TOORADIN FORESHORE MOTORBIKE GATHERING
In October 2017 Kevin Miller and myself decided to get out of the house once a week for a coffee, both of us had significant injuries due to motorbike accidents and Kevin was a paraplegic, paralyzed from the waist down. We wanted a day where we could get out and not have to think about what we “should” be doing. Kevin wanted to make Tooradin the place as it was a good ride from Cockatoo, where he lived, and the distance was worthy of the work it took for him to get on and off his trike.
We ruled out the weekends because of traffic, and Kevin couldn’t do Monday, Wednesday or Friday as he had medical appointments. Tuesday was still close to the weekend but by Thursday we were looking for an out. Thursday was the day and 10.00 am meeting time meant we missed the school traffic.
On the first day we met at the Tooradin bakery along with another VJMC club member, Trevor Whitty. While we were there Trevor’s wife came along and told us we’d be better down the road at the foreshore as there was better parking, closer to the toilets, a good coffee shop, bbq’s and a shelter. The next week we met there, on Foreshore Rd., and decided it was a better location.
We put the word out through the VJMC website that we were meeting there every week on Thursday from 10.00am. We were mixing with a couple of other motorbike clubs on the Mornington Peninsula so we also let them know.
Over a period of several years the numbers grew and we found there were a lot of people in the same boat as Kevin and I were, not working and looking to get out of the house. We had never planned to do anything other than meet for a coffee and yarn and the motorbike ride was only to and from Tooradin. This, along with the location (it’s very pleasant on the foreshore), and the fact that there’s no structure or requirements once a person gets there, appealed to many people.
Another contributing factor to the success of the event is that it’s never been based on make, model or year of manufacture of the bikes, everyone with a common interest in motorcycles is welcome. Some of the riders also have classic cars and bring them down so we can have a look, over the years there’s been some beautiful, original and rare cars come along.
In 2019 we decided to have a Christmas bbq and present a couple of trophies, this was successful, so we continued every year. A couple of years ago we met a local band, Dave and the Foreshore Band, who said they would perform on the day. In 2024 the event was so popular we had more than 400 riders attend, which we thought was a lot….until last year when we had between 600 and 700 riders.
In all of this and over the years our club, the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club, has been fantastic in sponsoring and supporting our gathering and particularly the Christmas bbq which has become hugely popular (and costly).
We currently see 200 to 300 riders every Thursday when the weather is good, and the riders do the right thing by not parking on the path, so people walking through the park aren’t obstructed. We’re also very aware that people live along Foreshore Rd. and keep speed and noise to a minimum. A couple of years ago we attracted the attention of a couple of social media groups who did movies, podcasts and interviews and immediately the numbers rose significantly. There’s a lot of YouTube material showing the event, search “VJMC Tooradin”.
Kevin Miller passed away in 2021.
Footnote:
After hearing of the Tooradin gathering for a little while, a few weeks ago a few friends and I decided to go for a ride and check it out. Despite the weather not being all that great, we were very surprised to see such a diverse range of around 100 bikes and riders just enjoying the atmosphere and company of others with a common interest in motorcycles of all makes and models.
Dave Parker, his colleagues and the VJMC are to be congratulated on maintaining this excellent meeting and I encourage anyone with a spare Thursday morning and an interest in motorcycles to make the trip to Tooradin, perhaps catch up with old friends or make some new ones. I promise you that you will enjoy the experience.
Peter Mathews
AOMC Committee Member