Steve Pretzel fills us in on WA’s July 2018 Early Morning Run on Sunday the 15th, which saw the crew brave a wet day and cruise to Feral Brewery in the Swan Valley.

A Grade A Grey Day

By: Steve Pretzel

Photos: Ellie Hamilton and Steve Pretzel

It had to happen. After being spoilt by the magnificent clear blue skies of the recent EMRs, Sunday rocked around with grey clouds and damp roads. Did it deter us?  Not a bit!

Nine Lotus lined up at Guildford for the morning’s outing – this month planned and led by Paul Clarke in his sweet white 1.6 Elise.

Mike Hamilton grabbed the passenger seat in the lead car to assist with navigatorial duties, leaving Ellie Hamilton behind the steering wheel of their sparkling red Elise for a change, instead of being behind the lens of a camera.

Paul had based our drive on one of Eddie Lankhorst’s more intricate routes, and so we were soon up into the Perth Hills via Helena Valley Road and Darlington Road, around the back of Glen Forest National Park and many tasty minor roads en route to Toodyay.

Coffee stop at Toodya

After a few U-turns in the Hidden Valley estate (it wouldn’t be an EMR without a few U-turns!) we were on Toodyay Road (briefly) before darting down Reen Road and into the backroads again. Then it was zigging back to Great Eastern Highway, another U-turn at Woorooloo before zagging back to Toodyay Road and into Toodyay itself for coffee and lamingtons.

So far the threatened rain had held off and there were even some sunny patches as we arrived in Toodyay, but by the time we had finished our coffees all thoughts of roof removal were cast aside as the clouds had returned and the temperature had dropped a few degrees.

At this point three of the vehicles in our group departed, so the remaining six convoyed back to the Swan Valley for lunch via an opposite direction route from last month’s EMR – O’Brian Road and the Roller Coaster Hills.

Lunch was at the Feral Brewery, where we managed to park our Lotus fleet in the swampiest part of their parking area – fortunately without anyone getting bogged.

The heaviest shower of the day hit just as we were preparing to depart, but had passed through by the time we had settled the bill.

Another great EMR, with some very entertaining roads and equally entertaining banter.

Photos thanks to Ellie Hamilton and Steve Pretzel