Greg & Audrey’s Garage: Bringing a little piece of Roman Holiday to Newcastle

by Kristin Whitney on February 19, 2011

A self confessed and frustrated Francophile, I often wondered why we (Australians and in particular, Novocastrians) hadn’t adopted the scooter culture. We’ve got the climate and our cities are relatively compact to make it a practical alternative to a car and in many cities, public transport has a pretty bad reputation.

With over 20 years in the crazy game of advertising, I’d had enough of deadlines and was looking for a change – a change in career and some semblance of control over my work/life balance. So, I put my money where my mouth is and not only bought a scooter but wanted to create a retail environment for others to discover scooters as well. For me, scooter riders are not the same creatures as motorcycle riders, but the retail experience offered is exactly the same. I did some research, spoke to some experts, looked around for a location, and over time, Greg and Audrey’s Garage became a reality.

This was after I’d attended (rather nervously) the mandatory practical riding course at Adamstown, sat and passed the RTA computer test (to my great relief) and bought a SYM 125 Classic. I quickly decked myself out in a red trench-style coat (with the protective armour) a gorgeous retro style helmet, a silk scarf around my neck (Audrey Hepburn style), and off I went!

It might sound corny and cliché but there’s a great sense of freedom riding rather than driving. You can smell what people are cooking for dinner, you see and hear more, probably because there’s no distractions like the radio/CD player or passengers talking to you. It really is a lot fun and I much prefer the scooter to the car (though I must confess that I’m definitely a fair-weather rider - any hint of rain, and I’m likely to choose the car).

Many city residents have caught on to the scooter revolution and those who work in the CBD happily take advantage of the free parking. No more dashing out of the office or your meeting to put money in the meter, or having to move the car so you don’t overstay the allocated time, no more parking station fees or expensive parking tickets. That of course means more money for holidays, shoes, entertainment etc. Parking areas designated by Newcastle Council include The Junction, Hamilton, and several in the city in Hunter Street, Bolton Street and a large undercover area behind the Mall (near the new Post Office). Here are the exact locations.

Getting down to the practicalities, you can get on road for about $3,495 (including rego), and fill up for about $6.00. There are a number of scooter clubs that ride regularly, including the ‘moving targets’. They meet each Tuesday evening at Lotus at The Junction – you can just turn up whenever you can.

Be a part of the scooter revolution, a rebel with a cause, or without one for that matter, and get on a scooter!