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Who could believe such a difference between last year and this? Last year we had one of the biggest turnouts of Mokes yet. The total number was 15 but I knew of a few that decided not to come because of the weather forecast which for once in its life turned out to be completely correct. Rain, wind, hail and just about anything else the powers that be could throw at us. We got wet, cold and miserable and of the original 15 Mokes and 3 OV’s, only 4 Mokes and the 3 OV’s ended up at the final destination. It was one of the very few times that driving a Moke was NOT fun!

 

This year was just about perfect. The first warm day of spring and we had 10 beautiful Mokes and their equally beautiful owners. The reason we didn’t get more is that this is the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, school holidays and the Perth Royal Show.

 

We were supposed to meet at Midland Centrepoint shopping centre car park at 10.00am but I think most people had arrived by about 9.45. We had one person drive up from Rockingham about 60 kilometres away just to be part of the photo shoot then he had to drive back as the sailing season started today and he had to drive the rescue boat. We had another couple whose Moke was only registered 2 days before and one person on his 50^th birthday. Another visitor from the Victorian Mini Club joined us in an OV.

 

We set off along the West Swan road till we found a fabulous café/ice-creamery which was a major draw-card. A short half hour there and then a run out to the coast to Hillary’s Boat harbour. We were lucky we were able to park all the Mokes in a row as the place was very busy with people enjoying the warm sunshine and a few hardy children were even swimming in the sea. A stay of an hour and a half and to enjoy the shops, the different choices of lunch and a good chat and then we were on the road again. This was to be short hop to Scarborough down the coast road but ended up a long run down the coast to Fremantle. It was awesome. As we drove, people peeled off when it was near home and only the players and stayers (actually it was those who lived in the Hills whose shortest way home was via Fremantle) survived the long run so what better way to treat ourselves that a good posing run down the famous Cappuccino Strip in Fremantle. It was packed and all we wished was that everyone else hadn’t been there to enjoy what we were sure was adulation and jealousy of our fabulous Mokes.

 

This was one of the best International Moke Days ever and it was not just the Mokes that made it but the people!

 

Bridget Hogarth