Coasting the Coast with trucking classics

For those of you who live in New South Wales, you should know a little bit about the Peats Ferry Bridge and how it’s been 80 years since it first opened in 1945 after being in construction since 1938.

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That was one of the reasons why the annual Coasting the Coast event was held on May 4 this year, to celebrate the state’s historical bridge.

“It has interesting history in itself, in the way they made it,” event founder Guy Ellis says.

“I think it was unbelievable how they floated the sections in place with barges and used the tide to put the bridge spans up. And now as part of the event, our vehicles get to go over it.”

But the reason this event started in the first place, is how every truck show or convoy begins…

Over a beer with a mate.

“My mate and I decided over a drink that we would like to put on an event for cars and trucks travelling the Old Pacific Highway between Sydney and Newcastle,” he says.

“There are similar truck events across Australia and we both have vintage trucks; this is the kind of stuff we enjoy, so we thought it would be a nice idea.

“Initially we just wanted trucks at the event, but it ended up including cars, motorbikes, buses, fire engines and trucks.”

Guy was the tail end vehicle with his 1985 Volvo F7 fire engine.

“I came through the roundabout just before the pie shop on the Old Pacific Highway to see about 200 vehicles outside the shop spread on both sides of the road,” he says.

“I remember saying to my wife, ‘oh my goodness, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many vehicles in one spot outside the pie shop’.

“And luckily there’s good parking there, so we didn’t disrupt any traffic. Everything just went so well!”

Every year, it thrills Guy how far they take the show.

This year, 220 vehicles coasted along NSW, with 32 trucks roaring loud amongst their fellow machines.

Year by year, the numbers have climbed. Compared to their first event they’ve only excelled, with 50 vehicles showing up the first year, numbers doubled to 100 the year after, then 150 the year after that.

Guy’s head was turning for a few of the big rigs at this year’s event, with the Internationals and old 1920 rigs catching his eye.

And the little kids couldn’t have agreed more…

There were 32 roaring trucks at this year’s event – check out these awesome rigs!

“We had people on the sides of the road waving us by, and they were mainly little kids,” he laughed.

“They love to put their little arms in the air to signal the horn and the truckies quite enjoy that.”

“The truckies give a blast or two and you just see the children’s faces light up.”

Guy says going down the old roads as part of Coasting the Coast is a reminder of the journey’s truckies used to take, and that it’s nice for the younger people to be involved with that; tracing the winding roads and passing by old roadside stops.

“We went back up the old roads where now it’s all expressway,” he says.

“Driving from Sydney to Newcastle used to take a couple of days, whereas now it takes a couple of hours.”

To run Coasting the Coast, it takes a team of two, just Guy and his co-organiser, which he says works well, as they bounce ideas off of each other without the drag of a million other ideas and opinions.

“It’s great to see some young people who are a part of our club and participate in the event,” he says.

“If we have no young people, our passion dies, so they’re very important to us.”

Despite its quick growth, Guy insists on keeping Coasting the Coast accessible and free. With six sponsors who cover most of the costs, Guy isn’t in it for the money, but rather the community and devoted love of machines.

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