Images: Steve Pretzel & Ellie Hamilton

Catch up on the Club Lotus action in Western Australia with the latest edition of Quokka Talk, thanks to Steve Pretzel.

Quokka Talk: September, 2018

by: Steve Pretzel

photos: Steve Pretzel and Ellie Hamilton

This month we scored both ends of the weather spectrum.  A grey, windy, cold evening for our monthly ‘Meet ’n ’Eat’ and a most magnificent sunny spring day for our EMR!

I have to confess to being a nervous leader on this month’s Early Morning Run (EMR).  Being the car in front and holding 10 licence demerit points really cranks up the adrenaline – for all the wrong reasons.

Fortunately, the roads were kind and featured little traffic to impede the flow, allowing our multi-coloured troupe of ten cars to enjoy a 137km drive to Northam.

After some nicely sweeping turns through the outer Hills suburbs of Darlington and Parkerville, we picked up the pace a little on the popular O’Brien Road twisty bits, pausing for a re-group at the Peter Brock memorial before heading on to Wundowie for a pit stop.

We passed more cyclists than cars on this section, including one MAMIL (middle-aged-man-in-Lycra) who took exception to a completely innocuous and safe overtaking move made by one of our group.  Jealousy, perhaps?  I’m sure we were having much more fun than he was on that hilly road!

A little transport section on Great Eastern Highway, then it was on to Spencer’s Book Road for a picturesque valley cruise, savouring the empty road and broad sweeping bends alongside fields of bright yellow canola flowers.

We arrived in Northam just after 11am and coffeed and omeletted our way through brunch at a cafe on the banks of the Avon River.

A short detour on the way out of Northam gave some of us the opportunity to sample the Mt Ommaney Road hill climb and lookout.  We probably only have a couple more EMRs before the Western Australian landscape turns from lush green to dry and golden, so we made the most of the view before descending the hill and heading homewards.