George, Stan & Rover Reunion

As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, Margaret has delved into her 1971 diary of “Secret Women’s Business” and written the following account of the Australian leg of the trip. I have added the odd comment, recalled from an ever diminishing memory vault:



By the time we arrived in Fremantle our group had increased to 19 for our travels around Australia in “Stan”, and the recently acquired Land Rover of Peter Ide and Lou Winwood. The new members of the group who were recruited on the good ship “Marconi” were Sandie and Chrissie (from England), Sarita, Alvah, Butch and Alan (from South Africa), Pat (from Rhodesia) and Mike (from Oz). And Beth joined us from Melbourne.

In Perth, the South Africans saw television for the first time and were amazed to see aboriginals on the buses and mostly white people on the streets.

Butch enlightened us with a new way of cleaning desert boots – put them in the washing machine – and a variety of ways that clothes can be pegged to dry on a clothes line.



Bicycles were hired on Rottnest Island with some interesting moments. The pedal on Marg’s bike fell off so someone gave her a dink, with others freewheeling their bikes. Beth, at one stage, could not brake so threw the bike to one side, and later Jean got two bikes caught together and broke some spokes. We sighted some native quokkas (a sort of cross between a rat and a wallaby).



Peter Ide recalls from his 1971 diary a few prices in Perth at that time:

Ticket to the cinema (to see Dad's Army) cost-$1-35 each.
A flash set for a camera-$8-00.
Ten rolls of Agfa 35-mm slide film-$43-60.
Tooth filling at a Perth dentist-$6-00.
Taxi ride-60 cents.
Long walk-sox-67 cents.

He also recalls: The first 747 Jumbo jet passed thru Perth on its maiden world flight on 3rd September 1971. The general feeling amongst those who witnessed the event was that "it was too large to be a success and would soon fall from the sky".



Leaving Perth we headed to Kalgoorlie, making a stop at a hotel in the town of Southern Cross for a drink. We decided to stay in the town for the night, and eventually found an abandoned hotel suitable for the purpose, after obtaining permission from the local policeman. It was Sarita’s birthday so a couple of cakes were consumed in celebration.

(Ed:It was here that we had one of those “Believe it or not” moments.
While staying at the Hotel Metropol in Kabul, Afghanistan in November 1970 we met an American couple who were traveling in a very distinctive Dodge motor caravan. Their vehicle was basically the same as the ex-ambulance we had driven from England, and as we were in the process of trying to sell the vehicle in Kabul, we sold some of the spare parts we were carrying to the Americans.
So, as dusk descended on the small Western Australian town of Southern Cross, out of the gloom appeared this surreal image of that very same Dodge motor caravan we had last seen in Kabul some 10 months earlier. Talk about gobsmacked! While we had traveled from India to East Africa, down to South Africa and across the Indian Ocean to Western Australia they had come via Thailand, the Indonesian islands, Darwin down to Perth and to a small outback town in WA - Believe it or not.)


In Kalgoorlie the area contained many holes from old mine shafts and we could hear blasting sounds from an operational mine. We had a tour of the overhead workings at one of the mines and a quick drive down Hay Street, well known for its brothels.

At Kambalda, where nickel was mined, the boys went down into a mine, however the girls had to be content with staying aboveground.

Headed south to Albany and visited the Whaling Station where we saw whales being brought in by boat, hauled up by winches then cut up by extremely sharp blades on poles like hockey sticks. Winches then pulled the blabber off. Most of us found it interesting though two people could not stand the smell (Ed: guilty your honour) and retreated to the vehicles.



Headed for timber country – Jarrah and Kauri forest. Stopped at the Gloucester Tree, 200 feet high with a fire lookout at the top. A number of adventurous people climbed to the top of the shaky ladder. Camped that night beside a school. With 18 or 19 people to devour the food it disappeared rapidly. You had to be quick, especially at lunchtimes, or else you missed out.



Margaret River was memorable not for the wine but for the delicious home made pies. John managed to demolish 4 as breakfast had been a few hours previous and the day was cold.

Back in Perth again we camped in the backyard of some New Zealand boys. Our night’s sleep was disturbed by Butch who decided to sing to us at 4.00am so we retaliated by hosing him down in the morning. We came to an arrangement with the caravan park, across the road, to use their showers. Four people headed off to the laundromat with everyone’s washing as we were all filthy, not having had a decent shower for a week.

We left Perth for the drive to Carnarvon where we met up with Rae who was flying in from New Zealand to meet up with us again, having returned home from Calcutta with hepatitis. The landrover arrived late in Carnavon as they had run out of fuel and had to use the petrol from the cooking stoves to complete the journey. Scenery on the way was gum trees, salt bush and windmills.

We stopped for three days at the Gascoyne River where we were visited by the Mr. Whippy’s icecream van and the local reporter who took photos of the group. Budgerigars and white cockatoos flew amongst the trees. Bought a whole sheep for a delicious barbeque, had a campfire and played the “Truth Game” which enlightened a few people about each other.

A few repairs were made on the vehicles and we had to wait an extra day as the road transport bringing some new springs for the landrover passed through Carnarvon - without stopping.



We set off for the long trek north but just after passing the Tropic of Capricorn the clutch went on ‘Stan” and we had to set up camp near Barradale Roadhouse, where fortunately, we were able to use their showers.
It was now warm enough to sleep in the open without tents.


John and Graham traveled back to Carnarvon to pick up a clutch plate being flown from Perth and returned to work on the vehicle. They also returned with a sheep which was killed and skinned while people took turns to wave branches over the carcass to keep the flies away. Later a few people cut the sheep up, roasted some, froze other parts in the fridge at the roadhouse and stewed chops to last us for a few meals.