Kate Reid: A Road Trip with the Taycan 4S Cross Turismo – Part 2

Birds of a feather charge together

The sun was low in the sky by the time we pulled into the pot-holed gravel parking lot behind the roadhouse in Gundagai, the site of the Chargefox charging station.

Steve plugged in, the centre console display in the Taycan informed us we had just under an hour before we had a full battery, so we took the chance to stretch our legs and explore.

The charging station is literally right next to the town’s historic Dog on a Tuckerbox monument, but we kept walking, motivated by the rolling green hills beyond. The country air was intoxicating, and it felt like we were seeing the natural beauty of the countryside for the first time.

Sometimes we don’t stop and appreciate our own landscape enough. Maybe the silver lining of the pandemic was the renewed appreciation for the simple beauty around us.

Heading back to the Taycan, we had a chat with another EV driver, waiting to plug his car in for some battery juice. It felt like we were in this club of electric vehicle owners.

With hours of driving still ahead of us, we bid farewell to Gundagai, and drove off into the sunset.

The truth is, that until you’ve experienced it firsthand, the acceleration of a Taycan is simply exhilarating. Kate Reid

The colour of Orange

We arrived at our hotel in Orange at 9:40pm, the outside temperature close to zero. Concerned that there would be nowhere in town still serving food at 9pm on a Sunday night, before going to the hotel we had deliriously inhaled what was almost certainly the most delicious pub meal of all time and space, at the one pub still open.

No such problem the next morning. Thankfully, the night before we’d noticed a café in town that was open from 4am. Yes, 4am. Motivation comes in all forms. For me, it’s mainly caffeine. So we made a bee-line for the café, then legged it to the charging station behind the convention centre in town. Plugged in, once again we took the opportunity for a wander, and explored the beautiful and historic town centre of Orange.

No reception in Parkes

The next destination was Parkes, as our plan had been to visit the Parkes radio telescope (aka The Dish). Our late-start morning recharge in Orange had curtailed this plan, but we still pointed the Taycan west.

The long, straight desolate highway allowed us to let Steve stretch his legs a little, confirming again that it’s every inch a Porsche sports car.

The truth is, that until you’ve experienced it firsthand, the acceleration of a Taycan is simply exhilarating. With the ability to generate significantly more torque than a petrol engine, and the lack of audible feedback, the speed comes out of nowhere and hits you with a silent whoosh.

With the sun beating down, flying through the beautiful Australian countryside, we discovered a whole new appreciation for the Taycan.

Parkes was an unmemorable blip in the trip, punctuated by a meeting of the minds (aka Bianca and me) at the deserted Parkes Bowling Club.

The surrounding quiet was the perfect time to update our route and recharging plan to ensure we would arrive in Armidale that evening.  

Plan established, we left Parkes in high spirits, ready for the long hours on the road ahead of us.

With the sun beating down, flying through the beautiful Australian countryside, we discovered a whole new appreciation for the Taycan. Kate Reid

Coming up in part 3: A prickly find in Gilgandra, Art Deco delights in Armidale, and the reward for reaching sunny Brisbane. Part 3 will be live on 3 August 2022.

You can read part 1 of Kate’s journey here.

Info

Author: Kate Reid

Photography: Bianca Tuckwell

Kate Reid: A Road Trip with the Taycan 4S Cross Turismo - Part 1

Part one of Kate Reid's epic 1,800 kilometre adventure.