MY GREATEST memory of the Commonwealth Games in 1982 was a little different to other people's. Most remember Matilda at the opening ceremony. Others Tracey Wickham winning gold in the pool. Ditto the "Mean Machine” men's 4x100 freestyle relay team, and Robert de Castella winning the marathon.

My greatest memory is from a dark corner of the car park at Sleeman Sports Centre at Chandler.

My family and I had just been to the velodrome to watch the cycling.

That night we saw the Australian 4000m pursuit team win gold and cycling great Kenrick Tucker win the sprint. It had been a great night.

Meanwhile Australia was winning gold over at the nearby pool. You could hear the roar of the crowd through the night air as Wickham, Fasala, Brooks and Co. did their thing.

Truth be told, the rest of the family probably would have preferred to be watching the swimming, but it was my birthday that week, so I got to choose where we went.

The cycling had finished earlier than the swimming which was a bonus as it meant we didn't get stuck in the parking lot.

We had managed to park a long way from the velodrome and it was pretty dark and lonely as we walked the last few hundred metres to our car.

Suddenly, we saw a large black car come around the corner approaching us. The interior light was on and sitting up on the back seat there was a lady in a green dress and hat. My family and I all realised who it was almost simultaneously and froze in our spots. It was her! The Queen. Our Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth the Second, scooting away from the swimming.

The great car slowed to take a bend as it approached. Almost on cue, Her Majesty turned towards us and smiled. Unbelievably, her hand popped up and she gave us the royal wave. The big black car then rounded the corner and sped away.

We were stunned. We stood there gobsmacked for a few moments. Here we were, in the darkened corner of an antipodean parking lot with no one around but us. We'd just had a private moment with our Queen.

Fleeting though it might have been, and although it wasn't the first, or only time I have seen her in the flesh, the intimacy of the moment will live with me forever.

I'll have to admit that all the talk about traffic chaos has well and truly scared me off making a trip to the Gold Coast to attend the Commonwealth Games this time. Anyway, I don't think it would feel quite the same if I saw a car with Charles and Camilla. No one waves like Liz!!