forward to an even better 24/25. With all committees you have others working in the background to make this well-oiled ship sail so smoothly. Also, a very special thank you to all those that help run the club and events, whether on the elected committee or you volunteer to help us out. It is a testament to the club that we have so many willing to help, thank you.
23-24 November was Challenge Bathurst, with a great team supporting BMWDCM from 5 states in Australia. We are very proud to have been invited to this event again and to represent BMW as a group of members from all over Australia. We also have officials who have also travelled from all parts of the country to help run this event and these guys and girls I thank so much as this is what makes the event tick. The event was run under amazing weather conditions with all cars getting out there at some stage over the weekend. There were a few mechanical gremlins, but we are so lucky to have a great team up there who all rallied around to help each other get their cars on the track to all enjoy. There will be photos up in our gallery soon so watch this space.
23-24 November also saw some of our members displaying their beautiful cars at Motors and Masterpieces. This is a new event which has taken over from Motorclassica and we hope our members out there enjoy the event and we look forward to seeing lots of photos and hearing about the event. Jo did help the curators find some very special BMWs in the club and they were very appreciative of her help.
29 November was our first Twilight Drive for the season, this time to Sky-High, Mount Dandenong. A great turn out and again we used TourBoss for this event for safe easy navigation for all attending.
December is here and the big man in red will be some coming down your chimneys or through the back door. Take time out this month to think of those that don’t have anyone to spend time with. Pick up the phone or drop in and visit someone you may not have seen for a while. It can make such a difference to someone’s day if we just take the time to call or visit.
As we wrap up this brilliant year, we invite you all to join us at the end of year Christmas Show and Shine at Cruden Farm on 8 December. Santa will be there, I am thinking around 11ish, so bring the kids and grandkids. Our friends and sponsors All Commercial/all Residential Real Estate will be cooking the breakfast BBQ again, with food donated by Bell Motorsport (us) as a thank you to all our members. All we ask is a gold coin donation for the egg and bacon roll and all money raised will go the Peter MaCallum Cancer Research and help us reach our $20K target for the Nationals in April 2025.
If you don’t want to put your car in the show and shine but want to display, there is an option for that too, or just park in the car park and join us all for some fun times. There will be some great raffle prizes too, so be sure to bring your cash for the raffle, again all proceeds going to our charity.
14 December is our Bell Motorsport end of year BBQ at the club rooms, 10-4ish and we would love to see you there for a sausage in bread and a chat over all things BMW and life. 213 Marine Parade, Hastings if you are attending, please email jo@bellmotorsport.com.au to let her know for catering.
Some events to remember:
There will be more events coming but our 2025 calendar is still being worked out so watch your emails for upcoming great events.
I mentioned our AGM and our returning committee but there is more to the club than just us 4.
Let me thank some of those who make this club so great, and I know I will forget some, but I will try to remember everyone.
Jess Bell, who makes everything look so great on our website and edits and publishes our fantastic idrive each year. This is not all she does, but I know you know she is an integral part of making us look great and always complying with BMW CI. Thanks Jess.
Scott Long and Nella Santisi, they have taken over a lot of the social media posts which our Jo was doing amongst all the other things she does. This has been great to watch and see how younger minds do things. We are loving the regular updates and reminders they are putting up. Thanks guys.
Jenny Rose, who has been updating the photo gallery for some time now and this is current and fresh with some great photos from our past events for everyone to enjoy. Another job Jo used to do but it is great that Jo has managed to find helpers to share the load. Remember, if you have some great photos from an event, please share to photos@bmwdcm.com.au and Jen can get your photos up there and you never know Jess may use them in the next edition of idrive. Thanks Jen.
Cassie Carideo is a new edition to our team and has been helping Jess with the Newsletter. Cassie is the daughter of Angelo and Sam Carideo and volunteered in July to take on this role and we are loving the great work and issues which are coming out. Welcome Cassie to the team and we know she will be a great contributor to our club. Thanks Cassie.
Paul Holliday who has been responsible for some amazing photos along our journey and you can see how he has matured as a photographer and his skills are growing with each event we do. We really appreciate the time and effort Paul puts into making our club look great with the great photos he takes. Thanks Paul. (and Jo H for allowing him to do this)
Paul Kertes who does our Super Sprint Stats, these are worked out after each round and sent to Jess to publish for all to see. Paul devised a fair and correct formula to make it so that it is not a one-sided championship and allows all the chance to be a winner. Thanks Paul.
I will group this lot as this is where I will slip up and miss someone so I will thank you all in a group - our motorsport officials who work so hard to make our events so great and enjoyable for all our members. From COC to the guys in pit lane. Your jobs are all so important and we can’t thank you enough for all you do. We did take on a new roll in our motorsport team which is chief instructor being John Beck under the guidance of myself. Jo has designed and we have ordered new blue hi vis shirts for all our instructors, so when you are next at a come and try event, you will be able to easily pick out the instructors and head coaches by their colour. We thank all who give up their time to help our inexperienced drivers to gain knowledge on the track. This is a huge passion of both Jo and me, to grow our motorsport officials’ team and to also teach all our members to be safe and better drivers. Thank you team.
Of course, I will not finish without thanking Peter Williams who has been our club Secretary for over a year now and for all his hard work planning and leading our drive events. This is not a 5-minute job, even though Peter makes if feel this way. The time and effort put into these events is a testament to his dedication to the club and the enjoyment of all our members. Peter is also part of our welfare team and he has helped me through my recent journey and I am sure if you need a shoulder to cry on, he will be there with a kind and listening ear. Thank you, Peter.
Lawrence Glynn who, like the rest of us, wears many other hates in his roll now as Treasurer, CPS officer, membership officer, club displays, drives, web assistant, merchandise and much more. Lawrence has been with us since the inception of the club and his knowledge and expertise has been invaluable to making us what we are today. Thank you, Lawrence.
Jo Mawson also was with me when we started this great club and has worn pretty much every hat there can be in the club and has done it while battling ill health but never wavered. As Vice President she is my right and at times left hand too, helping Jess with sourcing articles for idrive, liaising with the sponsors, which has gained us some great sponsorship deals over the years, co-ordinating with Peter on drives and weekend trips and booking all the accommodation and meal venues, etc. Some of Jo's roles are, membership, CPS officer, events coordinator, sponsorship officer, merchandise designer and co-ordinator, senior motorsport official, welfare officer and MUCH more but I won’t go on. Thank you, Jo.
All the members who help out at events with set up and pack down, way too many to mention and again as I said previously, I would offend someone if I tried to name you all. You know who you are, and we thank you, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Next but by far not least are all our sponsors, who have been loyal to us for so many years and play such an important role in making us who we are. We thank you all and as members the way to thank them is to use their services. Please go to the back of your idrive or to Club Partners on our website and let them know you are a member of BMWDCM and you will be rewarded with some great discounts too.
Talking about Sponsors, if you have a business that you think might interest our members, contact Jo - v.president@bmwdcm.com.au as she is busy at the moment securing sponsors for 2025 and we would love to have you on board with us.
It was brought to my attention that some of our newer members are not aware that we were awarded the International Club of the Year in 2021. There is a great article about this which I am sure will make you all be so proud to be part of this fantastic club, which we will add to the website shortly.
Again, I have mentioned TourBoss in this report. This is a great new app we are using for all our drives from now on. This enables the driver, solo or with a navigator, to see the instructions on either their phone screens or car screens for clear safe and updated navigation. We will still be doing group driving, but for those who want to meander and get to the destination at their own pace, you can still use this app and get there safely. There are some really great options on the app, like calling the group or drive leader, SOS if you breakdown, plus more. We discover more and more each time we use it. It’s the way of the future and we have it on board to insure that our drives are safe and comfortable for all attending.
Membership is still growing weekly, and it staggers me how fast we have grown and how great our events are. I am truly honoured to be the President of such a fine club.
We have updated stock numbers in our online store for you to get some great Christmas gifts for your loved ones. If you are wanting something for Christmas, get your orders in early as Jo and I are not at the office full time at the moment, so please add to the “note” Christmas present, so Jo know it an urgent delivery.
Talking of Jo, she will be back in hospital on the 11 December to have some re work done on her right shoulder which was replaced in March 2023 but has not given her the relief they were all hoping for, so back in for a day or two to hopefully have her pain free again. Send her some kind wishes, and I am sure she will update you all on socials, on her progress, as she did with my stay in hospital.
Thank you all for your support through 2024 and enjoy the festive season but stay safe out there.
I look forward to getting back out to events soon and seeing you at one somewhere.
For anyone who's ever been dragged to a car race by a significant other and thought, "This isn't for me." Buckle up because I'm here to tell you it might surprise you!
Let's be honest, attending my first motorsport event was nerve-wracking. My partner, Martin, loved it, but for me, the noise, the speed, the whole "unknown" factor felt far from fun. I pictured crashes and chaos, but what I witnessed was a world of controlled adrenaline and a surprising focus on safety.
Seeing these incidents firsthand, rather than just imagining them, was a turning point. Witnessing the measures in place – the briefings, instructor presence, and organized track groups – calmed my nerves. It was clear this wasn't just a bunch of daredevils; it was a well-oiled machine focused on safe enjoyment.
This shift was a revelation. Instead of fretting on the sidelines, I wanted to be part of the action – part of the village that keeps these events running smoothly. So, I undertook Motorsport Australia’s online flagging course and volunteered at my first event; a come and try day with BMWDCM. As a motorsports novice this gave me a behind the scenes look at the considerable planning effort that went into these events. It was comforting to understand that the groupings for track sessions considered driver experience and car ability. Every consideration with safety first, which maximised track time and therefore the driving fun.
My first flagging the experience was exhilarating! Being closer to the action not only gave me a deeper appreciation for the sport's complexities, but also put my concerns for my partner's safety at ease. I was posted to a flagging point for half the day and then start/finish, with a different buddy to train me at each. They were fantastic in sharing their vast experience, their guidance rapidly building my confidence in key observations and standard radio-calls. The day literally raced by! When once I’d have thought being closer to the action would be scary and noisy, I found it engaging and fun. Needless to say, I’ve since flagged several events, refreshing my flagging knowledge before each event and finding each event offers something different to observe.
I have seen many cars spin off the track or miss the turn and mow the grass. All of them came with comfort of quick responses by the track team and drivers all ok. Cars bumping other cars, cars losing parts on the track, bonnets flying up, vehicles catching fire. All with faster responses than I’d encounter on any of my drives and all with safety gear and training in place. One race, I saw Martin "tap" a wall. My heart lurched, but thankfully, it was a minor incident. He emerged unharmed, and a strange sense of relief washed over me. This wasn't some reckless activity; it was a calculated risk with safety protocols in place.
My journey didn't stop there. Flagging, timing, secretary, track-day support and other BMWDCM club volunteering items like navigator on club drives, I’ve been part of it all in only a year!
I would always see our club Vice President, Jo, busy at events, especially at the driver sign-on. So, I offered to help there, I don’t think Jo could have said “yes” any faster. The next event I joined Jo and Sam in driver registration where they doubled-up with fast paced registering and guiding me as I learnt on the go. It was fascinating to see the array of preparedness by the drivers, from perfectly filled and ordered forms, to not knowing where to start. The one thing the drivers had in common was a keenness to get registered and back to their vehicles. Jo, Sam and I matched our attention to detail with pace and the three of us nailed it super efficiently. It was great fun with Jo and Sam, some banter in between jobs it was more a sociable event then an admin chore. It was also enjoyable to see the array of drivers, all ages and genders, from all walks of life, sharing the same passion for a fun weekend.
With the sign-on experience under my belt, I was able to give similar help at more club events; more sign-ons, logging, general gopher, traffic marshal. It was completely different to flagging, where I was close to the action all day, this area of the volunteering gave me interaction with so many people, drivers, crew and other officials and offered time to be able to watch a whole race – often from great vantage points! Sometimes it was just those first few hours that made all the difference and then I could spend time elsewhere. It was one of these occasions I discovered timing.
Timing was another online course I’d undertaken from Motorsport Australia, mostly out of curiosity when I was brushing up on my flagging. When Jo heard this, she sought an opportunity to introduce me to Darren from MUCC who was leading the timing at the event we were at and I was given the opportunity to observe and learn. Darren, like all my tutor buddies thus far was more than happy to share his knowledge. I learnt all about the timing system and how it had transformed from the days of multiple spotters to being an easy 2-person job. The timing system was written in the 80s, perfect for me having grown up in an IT family during that era. The old-fashioned display seemed familiar and I picked up the functionality pretty quickly, enough to be given a trial at helping the next day. Darren was a patient tutor, helping me remember little things and their rationale to keep the accuracy of the results streaming live to race control and you-tube.
Darren was also great at explaining anything cars and racing. Car models are still mostly a mystery to me, I couldn’t tell an E30 from a Range Rover and certainly not an Improved Production from a Toyota Corolla (my first car). I’ve always used “red hatch” or “black wagon” to describe cars and now I’m quite proud when I can identify cars that fly past the timing booth, even if it’s only a few of them. From our vantage point we could see most of the track and hear the control tower radio calls. I started piecing together my flagging role and how this fitted with those calls, with any gaps filled in by answers from Darren to all my novice questions. It’s safe to say he answered happily, as I was invited to help with timing on more weekends where my learning of both timing and motorsport continued.
One of my favourite times was the Motorkana day with BMWDCM. If you’d have seen me you’d have thought I was miserable; it was pouring rain and I was standing out in it in my wet weather gear. I was having a fantastic time! I had no idea what Motorkana was or what I’d be doing in volunteering but it was brilliant. Mini car obstacle courses set up, cars divided into groups to tackle one obstacle for a few tries and then two timed goes before moving onto the next. We had two volunteers at each course, we had to brief the drivers, fix the cones when they got knocked over, time them and keep it all moving. It was surprising how much fun it was and it was a bonus to see each driver improve each time they tackled the obstacles. The more one-to-one driver contact allowed some great banter and cheering on. There was also a lot of appreciation, which I’d had at flagging with waves and lights flashing, but up close to hear the thanks was extra nice and certainly outshone the dark clouds throughout the day.
Over time, familiar faces became friends, and I realized I wasn't just attending events as my partner's plus one. I had become a fixture in the motorsport community, an asset to the club, and someone who genuinely enjoyed being there. The opportunities to volunteer in different roles had not only given me different experiences, but different perspectives of motorsport and an appreciation of how all the volunteering fitted together in this well-oiled machine. I am Inspired by the camaraderie. The term ‘petrol-head’ is not one I can associate with anyone I’ve met through motorsport, people filled with warm welcomes and a genuine passion for all things automotive.
This journey has been about more than just cars and races. It's about embracing new experiences, discovering hidden passions, and finding a community that welcomes you with open arms, regardless of whether you can tell a BMW from a Subaru.
So, the next time you find yourself at a motorsport event, take a closer look. You might just discover a hidden world waiting to be explored, and a place where you, too, can belong.
Behind every car is a driver. Behind every good driver are volunteers: ambos, scrutineers, flaggies, timing, secretary, marshals, officials, spectators. Behind all the volunteers is a club with a structure, organisation and support.
Jennifer Rose #887
Though on the other side of the pits and Armco barriers from our spectacular Championship Round 5/Come & Try day there some months ago, I can still think of no other place I would rather have been than at Sandown for what is without doubt a fabulous auto show on a gorgeously sunny, albeit slightly toasty, day.
Such a vast and diverse array of cars, old and new, it was a real testament to this humble passion of ours as well as being a great way to celebrate it and engage with other like-minded people.
The races themselves were pretty brilliant as well, if a wee bit dicey at times. In fact within a mere 10 or 15 minutes of parking up on the hillside, one of the drivers during the morning practice had spun off at turn 9 which was certainly a spectacle to behold and quite the welcome to our day there.
All in all though, I felt genuinely privileged to be a part of such an amazing event on Saturday, and I extend my immense gratitude to all of those involved in making this happen. I very much look forward to the next Historic Sandown this time in 2025.
Brayden Burnett # 1044
From Facebook
The car display season opend for us on Saturday at the Historics Sandown race meeting tun by the VHRR.
We had a very healthy turn out of 20 cars, a nice variety of ages and models generously brought along by a very friendly group of our members and a couple of potential members.
Lovely weather, some good racing, plenty of interactions and a great atmosphere made for a very enjoyable day out at very little cost.
It was worth it just to hear the F5000s thunder away from the rolling start! We even had some V8s in our group, including a non-BMW one we are only too happy to include.
Before you ask, the grass cutting was not done by our aero efficient front splitters - would have nice to have beena bit earlier and a bit tidier but we managed.
Thank you to our members who came along to make it such an enjoyable day.
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