OT: Darwin & other stuff

[TimMc]

I'm copying Steve's Melbourne thread a bit here...

I'll be travelling to Darwin on Saturday with the GF. My first trip to NT! We'll be doing Kakadu from Sat & will be in Darwin from Tuesday to Saturday. The GF will be in a conference all the time we're in Darwin & I'll be at a loose end . Any suggestions on what to do while I'm there? Sights to see? Places to eat & drink? Worth taking my dive gear or are the crocs too bad?

Took a 2006 Porsche GT3 for a test drive yesterday. Unfortunately just around town & on the motorway - not in the mountains or on track. Fantastic experience nonetheless. Great steering, awesome sound, suspension not as hard as I expected, didn't feel as grunty as the tuned 135 though the top end power to weight ratio is likely better, clutch felt fine but when I got back into the my 135 the clutch felt like a Toyota Starlets..., great gearshift, pedals offset soo much I was scared of going into a corner too fast and hitting the throttle instead of the brake, awesome hugging seats that let you feel what the car is doing. Loved it

Finally got around to sussing out my passenger side A pillar noise on the w'end. I've had "cracking" noise that's been getting steadily worse over the past year or so. Happens on cold days & when I drive over rough roads. I took off the A pillar cover, put some tape on the bottom locating taps where it locks into the dash & put a bit of foam in the lower 3rd, well away from the airbag located above it. Great result, noise gone & car hence "feels" much more solid as a result.

[sparoz]

Take alik01's cars for a spin?

[TimMc]

Originally Posted by sparoz

Take alik01's cars for a spin?

I'm looking for an experience I can only get in Darwin & surrounds. I only need to visit you at the coast if I want a drive in a VO 1M Steve .

[05C4R]

you could watch a housing bubble explode first hand, not as exciting as it sounds really

[sparoz]

Originally Posted by TimMc

I'm looking for an experience I can only get in Darwin & surrounds. I only need to visit you at the coast if I want a drive in a VO 1M Steve .

O - go fishing, set those crab pots out, and bring them back for us to share.

[alik01]

Finally someone coming to Darwin!

Mate, just PM me and we can sort something out. It's a pretty great time to come up as the weather is just gorgeous and there is a (relatively) lot going on.

I'm probably not the best person for the outdoors-y stuff but can help organise what ever you'd like to do.

[alik01]

Originally Posted by sparoz

Take alik01's cars for a spin?

[TimMc]

Originally Posted by alik01

Finally someone coming to Darwin!

Mate, just PM me and we can sort something out. It's a pretty great time to come up as the weather is just gorgeous and there is a (relatively) lot going on.

I'm probably not the best person for the outdoors-y stuff but can help organise what ever you'd like to do.

Thanks alik. It would be good to catch up for a beer/coffee if you've got a free moment.

[alik01]

Originally Posted by TimMc

Thanks alik. It would be good to catch up for a beer/coffee if you've got a free moment.

Definitely. We can perhaps have a mini meet with FJP135 as well.

[Tit]

Eat seafood and get drunk?

[TimMc]

Arrived at Darwin airport on Saturday to be greeted at the car rental counter with "good news, we've upgraded you - to a Holden Cruze"... Do the plastics in all Cruzes smell this bad? Car absolutely stinks every time we open the doors. Drove straight out to Kakadu on the 130kph hwy. How do people stand doing just 100kph on the open road!? Mind you the Cruze's economy at 130 is much worse than the 135's at 100/110. I've eaten Barra, croc & roo, been eaten by mozzies that'd threaten some of the smaller crocs and finally made it back to Darwin. Time to contact Mr Ali.

[pavo335]

Originally Posted by TimMc

Arrived at Darwin airport on Saturday to be greeted at the car rental counter with "good news, we've upgraded you - to a Holden Cruze"... Do the plastics in all Cruzes smell this bad? Car absolutely stinks every time we open the doors. Drove straight out to Kakadu on the 130kph hwy. How do people stand doing just 100kph on the open road!? Mind you the Cruze's economy at 130 is much worse than the 135's at 100/110. I've eaten Barra, croc & roo, been eaten by mozzies that'd threaten some of the smaller crocs and finally made it back to Darwin. Time to contact Mr Ali.

Dude you sound like you would prefer you were at home, enjoy!

[TimMc]

Originally Posted by pavo335

Dude you sound like you would prefer you were at home, enjoy!

Yeah, I'm a bit of a grumpy middle aged man.
What I meant to say was; Kakadu was awesome as was the weather. Barra, croc & roo were all very tasty. We're staying at the waterfront here in Darwin & the weather's still great.

[alik01]

Originally Posted by TimMc

Yeah, I'm a bit of a grumpy middle aged man.
What I meant to say was; Kakadu was awesome as was the weather. Barra, croc & roo were all very tasty. We're staying at the waterfront here in Darwin & the weather's still great.

I'm at the waterfront! We're actually a little bit responsible for loveliness of this place...

Glad you're loving it mate.

[TimMc]

Just "home" from an evening with Mr Ali & his 1M.
Picked up, taken for dinner & drinks at the Darwin Sailing Club while the sun set over the water in front of us then given a spin in the driver's seat of the M. What a day.
Thanks mate, my shout next time!

Feedback on the M compared to my tuned 135:

1. What a beautiful car.
2. Smoother gearshift in the 1st two gears with the throws slightly longer than my SSK equipped box.
3. Quicker steering.
4. Ride is similar to mine, maybe slightly more jittery.
5. Can feel the extra track width, particularly at the rear.
6. Power "feels" a fair bit less savage than my PROcede N54 (this is easily fixed), but still has HEAPS of smooth grunt.
7. Was easy to get the rear end to step out, can feel the LSD is there.
8. Driver's seat at lowest setting feels significantly higher than mine & is ~3cm higher than passenger seat. Is this common?
9. Exhaust/engine is noisier than mine, with windows closed.
10. Some Darwin speed bumps are higher than the 1M front lip (Sorry mate...)
11. Some Darwin pot holes are deeper than you think (Sorry mate...)
12. What a beautiful car!

[alik01]

Originally Posted by TimMc

Just "home" from an evening with Mr Ali & his 1M.
Picked up, taken for dinner & drinks at the Darwin Sailing Club while the sun set over the water in front of us then given a spin in the driver's seat of the M. What a day.
Thanks mate, my shout next time!

Feedback on the M compared to my tuned 135:

1. What a beautiful car.
2. Smoother gearshift in the 1st two gears with the throws slightly longer than my SSK equipped box.
3. Quicker steering.
4. Ride is similar to mine, maybe slightly more jittery.
5. Can feel the extra track width, particularly at the rear.
6. Power "feels" a fair bit less savage than my PROcede N54 (this is easily fixed), but still has HEAPS of smooth grunt.
7. Was easy to get the rear end to step out, can feel the LSD is there.
8. Driver's seat at lowest setting feels significantly higher than mine & is ~3cm higher than passenger seat. Is this common?
9. Exhaust/engine is noisier than mine, with windows closed.
10. Some Darwin speed bumps are higher than the 1M front lip (Sorry mate...)
11. Some Darwin pot holes are deeper than you think (Sorry mate...)
12. What a beautiful car!

Sorry for the late reply to this TimMc - as I mentioned a little chock-a-block this week.

Was fantastic having you over mate, was really nice meeting you and lovely to catch up with another addict. Darwin sunset putting on a show was handy, along with chef getting our Szechuan Barra' right!

The drive was certainly good fun, it was nice to see the comparisons between your tuned for handling 135i and my stocker.

As for the lip & pot - let's blame Darwin for that. I'm bound to have found those exact ones eventually too!

I actually bought the other car to work the next day, to see if I could catch you before you left but no luck!

Next time! Hopefully there'll be something else to play with too...

[TimMc]

Originally Posted by alik01

Sorry for the late reply to this TimMc - as I mentioned a little chock-a-block this week.

Was fantastic having you over mate, was really nice meeting you and lovely to catch up with another addict. Darwin sunset putting on a show was handy, along with chef getting our Szechuan Barra' right!

The drive was certainly good fun, it was nice to see the comparisons between your tuned for handling 135i and my stocker.

As for the lip & pot - let's blame Darwin for that. I'm bound to have found those exact ones eventually too!

I actually bought the other car to work the next day, to see if I could catch you before you left but no luck!

Next time! Hopefully there'll be something else to play with too...

Thanks Kamal. I'll be keen to return to Darwin just to check out your "other" car & the "something else" you spoke of.
Interesting that you're in Manly in a couple of weeks. After leaving Darwin on Thursday Ing & I stayed at the Quest apartments opposite the Manly Ferry terminal. Great location, though as a former Cronulla boy it pains me to stay say this.
After returning to Brisbane on Sat night I'm now back working in Perth.

[alik01]

Originally Posted by TimMc

Thanks Kamal. I'll be keen to return to Darwin just to check out your "other" car & the "something else" you spoke of.
Interesting that you're in Manly in a couple of weeks. After leaving Darwin on Thursday Ing & I stayed at the Quest apartments opposite the Manly Ferry terminal. Great location, though as a former Cronulla boy it pains me to stay say this.
After returning to Brisbane on Sat night I'm now back working in Perth.

Hey mate, definitely excited about the something else. Still waiting on the guy to get back into town at the moment. Hopefully your next visit coincides with a track day - would be heaps more fun!

Sounds like your off on your jet-setting adventures! I'm looking at the Quest Apts as well actually. Should be a bit easier. This is my first proper visit to Sydney so looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about!

[TimMc]

Originally Posted by alik01

I'm looking at the Quest Apts as well actually. Should be a bit easier. This is my first proper visit to Sydney so looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about!

Well definitely take the ferry from Manly to Circular Quay if you've got time, even it's just for a return trip without getting off. Maybe go to Bondi, The Rocks, Opera House, Darling Harbour, Pitt St Mall in the CBD & take a ride up Centrepoint Tower.

[alik01]

Originally Posted by TimMc

Well definitely take the ferry from Manly to Circular Quay if you've got time, even it's just for a return trip without getting off. Maybe go to Bondi, The Rocks, Opera House, Darling Harbour, Pitt St Mall in the CBD & take a ride up Centrepoint Tower.

I've got 3 full days so will definitely check some of it out. Although am too much of a site seeing type!

I do have a fairly nice food adventure lined up from Red Lantern, Churasco, Adrian Zumbo, some dinky coffee shops and stalls here and there that come recommended!

Meeting up with the gf's folks and brother (who lives in Manly), so looking forward to an education!