Driving Around Omura Bay

Since I arrived at the hotel later than expected yesterday, I started a bit later today. After getting ready and checking out, I decided to spend the day driving around Omura Bay.

As soon as I left the hotel, I opened the roof and headed the 911 onto Omura Rainbow Road. Perhaps because it was morning, traffic was light on this fast winding road.

Heading toward Isahaya City, I sped through the forest in Sport mode. Although I got a little lost along the way, I made my way onto Tara-dake Rainbow Road. This area also offers fantastic driving roads. I was already feeling fully satisfied.

Then, entering Tara-dake Orange Kaido, a long straight road stretches ahead with views of Ariake Sea here and there. A silver 986 Boxster approached from the front with its top down. Its teardrop-shaped headlights looked fresh and very cool even now.

I instinctively waved as if greeting a fellow biker while passing by. Although I only saw a few Porsches during this tour, I made sure to wave to every Porsche I passed, but few returned the gesture. I hope this kind of greeting becomes a tradition among Porsche drivers.

I took a short break at a seaside road sign with a distant view of Ariake Sea. There are other roads around Tara-dake I’d like to try, but time didn’t allow for a leisurely pace.

After checking the route, I decided to head west around Omura Bay in the 911.

Heading south on K204 from Saikai Orange Road. This is another fast winding road through the forest. I played a little with a Civic Type R closing in from behind, running through in Sport Plus mode.

To Unzen Green Road or by Ferry to Amakusa

From here, I took Route 251 along the coast toward Unzen. However, I avoided the busy roads around Mt. Fugendake during Golden Week.

This time, I decided to drive the Unzen Green Road all the way to Kuchinotsu Port. The Unzen Green Road is fantastic. It was the best driving road of the day.

Completely empty, free to drive as much as you want.

The road is excellent, with a perfect mix of curves and straights, running alongside terraced rice fields and farms. A wonderful road.

Before I knew it, I had finished driving the Unzen Green Road. Suppressing my urge to drive more, I boarded the Shimabara Railway ferry at Kuchinotsu Port to cross over to Amakusa.

After completing boarding procedures, I loaded the 911 onto the ferry. This was a 30-minute boat trip. During Golden Week, the ferry departs about once an hour, and the fare is 2,990 yen.

Soon the ferry arrived at Oniike Port.

I drove along the coast on Route 324’s Rosario Line, heading toward the Amakusa Pearl Line. Later I realized there was also the Amakusa Kamishima Central Wide-Area Farm Road running through the island’s center, which I should have taken.

The Amakusa Pearl Line was heavily congested. Being the peak of Golden Week, traffic barely moved.

Time passed quickly, and darkness began to fall. I had hoped to drive more roads that day, but had to give up.

The 992 Shows Its True Strength on the Highway

By a complete planning mistake, I had booked the hotel for this night in Kagoshima, which was still over three hours away. I managed to escape the traffic jam and got on the highway heading south.

Personally, I find the 992 more enjoyable on the highway than the 981 or 991. The turbo’s torque feel, stability, and comfort at high speeds have been further improved over the previous generation, making even monotonous highway touring quite enjoyable.

Leading the passing lane, I enjoyed the many curves of the Kyushu Expressway. No matter the curve, the 911 handles it effortlessly, allowing me to drive with complete peace of mind. The car responds exactly as I expect—accelerating, decelerating, and turning just as intended.

It may sound obvious in words and hard to convey, but I hope all car and driving enthusiasts get to experience this feeling. You’ll be amazed at how Porsche achieves such a high level of drivability.

Impressed by the 992’s incredible stability, I arrived at the hotel just before 10 p.m. I immediately took a bath and fell into a deep sleep, preparing for the next day’s touring.

Route Map for This Trip

(Added to the previous route maps)