Great day out: Cars and Coffee Nathalia aims to offer a fun day out and a place to make new friends while injecting money into local businesses.
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When Andrew Maclean was looking for a way to share his passion for cars and inject money into his local economy, he had a light-bulb moment.
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As an active member of the Zephyr and Zodiac Car Club, he spotted an event run in Broadford called Cars and Coffee.
At that monthly meet-up, local people show off their pride and joy while enjoying a chat and a drink.
Knowing that businesses in his town see a drop in trade on a Sunday, he decided to set up something similar, and Cars and Coffee Nathalia was born.
The first meet-up is scheduled for Sunday, April 14, and Andrew was keen to let the community know that while it would be great for car or bike enthusiasts to bring their vehicles, the day was open to all.
“I was looking at ways to give back to the community,” Andrew said.
“I’m local to Nathalia, and there’s never much happening on weekends.
“And I thought it would be great to see classic cars down the street, showing off the town.
“I spoke to some local businesses. They liked the idea. So I thought, why not?”
Andrew said it was important for the event to work with local businesses, not impede their trade.
As such, he has created a map and asked attendees not to park their cars in spaces used by local businesses that day.
“The IGA and Mitre 10 are both open on Sunday,” he said.
“So we’re asking people to leave the parking spaces at the front for their customers.
Plenty of space: Cars and Coffee organiser Andrew Maclean created this map to help attendees find a place to park.
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“People can bring along anything with wheels.
“Even if you don’t have a car, come down and enjoy the day. Grab a coffee or a pie. Have a chat, and take a look at all the cars.”
Andrew said Shannons Insurance would at the second Cars and Coffee Nathalia, to be held in May.
“They’ll be handing out a trophy for the best car,” he said.
Andrew said the calendar for the rest of the year would be finalised after the first two events.
Find out more on Facebook @Cars and Coffee Nathalia.
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