Work commitments meant that the long-time volunteer Targa official was this year unable to take up her usual trackside position, watching instead from behind the tape barrier.

But while some hardy souls set themselves up in the early morning Sidling frost with camp fires, billies and thick woollen jumpers, Mrs Peters was relegated to watching the cars pass from the end of the driveway at work.

"I usually do road closures and taping up all the entrances it's possible to drive into, so the drivers don't take a wrong turn — you'd tape up side roads and from tree to tree across people's driveways," she said.

"But I've done the start and the finish too."

Mrs Peters said that she really enjoyed watching the Targa cars come through and loved the pressure that came with the responsibility of looking after one of the competitive stages.

"I've volunteered for 10 to 12 years at the Moorina stage — they wanted me to do the Weldborough stage this year," she said.

Mrs Peters said that as much as she loved volunteering for Targa, she'd really love to take part in Targa, just like her brother, Derby garage proprietor Jonathon Burley.

Others, like Ed Moore and partner Jodie Baxter, of Myrtle Bank, were happy to watch from the side of the road.

Mr Moore and Ms Baxter were among those who braved the chilly early morning conditions in the north-east to get to their favoured vantage point.

This year was the first time for three years that the Sidling stage was the first stage of the day, being run towards Scottsdale.

Concerns about slippery conditions early in the morning saw it run towards Launceston later in the day for the past few years.

But a Targa spokesman said that the stage reverted to its traditional Launceston-to-Scottsdale direction after strong feedback requesting the change.