Hi all

[Stagehand]

Not sure if it was the Summerland Way. I was about 20 minutes north of Grafton, you know the low wetlands area with the river that runs along the side of the road, often gets covered in fog around sunrise? Overtaking lanes are few and far between but speed cameras and grandpas in caravans are in plague proportions.

btw You don't have to speed to enjoy a great piece of road,it's about getting the lines right.

Could not agree more! I am happiest on a winding road that allows you to do 110kph especially in the Type S, it sticks like glue on tarmac but as I discovered it is unforgiving should you do anything sudden on an uneven/compromised surface. I have done the drive from Sydney to Brisbane, there and back at least once a year for the past fifteen years. I have always stop when I am tired and have a nap or whatever and we all have experienced that micro sleep moment where you open your eyes and realise your nodding off behind the wheel. I have even been veering off the side of the road once or twice before many years ago in different FWD cars and when I pulled the steering back and got the car to straighten up I haven't even come close to losing control. But the Type S sure spat the dummy when I had to take evasive action that night. The wet road didn't help of course and the load in the back probably sealed my fate in that regard. My old man had an S2000 for about 8 years and he always said that it used to get wild and the rear end liked to dance around. I find the same thing with the Integra even though its powered from the front and it handles beautifully you know it will bite you if don't show it respect when the conditions are less than ideal.

The Pacific Highway is a joke as we all know, particularly north of Kempsey, then after Coff's it is and has always been an utter nightmare- non stop roadworks etc and you hardly see any dual carriageway for about four hours until you get finally to get past Ballina and then you eventually find some tarmac and what a joy it is when you finally get there. I usually time the drive so I get to enjoy the best parts without having too much traffic to contend with. Last year I did the drive 3 times and always did the stretch from Ballina to Brisbane in the early hours of the morning and you can cruise at 100 kph and enjoy the smooth surface and the gentle sweeping bends. Where I live in Sydney the roads are an absolute DISGRACE. I do a lot of driving around the inner western suburbs and the potholes, road plates, cracks, manhole covers and constant variation in surface quality means you actually have to pay close attention to more than just the idiots driving around you. Sometimes you can't see the potholes or you simply can't negotiate your way around them, I swear I have had new strut mounts destroyed in less than 6 months simply from having to take the impact of a driving over a pothole deep enough you could take a bath in it. I didn't realise until I moved down here in 2001, just how good the roads in Brisbane are by comparison. I simply can't believe they get away with having roads in Sydney that never seem to get re-surfaced, they just pour sand in them and stick a band-aid on top. Some roads are cracked so much they look like a jigsaw puzzle and the ripples and sealed joins are always encouraging your wheels to track off to the side. It certainly makes you appreciate a proper, even surface when you get one. Newcastle to Taree can be an joy to drive too, but only between midnight and 6am when the traffic is at a minimum.

The damage to my car was minimal I would say under the circumstances. I assumed that with the damage to the front end that the air con and radiator would have copped it and I was right. So air-con core/ radiator needs replacing and there was damage to the K frame but luckily suspension/ wheel assembly/ brakes were ok. New passenger side rear quarter panel, front bumper and a new side mirror followed by a bit of R81 Milano Red and she should be right to go. A week after I bought it some arse clown opened their door into the passenger side door while it was parked in front of my place and didn't leave a note of course but I might reckon that might be repaired as part of this claim as it is right there amongst all the other panel damage. Also that fading red paint on the top half of the car I had planned to get resprayed sometime in the near future - it sure would be nice to get the car back and discover that I don't have to worry about that job anymore either.