Cooly Rocks On festival appealing to a whole new audience

Today, it is Australia's largest rock’n’roll and nostalgia festival featuring the hottest cars of yesteryear.

You hear Cooly Rocks On long before you see it.

As you pull off the highway at the Queensland/New South Wales border and head towards Coolangatta (just south of the Gold Coast) you can tell the party started long before it was supposed to.

Helicopters tear across the pristine waterfront, giving event goers an aerial view of the action. The roar of restored hot rods cuts through the normally silent air. When the wind streams your way, it carries rock and roll tunes with it being belted out by live bands.

Some 2km from the event, you abandon your car and begin to walk, your heart starting to speed up from the light exercise—but more so because of the building excitement.

This is a full, five-day carnival to celebrate everything that was great about the 50s, 60s and 70s—including the cars of those eras.

The event has a wide variety of entertainment, including the Poodle Parade, Retro Markets, Dance Championships, Pageants and Parades, Dance Workshops, Miss Cooly Rocks On and Miss Rockabilly pageants, the Vintage Bake-Off, the Harvest Moon Swing Ball and much more.

But the hero of the show is the Show ‘n’ Shine, which features over 700 fully restored cars and bikes worth over $20 million from yesteryear spread across the main streets of Coolangatta.

Over 110,000 people attended over the five-day carnival this year, a far cry from the small but dedicated fans that originally made up this festival.

"It used to be a festival for the oldies to relive their youth," an event spokeswoman said.

"But we have found that there are so many young people living the hipster life that the culture is now appealing to an entire new generation.

"What is old is new again, which is fantastic to see."

The 70s aspect of the festival was only recently added, as that era is now over 40 years ago. That means Cooly Rocks On now includes top muscle cars including Fords and Trans Ams.

The sheer variety of cars on offer are a feast for the eyes. From Aussies classics like vintage Holdens and Fords to Corvettes, Cadillacs and Chryslers.

There is even a restored Ambulance, a panel van fitted out with medical gear that used to be so iconic on Australian roads.

And motor enthusiasts from every corner of the country turned out for it.

"We had people come from as far as Perth, with one man riding his Indian Motorcycle and another lady driving her Goggomobil all the way to Coolangatta," the event spokeswoman said.

"Can you imagine driving a Goggomobil across the Nullarbor Plain? That is how keen some of these enthusiasts are."

Even intermittent weather did little to douse the hotbed of activity, which culminated in the street parade on Sunday night.

"There were 60 Indian Motorcycles heading the parade, followed by the Goggomobils - can you imagine the noise?" the event spokeswoman said

"It was definitely the highlight of the weekend and everyone was buzzing."

Cooly Rocks on has been confirmed for 2020 with the festival to run from June 3-7.