Welcome to the Prius Club of Queensland. Please visit our Discussion Forum for the latest information on Club Activities, and to get answers to any questions you may have about the Prius experience.
New owners are most welcome to join the Club.
Posted by Greg on Tue 15-Apr-2008
A standard Prius with racing modifications to wheels and suspension reaches a top speed of 210kph on the Bonneville Salt Flats. While we certainly don’t recommend trying this on the highway, it does demonstrate that power that can be achieved from Prius.
Click on the “Play” arrow at left to see the action. The video runs for about 3.5 minutes.
Posted by John on Mon 25-Feb-2008
The weather leading up to the weekend of 16/17 th February was anything but promising for our trip to the Stanthorpe area, but cleared up just in time for a great weekend.
7 cars met to leave from Brisbane, and we linked up with Darren and Elle at Aratula to make up our group of 8 Prii. First stop was Warwick for a quick coffee and make plans for a lunch stop before it was on to our first port of call at a winery. When we drove into the carpark, there was a tour bus there. Bugger! That meant a heap of people. On entering though, the bus mob were grazing on lunch, so we had the tasting area to ourselves. Justin and Micheala were introduced to the joys of wine while the rest of us enjoyed tasting (and buying a few bottles). Suitably satisfied, we had a quick nibble on some cheese to cleanse the palates, and it was on to lunch.
Lunch at the Big Apple was Italian-influenced, although their (large) home-made pies were excellent too, and everyone left happy. Castle Glen Winery was next on the road, where they have an amazing selection of liqueurs on offer, followed by a cheese factory just up the road. Everyone was stocking up with their preferred selections at each stop, and we moved on to another winery. Last stop of the day was to be a lavender farm, but a GPS aberration took us a very long way round via a creek crossing and some cattle-dodging. Sorry, folks! We eventually found the destination just as a shower and chilly breezes arrived. After everyone had bought their future presents etc, the rain had passed and we headed for our motel in Town, and a welcome cuppa before dinner.
Posted by John on Sun 9-Dec-2007
It is no doubt just coincidence, but both times we have planned an event to the Sunshine Coast, it rains!! Regardless, 4 cars and their owners met at the Ettamogah Pub on Sunday 2nd December for a trip north. Due to Sue’s ‘flu bug, and the decreased numbers, we decided to change the plan for lunch from Boreen Point to a closer destination…the Ginger Factory at Yandina.
Posted by John on Fri 30-Nov-2007
The Club’s 2007 Christmas Party at Bruno’s Bistro on Friday 30th November was enjoyed by 16 of our Members. The evening started with drinks and an array of delicious hors d’oeuvres while chatting, before sitting down to dinner. Everyone’s meal choices were pre-ordered, and while some had difficulty in remembering what they had ordered (or were surprised what their partner had ordered for them!), no-one was disappointed with the excellent meal placed before them.
After the main course had been enjoyed, some door prizes were drawn, and presented. At first, choosing which door to use for a prize presented a problem, but we decided to stick to some bottles of wine, embroidered towels, and tyre pressure gauges as more practical offerings. Each person also received a Toyota coffee mug as a present on the night.
Posted by John on Tue 18-Sep-2007
Our weekend trip to the Northern Rivers area on 15/16th September greeted us with beautiful, fine weather, and 7 cars with their occupants took advantage of it. 6 cars met at Coomera, meeting up with our other couple at Tweed Heads en route to our first stop….a winery at Carool in the hinterland. A very scenic, winding road led us to the winery and we settled down to coffee and morning tea for starters. Good conversation about the beautiful countryside, the upcoming weekend etc ensued as we waited for our refreshments….Ian, in particular, salivating over his choice of sticky date pudding – at 10.30am! Suitably refuelled, we attacked the tasting room and bought some tasty drops, while the owner gave us directions for an alternate scenic route to our next scheduled stop. He was right, it was very scenic, and we arrived at Tropical Fruit World with the intention of sampling (and buying) some exotic fruits and having lunch there.That plan soon changed when we saw the tourist-orientated prices for their offerings. Plan B swung into action, and we left via Murwillumbah for points south and a less-expensive meal.
Posted by John on Wed 25-Jul-2007
In spite of the weather deciding to revert to cold and wet after some beautiful fine winter days, 4 cars and 10 people met at the BP Burpengary for Greg and Des’ mystery tour up to the Maleny area. We were given a series of questions and photos which had to be answered and recognized along the road at various points as we drove. Everyone had to reset their tripmeters and fuel computers as well, so that fuel consumption comparisons could be done at the end.
It was a fun trip along first the highway, then Steve Irwin Way to Landsborough and up the hill to the first stop at a winery….all the time looking, looking, looking for various devious questions and photographs (which were in random order). It was probably helpful to have extra observers in the back seat, but fun nevertheless.
Posted by John on Fri 22-Jun-2007
The coldest day in Brisbane this year saw 20 hardy souls arrive at the XXXX Brewery, Milton on June 20th for our arranged tour and dinner. After everyone was checked in, we assembled and waited for our tour guide to lead off.
Posted by John on Wed 23-May-2007
Our trip to Mt Tamborine on May 20th was held in beautiful sunny weather. 5 cars (2 leaving from Brisbane) met at Oxenford to head up the mountain. Greg and Des probably thought the day had got off to a bad start when a highway patrol car with lights and sirens blazing sped up behind them just before the exit from the M1. Relief was swift when a speeding van was pulled over as their victim, though. An easy run up the mountain followed, then we searched for a parking area in the congested and popular Gallery Walk to park 5 Prii. We found success at the far end and left the cars in safety to search of a coffee fix! After settling in to a suitable teahouse, we all relaxed over morning tea and enjoyed each other’s company for a period, before deciding to do our own thing along the main street and meet back at the carpark to decide on a lunch venue.
Posted by John on Mon 30-Apr-2007
We had 6 cars on the trip to Lismore recently, coinciding with the first rainy weekend for a long time. Although the locals offered some of the wet stuff to take home with us, no-one had an empty tank with us so we reluctantly had to decline their generous offer.
The trip was interesting, although it didn’t go entirely to plan. We decided to stop at Bangalow (just off the highway) to get some ham and other smoked smallgoods at a local butcher there who advertised in a tourist guide. Not having a knowledge of Bangalow, we decided to ask a local when we got there for directions. Armed with these from the local Video Store, we went in search of the treasure….with no luck! After wasting about half an hour looking in the area given to us, it was obvious there was no butcher shop, so we headed for Lismore through the rain and rolling green countryside. It was confirmed later that the butcher no longer has a shop in Bangalow…only in Lismore.
Posted by John on Tue 20-Feb-2007
6 Prii and their enthusiastic owners left Brisbane on the morning of Saturday 17th February for a weekend of fun, food and frivolity in the Stanthorpe area.
First stop (apart from a short coffee break in Warwick to meet up with Don and Alicia) was lunch at Giardino’s Cafe…a recommended foodie’s delight where the meals proved to be HUGE! Well fed, we moved on to Castle Glen winery where fruit liqueurs are a specialty. Much sampling and shopping ensued, followed by some cheese and bikkies to cleanse the palate and a photo session in the carpark.
We then moved on to Hi-Value orchards, where everyone proceeded to the orchards to pick apples straight from the trees (can’t get any fresher than that!). Sampling of other fruit products was offered, before we moved on to Heritage winery for more tasting and group buying to re-stock the wine racks at home. One more winery followed, where we toured the production area and learned how the grapes are transformed into the luscious drop that eventually is bottled and consumed.
