Author Topic: What to expect at the Tamworth Moke RoundUp  (Read 914 times)

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What to expect at the Tamworth Moke RoundUp
« on: October 23, 2016, 09:21:49 AM »
For those who think they may be interested in attending the Tamworth Moke RoundUp Mar 29th - Apr 2nd 2017, we thought we'd attempt to explain what the concept of the event is.

For those that have been to our past events in Tamworth, you already have a pretty good idea of what happens, as we're sticking pretty much to the same template, although the daily runs will be different (in most cases) and of course there will always be a few little tweaks here and there.

First and foremost, the RoundUp is a driving event! Each day we will be taking the group for a tour around the surrounding countryside for what we hope are interesting, scenic routes to a nice spot for lunch and then a nice easy run back home via a different route wherever possible. We like to take plenty of breaks along the way where possible, so there are never just hours of straight driving.



The whole idea of the event is to give people the chance to get out and drive their Mokes with likeminded folk, as well as the social aspect of spending time with each other during and after the daily runs. Hopefully we can also provide some nice roads and scenery along the way which are different to what most of you get at home.



Some things to bear in mind:

1. We are not in a big metro area, or on the coast, so most of our interesting local Moke roads and destinations involve some degree of driving on unsealed roads. We go to a fair amount of effort to use some routes and sometimes destinations that your casual tourist would have difficulty finding. If you come with us on the Wed, Thurs & Friday runs, be prepared to get at least a little bit dusty and/or muddy.



That said, we are not out to wreck anyone's vehicle. There is always a risk of course, but for the most part, we would hope that the worst anyone goes home with is a few extra stone chips and a Moke that needs a good thorough clean. Of course, if you don't even like the sound of this, refer to point 2  :)

The exception to this is the Saturday and Sunday morning runs, which are all bitumen (with the exception of an optional 2km of dirt access road to the lookout on Saturday) so that everyone can feel free to join in.

Actually the other exceptions are a couple of rougher dirt side tracks we have for the more adventurous. These come with more of an "all care but no responsibility" warning, but everyone will be well and truly warned about these before we go. We typically only take a small group on these routes and there will always be a more regular, sedate route available for the main group.



2. You are under no obligation to go on every run. We have found many people in the past opt to take a day out for themselves at some stage. If we are going places you'd rather not take your Moke, there are nearly always spare passenger seats available, but there are also plenty of things to do to fill in a day on your own or with friends in Tamworth. Greg (KMC) and myself have both been in the area for many years and are happy to point you in the right direction if you want to do any solo activities. Please be assured we won't be offended.

3. Whilst not a requirement by any means, we strongly recommend you stay at the Austin Tourist Park (aka Moke Central) if at all possible. This will ensure you get the most out of the event as there is a lot of socialising that goes on between runs. Don't panic though, we're not tour operators that will force anyone to come and join in if they don't want to. We'll let you know what's happening and it's up to you if you want to participate. If you just want to take a break in your cabin or go off on your own, that's fine.

The vast majority (close to 100%) of attendees at past events have stayed at Austin, and we can't recall anyone ever regretting the decision. Everyone who has attended two or three of the events have always come back to stay at Austin and I think would back up our recommendation.

http://www.austintouristpark.com.au/



Maybe it's also useful to explain what we don't do. Some people have preconceived ideas of what a Moke "event" is from their past experience. You may find that most of those ideas don't apply....

1. It's not a Show n Shine style event. There will be plenty of opportunities before and during the daily runs for photos and admiring everyone else's Mokes (and showing yours off  :)). We will also have a final gathering on the Sunday morning for maybe an hour and a half which we would appreciate all Mokes attending. This is where those that feel inclined, can wash and polish their Mokes to whatever standard they feel is appropriate, but there will be no competition and no trophies handed out.



2. We don't really have any organised activities as such, apart from driving trips.

Rocker cover races, Trivia competitions, scavenger hunts etc are all great fun, but not part of our event I'm afraid. We have found during the past three RoundUps that we really don't have time to organise or run them, and quite honestly people seem happy without them. After doing the daily drive, people are quite content to get together at the Moke Central Camp Kitchen for a few nibbles and drinks and then tend to make arrangements with old friends and new to do something for dinner. Those that are interested then tend to drift back for after dinner drinks and chats. We like to think of it more like a group of friends getting together, than an organised event where people demand to be entertained.

3. We don't have any big event dinner. Again, we have found that in general people are happier doing their own thing. Mokers are a hugely diverse group of people. You have young singles, older singles, couples with and without kids, and retirees, all with varying budgets and lifestyle expectations. Trying to arrange a dinner that pleases everyone is quite difficult and we really find it unnecessary.

4. We don't quite get the numbers that the big national events get. Shepparton is the most recent one in everyone's memory with around 140 Mokes I think? (possibly wrong, but you get the idea). We have run the event three times so far and each time have had around 30 Mokes turn up. This is fine with us and suits the driving style of the event (100 plus would be a nightmare to be perfectly honest). So it's quite a bit more than your weekend run with half a dozen mates, but certainly no Shepparton  :)
 
So that's the basics. Any other questions, please ask.

We are very conscious of the fact that it takes a lot of organisation, time and money to make the effort to get to our event and the last thing we want is for anyone to be disappointed when they get there because it's not what they expected. We can't hope to please everyone, but if this sounds like the sort of thing you and your family/friends would enjoy, we'd love to have you  :)  We have had many people come back for another go after they've experienced one RoundUp and quite a few who plan on making this one their fourth appearance, so apparently it's worth coming back to  :D


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