Having experienced the I98Fm Illawarra Convoy on one previous occasion and thoroughly enjoying it and knowing that this incredible fundraising affair was celebrating its 20th anniversary, I decided I should make the effort to get down and immerse myself in the largest truck and motorcycle convoy in the Southern Hemisphere once again. The i98Fm Illawarra Convoy is an extremely inclusive event that attracts the interest and support of the entire region. That being said, as I rolled into Wollongong on a rather dreary slow starting Sunday morning, with the overcast clouds only just starting to dissipate and relinquish the sky in preparation for a few hours of striking sunlight, I had an uneasy feeling. A feeling of being the odd one out. Being the fourth leg in a three-legged race.
I planned my journey down from Sydney to ensure it took me into town via the same route the convoy would be heading. In fact, my timing had me only a few minutes ahead of the colossal convoy. After I whizzed past the lineup of bikes and trucks still waiting to get into the West Cliff colliery staging area, I began to think there was some kind of cult gathering or fashion convention underway and I had missed my invite.
It started pretty much at the convoy’s start point – on the side of the road, I saw a handful of people waving the convoy flags and at least a third of them were boldly bearing bright yellow T-shirts. As I continued along, I rejoined the M1 and the crowd at the Bulli lookout was exponentially larger, this time with over half the crowd sporting the same colourful clothing I had witnessed back up the road. On my way down Mt Ousley Rd, the numbers of eager truck and bike fans went through the roof and so did the volume of vibrant t-shirts. It was like the t-shirts were multiplying as I continued along the path. It wasn’t until I pulled up to spend a bit of time enjoying the convoy itself that I finally got to check them out and appreciate why the whole of Wollongong were dressing like oversized minions. It was the official t-shirt; the fundraising t-shirt, and they were everywhere. It was the community’s way of saying ‘I don’t have a truck or bike, but we are 110 per cent behind the cause’. It turns out every year the convoy has a different coloured shirt, they cost $15, and it is all part of the fundraising. This year’s colour was obviously yellow, and it was extremely visible. Even before you made it to the assembly area at Shellharbour Regional Airport and saw the throngs of people piling in to support the event, you were able to appreciate the magnitude of this convoy on the community. It was a million-minion marvel.
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After the glass had been broken and I realised it wasn’t just a NSW fashion trend I had missed, my observation of the T-shirts went skyward. I ended up feeling extremely self-conscious in my outfit and bought a shirt myself. Point of interest – yellow is not my colour, but still worth it for the cause.
Back to the convoy itself. As I mentioned, I was a little ahead of the convoy at the beginning. I stopped on several occasions just to take it all in and appreciate the line up. My intentions to find a comfortable seat and watch the entire convoy roll by were hampered by the fact it was so very long, and I had a plane to catch that night. Even after I had done several laps of the Shellharbour Airport, taken dozens of photos, ate far too much fantastic food truck delights, danced a little to the live band, marvelled at the madness of the Kyes FMX Jam display and contemplated donating blood, my walk back to the rental car was still delayed by trucks trying to get in.
For the facts and figures folk out there, let me tell you some of the important numbers. There were 672 motorbikes. Those guys and gals lead off the convoy with all manner of machinery – I am pretty sure I even saw one pulling a sleigh. The trucks topped out at 715. There was everything big and small, working and retired, brand new and long in the tooth. It was an incredible sight, and any motoring enthusiast would have their thirst quenched with all that was on offer.
When it comes to the fundraising side of things, that was next level as well. With the auctioning off of the lead vehicles and all the other pre-event donations, they had already raised over $1.6 million dollars before the convoy day rolled around. The official total for the 20th anniversary event was a whopping $2.5 million. That means over the course of the convoy’s career, the volunteers have raised an incredible $27,693,636.
With events like this the goal is to raise funds, obviously, but it is also about creating a community vibe and providing a great day out and the i98FM Illawarra Convoy nails that perfectly. You can tell by the wave of yellow that engulfed the streets, creating the feel of a streets long scarf of supporters from the start to the end of the convoy. Inside the Shellharbour Airport you had non-stop entertainment, from world-class FMX riders performing ridiculous feats above the fans to toe tapping tunes coming from the live bands on offer. There was no shortage of places to eat and drink, market stalls and interactive activities. If you needed some downtime, that was achieved by wandering down the runway and relishing in the endless entourage of trucks rolling in. Just take a breather and have a wander.
I do want to thank all those involved in this amazing event. It was only my second experience – unlike many of the locals who had some sensational setups to stay comfortable during the hours long convoy, I was still a novice. I tried several viewing locations along the trip and missed several others that were already packed out. The free family fun day at the end has something for everyone and it is so well set-up and run. So, thank you to all those involved and I can’t wait to help celebrate the i98Fm Illawarra Convoy’s 21st birthday in 2025.
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