Features
Gallery 1
Australia is a big place, yet the world itself is getting much smaller.
International travel has never been cheaper, and we’re jetting overseas at an increasing rate – which is fantastic – but how many of us have truly explored our own country, our own state?
For driving enthusiasts, the promise of a good road is all the excuse needed to load up the car, and good roads is one thing the Victorian Alps has in strong supply. The Great Alpine Road is one of Australia’s most spectacular drives, but there are a number of roads in the region that appear, on Google Maps at least, to offer plenty of driving entertainment.
The journey originates during last month’s trip to Winton, and begins badly when on autopilot I start heading towards Heathcote on the Calder Freeway rather than towards Benalla on the Hume – time to take a break from performance testing I think.
I tell shooter Alex Rae it’s all part of my plan to thoroughly test the S1’s fuel range, and we roll into Benalla with the gauge showing beyond zero. Skill and judgement, as my dad always says. The Audi S1 takes 47.15L into its 45L tank.
The driving is undemanding, which gives Rae and I time to tackle the big issues that invariably raise their head on road trips. Problems like Fleetwood Mac’s incorrect assertion that thunder only happens when it’s raining, or thinking up an international symbol for idiots who fail to realise they haven’t reattached their fuel cap and now have it flapping behind them at 110km/h.
Fast, flat sweepers become progressively tighter as the road climbs steeply, before opening out again on the downhill run with blind crests aplenty. It’s at this point fatigue begins to set in as there’s been almost 100km of constant corners. Concentration needs to remain high, however, as the tarmac narrows significantly for the next 30km.
Month: Five Liked: Corners, corners and more corners Disliked: Tight bends are a bit frustrating in the S1 Favourite moment: The winning combination of stunning scenery and fantastic roads
Fuel this month: 9.2L/100km Average: 9.2L/100km Distance this month: 813km Total: 8,394km
Want to see more of our Audi S1 long-termer?
