This report is by Moira Stewart, who was President of WIMA Australia at the time and organiser of the rally.
83 WIMA members from 12 different countries attended the International Rally held at Phillip Island, Victoria. Members came from Australia, Austria, Great Britain, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA. In addition, Sangeetha Jairam from India attended as a guest of WIMA Australia, so in total, 13 countries were represented, including 57 from overseas – a great turn out. I was really pleased that so many members came so far for our rally, both nationally and internationally.
The weekend before the rally, many guests attended the pre-rally at the Phillip Island MotoGP. Volunteering as marshals or medical staff is a recurring activity among WIMA Australia members, but for the international guests this was a novel experience and no doubt a memory for life. Upon arrival we were all registered and duly trained for our duties, and then the WIMA women were spread out over the different sectors all around the track. Although marshalling is hard work and demands constant concentration, it is also a unique experience to get a chance to see motorsport up close and, on occasion, even touch the bikes. Part of your job is to pull out the ones who crash and recover the bike or help the rider take off again to continue racing. In addition, as marshals, you not only get a close-up view of the track, but you also get access to the paddock as well. The orange overall and tabard is your access card, and you can walk right in, have a look at the teams at work in the garages and even meet the riders. After the finish on the Sunday, you could go up to the podium and get a close-up view of the winners, what a treat!
The rally venue, The Shearing Shed, was close to Cowes and other towns, tourist attractions, fabulous roads and scenic views. The meals were delicious and the staff friendly – everything a rallygoer could want. The organised rides went through coastal, farming and hilly regions around the Gippsland region, and everyone seemed to enjoy the twisty and curvy roads, especially if they saw wallabies, kangaroos, echidnas,emus or wombats. There were also local places to visit like the Koala Park and Churchill Farm at Phillip Island. We were blessed with sunny, spring weather every day except the day we went to Healesville, when we rode through twisty roads made hazardous by the wind and rain.
As entertainment, WIMA members from overseas and local members performed a variety of national traditions, old and contemporary. The Japanese girls won the prize for best show with their lively song and dance routine while dressed up as Japanese mascots.
One of the highlights of the week was the visit to the Penguin Centre on the shores of Phillip Island, where we watched groups of small penguins return to their nests on shore after a day out in the ocean. They did not seem to be afraid of all the spectators and bright lights but as a protection for them, photography was strictly prohibited.
The Presidents’ Meeting was held on the Friday and Claudia Fehrer was re-elected International President and Åsa Öhqvist was elected Vice President. After the meeting, the country representatives attended a special dinner at a restaurant in Cowes. The restaurant was chosen not only due to its excellent food, but also because of its links to the world of motorsport and the walls were covered with photographs of race legends.
Our last rally activity was the parade which took us around Cowes and then onwards to Wonthaggi for lunch. As usual, the parade attracted attention – we were representing 13 countries, and our bikes were prepped accordingly with national flags and other symbols – there was even an inflatable kangaroo riding pillion.
During the rally we raised 256.20 AU$ (about 170 euros) for Motorcycle Outreach, which was later donated to Pikilily in Tanzania.
It was hard to say goodbye and happy travels to everyone as they scattered themselves all over the country. Most of the international members were taking the opportunity to explore the country while here. I’d love to see them back here again!
