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Hi all,
Sorry for the accidental AWOL experience.
I’ve just returned from three days visiting our young bloke in Canberra. Quite unexpectedly, I had no internet access at all. I brought my laptop along but it was all for naught.
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I owe a big debt of gratitude to Eggs N Grits for filling in over the weekend. As mentioned, I fully expected to be online this weekend so I hadn’t alerted him at all to my absence. His willingness and ability to create some great content over the last three days was really first class.
Cheers mate. For your efforts, you get to go to Boston and drive the Turbo X next month! Check your inbox 
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Canberra’s our national capital and quite a good place to visit. There was a big think tank going on this weekend and I tried to stick my head in and contribute a Saaby perspective on things, but the government rostered on it’s beefiest security guards.
I did manage this, though. If I’d thought ahead I could have called and tried to get a tour of the grounds. Next time. I’d have tried for a shot of the building itself, but with the Israeli embassy just across the road (and looking quite menacing, I must say) I didn’t really want to hang around too long with a camera.
Canberra’s a Saab-friendly town and I saw a heap of Saabs driving around there. Myself, I was in a hired Ford Fairlane, which was interesting. It’s recently been discontinued IIRC, and driving it over the weekend I can see why. It’s not genuinely luxurious and it’s not much of a performer. In the face of Lexus etc, the Fairlane really is a car stuck in no-man’s land.
On a positive note, it had the best smelling leather I’ve encountered in a long time.
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One of the highlights of the trip happened when we were standing outside Parliament House, about to go for a look inside. I heard a great rumbling noise and around the corner came an Alfa 33 Permanent4. I was so excited.
The other highlight was hearing Justice Michael Kirby deliberate in the High Court. Yes, that really was a highlight.
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An arty photo, no photoshop involved. Now, to check 122 emails and then get back to Saaby stuff.
15 responses so far ↓
1 Jeff
// Apr 20, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Swade, is it just me or is your hair longer than usual? You look a hell of a lot like my dad now…which is a little creepy.
Yes, the Fairlane has been discontinued in Australia. As far as performance goes…I assume you had the V6. The V8 would have probably been much more fun.
The Crown Victoria is going away here, too. Ford seems to be scrapping its really old names in favor of slightly old names. Do they have Crown Vics in Australia? I’d assume not, what with the Fairlane and all.
As for the Alfa 33…I can’t say I’m a fan of those things, but apparently there are only 40 left in all of Australia, so it’s pretty cool you saw one.
2 Simon S
// Apr 20, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Jeff you are spot-on, I wasn’t going to post it but now you’ve brought it up – Swade man – please get a hair cut!
Aside from that – a rental Fairlane with pleasant leather scent? Are you sure?! And as for the Canberra talk-fest, I’m sure a little debate about the good over the perceived evils of biofuels may have produced at least one good idea Chairman Rudd’s Great Hall!
Nonetheless I’ve always liked something about Canberra – nice smooth empty roads that won’t rattle your suspension!
3 James
// Apr 20, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Swade we need more pictures
I have no earthly idea what a modern Fairlane looks like, never seen one.
And what’s an Alfa 33 Permanent4?
I feel like a n00b here which is unusual.
4 Brendan
// Apr 20, 2008 at 6:22 pm
I was sitting happily eating my lunch in Canberra Central only to be attacked by a Saab Blogger :p
After seeing you I ended up meeting up with a local Saab guy and almost converted him to Renault (Whoops!)
5 swade
// Apr 20, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Brendan – Not long before, we were lunching at Nandos and I half expected to run into you there!
The Alfa 33 Permanent4 was one of the last 33’s and had Alfa’s early AWD system mated to it’s first 16V boxer engine. Only about 135hp but the car weighs in at only 1050kg or thereabouts. Fun. Here’s one
I care so little about hair. I do need to get it cut, though. It’s been around 4 or 5 months. I might get myself and the dog done at the same time
6 wilfried
// Apr 20, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Swade, you should send your arty photo to The Cloud Appreciation Society.
see http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org
The was a nice article about them in the latest SaabMagazine, sended last week.
7 swade
// Apr 20, 2008 at 11:13 pm
I’d never heard of that, Wilfried. I’m a bit of a cloud appreciator myself, photographically speaking. Will check it out.
8 Wulf
// Apr 21, 2008 at 1:25 am
Looking forward to EnG’s report and pictures of the Turbo X event next month. I wonder if they are going to make this event similar to the one in California Gripen 1985 did the reporting for. It should be cool no matter what. Good luck and enjoy!
9 jeff k
// Apr 21, 2008 at 2:15 am
swade, love the flagpole shot. good recognition there.
10 ColorCode252
// Apr 21, 2008 at 2:48 am
Response to #5, Swade, let the hair grow as long as you can. I let mine grow for nine months until my boss, in a roundabout way, offered a “comment.”
11 Jeff
// Apr 21, 2008 at 8:16 am
James – The Aussie Fairlane looks like a really big Focus. Like, think of a Focus with Crown Vic proportions.
12 eggsngrits
// Apr 21, 2008 at 10:37 am
Swade: Glad to help. Very excited about the drive next month.
Internet? Ford Fairlane is here:
http://www.drive.com.au/photos/photo400/sscaus/ford/fairlane/2005/4sa.jpg
Looks like a fussy restyle of the Ford Taurus to me.
13 eggsngrits
// Apr 21, 2008 at 10:38 am
Oh, and about the hair: It’s good by me as long as you aren’t smoking. You aren’t, are you?
14 swade
// Apr 21, 2008 at 11:10 am
It’ll be two weeks tomorrow since my last ciggie, Eggs. Going OK, but not out of the woods yet. I’ve halved my dosage of meds in order to make them last a bit longer and wean myself off the effects.
The Fairlane is a large car here in Oz. It’s a little bigger than the Falcon and with better appointments. This had premium leather, piano black center console, a groovy screen for the audio and climate systems, power everything, six-speed sequential auto and it was pretty quiet as well. BUT, the engine was crap and I hope Saab never use piano black effect inside as all it does is show fingerprints (and if it’s imitation plastic like the Ford then it looks cheap).
They use Fairlanes as cushy transport for the parliamentary members around Canberra (amongst other vehicles). I would have hired a garden variety sedan but we got a free upgrade from the rental company.
15 aeroo
// Apr 21, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Great news you found Canberra , look forward to your presence to the 2009 SCCA nationals their in Easter 2009