George, Stan & Rover Reunion

More reunion pictures

2007-04-25T14:14:00.000+10:00

I have received more reunion pictures from people over the last couple of weeks and have been extremely slack in putting them up on the blog. My apologies.

Firstly, from the Smith Collection we have:

The whole Group at Graham's BBQ on Saturday.

The members of the "1970 Gurkha Club" display their "Badges of Office" from Kathmandu.

Ned and Paul doing a spot of "dolphin" chasing on Port Phillip Bay. I'm still waiting to see the pictures of the "dolphins".

The next days crew, Sandy, Andrew, Peter and Jean, who couldn't find any signs of dolphins.

"Mayday, Mayday. Abandon Ship! Women and children after me!"

And from Kiwi Rae's portfolio we have:

Another Group photo - just in case you weren't smiling in the first one.

Some happy campers at Camp BayPlay, Sorrento.

"Cleansing the palate" with the obligatory ice cream between booze ups, errh - wine tastings.

And from the Ide's family album:

Look, people sent me this photo so I feel obliged to publish it.

The energetic "Nepean Peninsula Walkers" - Back: Peter, Jean, Cynthia and Don. Front: Marg, Alvah, Chrissie and Sarita.

Hello sailor!

Some tourists at the "Eight and a bit Apostles".

More tourists on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Reunion - Wednesday March 28

2007-04-06T14:08:00.000+10:00

Wednesday was the end of the reunion. People dispersed in all directions with memories of a terrific get-together and thoughts of the next reunion, possibly in New Zealand.

Jan and Graham

Paul and Rae

Sandy and Andrew

Rae and Ned

Reunion - Tuesday March 27

2007-04-06T11:43:00.000+10:00

Tuesday saw a few departures for home, another sailing trip on the bay, a tour of the local wineries for the “boozers”, and we finished the day with a BBQ at Barb and Andrews home at Sorrento.

Cynthia and Don about to take off to see what's left of the 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road.

Chrissie ready to catch the bus back to Melbourne.

Margaret looking very nautical.

The boats rudder strikes a submerged Chinese submarine (or possibly a rock) and Commodore Smith and Captain Rosza assess the damage.

Suitably attired with life jacket, I calmly await instructions to abandon ship

Barb preparing food for the mob.

An uninvited BBQ guest.

Paul about to check if spiders can fly - they can't.

Reunion - Monday March 26

2007-04-04T11:38:00.000+10:00

On Monday some of the more energetic people took a hike around Point Nepean Quarantine Station, whilst a number took up Andrew's offer of a leisurely sail on Port Phillip, and we, the remainder, opted for the more civilised Sorrento shopping experience - including lunch. In the evening we all adjourned to the Portsea Hotel for dinner and a birthday celebration.

Ned, Sandy and Heather check out the local icecream at Blairgowrie.

Graham finds that modern communications mean that work is just a phone call away.

Paul and John at the Portsea Hotel.

Peter, Jean, John and Sandy.

The reluctant "Birthday Boy".

Sandy.

Andrew and Barb.

Don and Cynthia.

Sarita and Chrissie.

Rae.

Reunion - Sunday March 25

2007-04-03T10:06:00.000+10:00

The visit to Werribee Open Range Zoo, the township of Queenscliff, and the sea ferry to Sorrento.

Jean and Beth.

Peter and Jenny.

Heather and Bill.

The "Enforcers" Barb and Marg.

Reunion - Saturday March 24

2007-04-02T11:54:00.000+10:00

Reunion BBQ at Graham and Jan's home on Saturday night.

Peter Ide, Jenny, Graham, Carole, Barb and Ned. These people throw nothing away - including 35 year-old T-shirts!

Beth and Noel.

Peter O'Neill and Trish Jeans.

Don, Barb, Noel, Jean, Heather and Carole.

Alvah and Graham

Margaret and Sandy

John, Bill and Trish.

Sarita, Chrissie and Cynthia.

Rae and Jan.

Ned, Jenny and Heather.

Andrew and Paul.

(I don't have a "Group" photo from the BBQ and would appreciate copies via email.)

Reunion - Wednesday to Friday (March21-23)

2007-04-01T17:46:00.000+10:00

Dinner at Margarets on Thursday night.

Graham and John

Chrissie, Jean, Sandy and Jenny

Peter, Sarita, Marg and John
(click on the picture if you want to see a larger picture)

Stop the world, I need a rest

2007-04-01T16:35:00.000+10:00

WOW! Did anyone get the number of that “Reunion Bus” which hit me during the last weekend. Was that unreal, real or surreal or a combination of all three. My mind is still spinning.
After a few 12 hour sleeps, I’m guessing this must be Sunday, and I appear to be home, but the brain is a couple of days behind and having trouble in catching up with the body.
That was one awesome reunion.
As Graham has mentioned in an email, we will have to produce a master list of contact details so that people can plan future travels so as to catch up with everyone on a more leisurely one-to-one basis. The time went so quickly.
A BIG THANKYOU to everyone who committed to the reunion and actually fronted up. We had a 100% turnout. That must have been one hell of a memorable experience we undertook some 35 years ago.
My special thanks to Marg and Barb for organising all the money, transport and accommodation details which greatly assisted in making the reunion run so smoothly. I’m already looking forward to the next reunion in Aotearoa (or was I dreaming that)! In the meantime I’ll put up some of the photos from the weekend, and ask that if you have any pictures which you would like to add to the blog please email them to me. Also if you have any thoughts or feelings about the reunion, either click on the comments or send me an email and I will publish here.

T minus 12 days, and counting….

2007-03-12T11:30:00.000+11:00

It’s just a couple of weeks to go until the reunion here in Melbourne.
It hardly seems like nine months since we were sitting around Marg’s dinner table discussing the idea. Anyhow, last Monday (March 5) John, Sandy, Marg and me took a drive down to Barbara and Andrew’s place at Sorrento to have a final get together prior to everyone arriving. While we were down there we took a look at the accommodation which Barb has organised. We were all very impressed with Barb’s choice. The place looks ideal for lazing around and chatting, having a swim, feeding your face, drinking the odd beer or three, and generally making a pig of yourself for a few days – just like we used to do when travelling! In the afternoon everyone went for a sail on Port Phillip Bay, (except yours truly who was suffering from a queasy stomach) and I am pleased to say all returned, without my having to alert the Water Police or Coast Guard. Over dinner we sorted out the details of meeting, greeting, contacting and transporting everyone around Melbourne. Margaret and I have produced various lists, and bits of information for everyone attending the reunion, which will be emailed to you over the next day or so. According to my count we will have a total of 26 people over the weekend. Not a bad effort, I reckon.
So, we are all set and very much looking forward to seeing you all in a couple of weeks. Don’t forget to bring plenty of “baksheesh” with you – and any medications you now require to keep the body functioning. See you soon.

A reminder of times past – Aussie 3

2007-02-17T09:16:00.000+11:00

Margaret concludes her recollections of the Oz trip:

Traveling south we were soon in South Australia. We began to wish we hadn’t stopped for lunch as there was a strong wind blowing dust into everything and heaps of
little bush flies. People had to constantly wave things around to keep the flies off the food and we were all glad to be on our way. The red dust was visible in the sky and great clouds of it were blowing across the plain, slowing down the vehicle.

At a roadside bore we stocked up all drinking containers and had showers. At Mt Willoughby homestead we spent the night in the shearing shed, sleeping in the sheep pens.

Close to Coober Pedy we sighted many mine shafts from the digging for opals. In the town most of the houses were below ground and water had to be purchased from the Desalination plant. We walked around some of the opal working field and in one area we were allowed to scavenge (known locally as “noodling”) for opal chips. We all found some pieces, with a few people finding large pieces which they later sold in the town – one piece for $15 and two others for $45. We stayed the night in Coober Pedy and were allocated 1 gallon of water per person for showers.

After leaving Coober Pedy, we spent some three hours virtually driving round in circles before ending back at Coober Pedy where the police gave us directions which got us back on the right track.
At what was reputed to be the worlds biggest cattle station, Anna Creek, we bought a complete leg of beef for $2 which fed us all for four meals – steak for a BBQ and breakfast, boiled beef for lunch and a stew – good value! We drove out to Lake Eyre
which was shimmering in the bright sunshine and wandered out onto the salt pan. The salt was in huge flakes, almost a pink in colour and there were small amounts of water lying around. It was far too glary to stay for very long.

Upon arrival at Marree we called at the police station to check on the conditions on the Birdsville and Strezlecki tracks and were warned about non-drinkable water, losing our way, road conditions etc. The Birdsville Track was a slight disappointment. We were expecting it to be a lot rougher than it turned out to be. The road was good for most of the way, and we traveled well, seeing some abandoned ruins and an old fridge being used as a post box. We did have to stop when we discovered a hole in the fuel tank. Lunch was had while it was fixed, all of us standing around in the hot sun. The road subsequently became a little rougher when we hit a stretch of sand hills. We crossed into Queensland and reached Birdsville in
the late afternoon. The Birdsville pub was a welcome sight for some very thirsty visitors.

Traveling on to Bedourie we passed through flat, stony, sandy countryside. In the ladies toilets the water, which came from a Artesian bore, was almost too hot to use. A passing road train near Mt. Isa threw up a stone breaking the windscreen on “Stan” and covering everyone in the front seats with broken glass. The Land Rover
went ahead to find out where we could get a new windscreen fitted, but to no avail. It seemed that there was nowhere until we reached Townsville, so we hoped for no rain. At Mount Isa, the boys went down the mine, while the rest of us went on a tour of the surface workings. (Ed: We were told on a number of occasions that miners considered it to be bad luck for a woman to go down a mine.)

From Mount Isa we journeyed to Julia Creek and on to Richmond which was where Jenny’s family lived on a cattle station. In Richmond we had to split up and drink at both hotels in town to avoid any suggestion of favouritism, and then drove the 80 miles to Jenny’s parents place where we camped under some shady trees. We stayed there for four days and had a very relaxing and enjoyable time. (Ed: Some of us had
our first experience of “riding” a horse while here. It was something akin to driving a truck with square wheels…and no brakes. Not easily forgotten.) We ate excellent meals of home cooked food and consumed ham and eggs for breakfast. Drove around the property seeing the bores and dams where the cattle were gathering, as food was scarce and hay needed to be left for them. On the Saturday we drove into town to one of the hotels for a homecoming party for Jenny. We all had a great time, but it was a long drive back. The next day we all tried to have a sleep-in but it was too hot, and the galahs and cockatoos were flying amongst the trees making a cacophony of noise.

We bid our sad farewells to Jenny and traveled to Townsville to have a windscreen fitted to “Stan”. Unfortunately we could not swim in the sea here because it was the box jellyfish season so we decided, in lieu of the days planned for Townsville, we would head to Cairns. On the drive north we passed sugarcane, pineapple and banana plantations. In many cases the sugarcane was being burnt off and smoke was everywhere in the sky. It was a spectacular sight when the flames and sparks flew up into the darkness and was visible for many miles.

From Cairns we traveled around the Atherton Tableland and stopped at the “Honey House” where we saw the bees in a hive and bought a huge jar of honey. People also bought honeycomb and we mad pigs of ourselves consuming it all. It was contrasting scenery to the centre of Australia with tobacco growing, cattle grazing, vegetables and fruit in abundance and beautiful lakes, tropical flowers and jacaranda and flame trees. There were many luxury launches tied up at the Cairns jetty.

Sandflies were a constant problem and people were out of bed early, eager to be on their way, as we were all constantly scratching ourselves. We caught a launch out to Green Island, and went out on a glass bottomed boat tour of the reef. Many different types of coral, fish, sea anemones, clams, and brightly coloured fish.

We made a brief stop at Townsville to stock up on food. Our sandfly bites became so itchy and people could not stop scratching so the boys tied our hands behind our backs. Our money was running low so no-one ventured out to the islands east of Proserpine.

Some lazy days were spent at Caloundra by the beach, camping on a vacant block of land. The local Health Inspector moved us on saying there were not enough facilities, so we moved to the caravan park. We amused ourselves one night by setting off some distress signals and flares to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night. Lou and Peter had carried them in the Land Rover for their journey across the Sahara Desert. We then set off into town to meet Ned, (Ned had been on the early part of the trip in Europe) who had come up from Brisbane. From here we went to the Nambour Rodeo and watched the bareback or bronk riding, saddle riding, roping, bull-dogging and bull riding.

At Brisbane we camped in the area under Ned’s house. While here it was Butch’s 21st birthday so we had a few celebrations and went out for a few more celebrations.
(Ed: I seem to recall driving to a high point outside Brisbane, where there was a television transmitting station, and ending up on the local television news that night.)

It was soon time to travel down to Sydney where we stayed at Noels parents house, being put up in the garage and a shed. We all explored the sights of Sydney and
drove around the beach areas, out to The Gap, walked over part of Sydney Harbour Bridge, visited the Opera House and rode on the ferries.

From Sydney we headed to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, then on to Goulburn passing through beautiful pastureland. The days were now much cooler and we often had to put up the tents at night. Shortly after Goulburn, where the highway divides, three of our number, Brutus, Lou and Butch, fare welled us to hitch to Melbourne due to a
shortage of funds. We continued to Canberra to visit the sights then stayed on a farm belonging to a friend of Grahams, staying in the shelter of a hut near the house.

We drove to Cooma, at the beginning of the Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme, and it became colder and colder. Just before reaching Jindabyne the clutch on “Stan” went for the third time, so the Land Rover towed us to a safe place by the roadside, where after a couple of hours, with the new clutch in place, we were on our way a gain.

Camp was very cold that night. We lit a fire for warmth but the water was freezing and the night pitch black. The wind came up strongly, the ropes blew off the big tent and people were running around at 3.30am using torches to help find ropes to hold the tent down. We tried to start “Stan” to use the headlights but had no luck. Finally made make-shift guy ropes and were able to move “Stan” into a position to shield the tent as gusts of wind became stronger and one of the small tents by now was torn. We had just about got the vehicle into position when a stronger gust of wind came and completely lifted up the big tent with Sarita in it!

The tent took off as the guy ropes broke, poles were thrown around, one breaking a window in the land rover, while people’s belongings and cooking equipment went flying around the area. There was a scramble for everything and then we packed all we could away. We finally got Stan started and the vehicle circled so we could use the light from the headlights to pick up any stray items. We then relit the fire, had some coffee and waited until it got light enough to see further afield and pick up any other scattered items. We left the area at 6.00am heading for Thredbo, with snow on the mountains and sleet falling, later turning to snow while we had breakfast.

We could not go up the chair lifts at Thredbo due to the strong wind but enjoyed a beautiful cup of hot coffee inside the heated chalet before heading to the Victorian border. We could not use the tents any more as they required repairs so camped the next night in the shelter of a shed beside a football field at Corowa, and paid 20 cents for hot showers at the hotel over the road.

Traveling through Deniliquin and onto Mildura, we bought another sheep for $2 and went through the usual procedures of cutting it all up. We crossed the Murray River into Mildura, visiting the Mildara Winery and a fruit farm, and on to Wentworth at the junction of the Darling and Murray Rivers. Crossing into South Australia, we visited a number of wineries in the Barossa Valley.

In Adelaide we stayed in Hoppy’s garage and in the flat of a friend of hers, just up the road. We spent some time around the city and had a few relaxing days before heading on the last leg of our trip towards Melbourne.

At Keith we went out to the property where Graham had worked and then stayed the night in the local Scout Hall. We stopped briefly in the Grampians then drove on to a farm nearby sleeping in an old shed attached to the farmhouse. It was a bit dirty and a few possums made their presence felt about 2.00am running around and causing quite a commotion. In the morning we watched the shearers at work and then
drove to Ballarat for a look around the Eureka Stockade and Sovereign Hill.

On reaching Melbourne it was guesswork to get us through the city streets and down to the suburb of Aspendale on Port Phillip Bay, the home of Graham, where we finally arrived at about 4.30pm. The end of the trip had now arrived and a huge buffet
dinner was provided for us by Graham’s mother. A photographer and reporter from “The Sun” attended to take photos and notes, and our final goodbyes or ‘au revoirs’ were said to each other. It was 30th November, 1971. We had all been overseas for varying lengths of time, but had together shared a wealth of experiences on a trip never to be forgotten.

A reminder of times past – Aussie 2

2007-02-14T13:07:00.000+11:00

Margaret continues with her account of the Oz trip :

We eventually departed the Barradale Roadhouse and headed further north, the temperature getting progressively hotter. The red dust of the Pilbara seeped into the vehicles covering everything else. As the day progressed we all became a red, sandy colour, the dust coating our arms, legs, clothes and hair. Flies now also became a pest. A dip in the Olympic Swimming Pool at the mining town of Tom Price freshened us up, but it was too cold to stay in for long, even on such a hot day.

We went on a tour of the open-cut mine at Tom Price and then headed for Wittenoom. A drink at the town hotel was greatly appreciated. Here were some kangaroos and cockatoos in captivity. The local camping ground was right on the golf course. It was Chris’s 21st so a few celebratory drinks were consumed at the pub. The people in the town were not very friendly. The small number of buildings in the town were mostly dilapidated, with only a few stores showing signs of life.

Driving through Wittenoom Gorge we appreciated the rockpools, where we had a refreshing swim. We visited the deserted asbestos mining areas, the old township and market garden. Asbestos rocks were to be found everywhere. We had a night’s stop at the Woodstead Homestead in order to get water. At night, insects became a nuisance, attracted by the bright light from the lanterns.

The town of Marble Bar, reputed to be the hottest place in Australia, appeared to comprise just one street, a service station, general store, bar and café and hotel. The hotel bar seemed to be the most popular place. A number of the locals appeared to be slightly unusual characters. (Ed: the same could be said of some of the visitors!)

We arrived in Port Hedland late at night and decided to camp in the local car park area beside the sea, where showers were provided. We must have looked a little strange that night with 19 camping stretchers spread out. A local police patrol thought so too when they visited on their nightly round. (Ed: It was here that I realised the real reason for the police radio with the message, “Charlie, could you get fish and chips twice, and a hamburger with the lot.”)

Further on we welcomed the bitumen road again to free us from the dust. We took a side road to Broome where the beach was spectacular - a great expanse of white sand stretching for miles. Searched for a fish and chip shop and drove through Chinatown. Traveling on we noticed the boab trees and also hundreds of anthills. Cattle were now becoming more noticeable rather than sheep.

We arrived at Fitzroy Crossing at the end of their three day race meting which obviously had been celebrated rather well judging by the number of lifeless people lying under the shade of trees around the hotel.

A short drive to Geikie Gorge where we welcomed a swim and, although there were crocodiles and snakes in the water, they supposedly were harmless! We had a great washing spree and saw a slide show of the gorge put on by the local warden. Had a two hour boat trip down the gorge which enabled us to get close to the steep sides, almost vertical, fossilized remains, and different layers and colours of sanstone. Returned for billy tea and a few more swims. The swimming ceased with the sighting a 14 ft crocodile on the opposite bank.

No tents had been put up for weeks. We often did not stop until 9.00pm or later and it was light until late evening. We were always awake early in the morning soon after the sun rose as it became too hot to stay in our sheet sleeping bags and the flies were already buzzing around us.

Not much selection food wise at Halls Creek and virtually nothing in the vegetable
line, though meat was very cheap. Another welcome drink at Wyndham Hotel and we camped just outside town. A shower was improvised by pouring water from a jerry can through holes punched in a tin can. A quick soap up and rinse and people felt like
new. Wyndham was known for its meat works and here we experienced the process of the cattle being led up the gangway, shot, skinned and then the meat being cut up and packed, ready for export. It was beautiful and cool in the cutting room.

We visited the Kimberley Research Station and drove around the Ord River Dam Scheme, which at that time was yet to be flooded. The town of Katherine seemed quite civilized compared to some of our recent destinations, and after visiting the Katherine Gorge we drove on to Darwin. It was Rae’s birthday so we celebrated in a hotel, making it a cheaper night by not paying the $1.50 entrance fee, and sitting outside, where it was cooler, and dancing to the music we could hear inside.

In Darwin we went on a trip one afternoon to Mica Beach, a small island 8km offshore. A boat took us there, and then a World War II amphibious tank came down the beach into the water for us to board. We all had to lean our weight to one side or else it went round in circles. However we eventually landed safely and were treated to tea and scones, before having a swim and then watching a corroboree.

This was followed by a delicious meal of buffalo steak, chops, sausages, barramundi fish, salad and wine. Afterwards many of us attempted to play the didgeridoo. Back on the mainland again and out to the beach for the night where a police patrol on a route check found us about 4.30am. We chatted to them for a while about the trip before they left.

One day we returned to our camp just in time to rescue our washing from the fence where it was being attacked by horses, donkeys and cows. Just got ourselves settled in bed that night when it absolutely teemed with rain. People had never moved so fast from their stretchers under the stars. 9 girls settled themselves in the ladies toilets for the night, lying on long seats on lilos, or else their stretchers over the floor. We were accompanied by a croaking frog. The boys either sat in the bus, or found refuge in the men’s toilets while Graham found shelter under two picnic tables.

We departed Darwin for the drive south. It was discovered that Jean had left her purse behind at Pine Creek the previous day and evidently the police had been alerted to look out for us. Fortunately everything was intact. At Mataranka we camped close to the mineral springs and as usual there were plenty of different varieties of ants – green tree ones, red ants and small black ones. A road train driver who was at the hotel bought a round of drinks for the people who had traveled in the Land Rover that day, as they had stopped to give him water to put out a fire on his vehicle.

After a swim in the sulphur pools and a meal, drinks, playing pool and disco dancing, we decided to go crocodile shooting and piled into a boat. While two people rowed there was much hilarity as others shone torches looking for reflections from crocodile eyes. We were making far too much noise to see anything and, as people wanted a loo stop, we headed back along the murky river.

Tennant Creek was uninspiring. Upon asking if there were any trees nearby as shade for lunch we were told there was one 7 miles before Tennant Creek and some others 10 miles ahead! The days continued hot and sunny and people seemed devoid of energy. At a night’s stop at Wauchope, although the hotel had showers, we could not use them as water only came through if the wind was blowing strong enough to turn the windmill.

As we headed towards Alice Springs the clutch on “Stan” packed in, so the Land Rover towed us the 260 miles into town. We arrived late in the afternoon after the tow rope broke three times. Here we visited the Flying Doctor Service, William Ricketts sanctuary, and various sights around The Alice. One evening we went to the local drive-in, sitting out in the open, and on top of the vehicle and making tea and coffee at interval. The film was that British classic “Carry on Camping”.

While in Alice we took trips to Standley Chasm, Ellery Creek Gorge, Glen Helen Gorge and Herrmannsburg Aboriginal Mission. Most of the roads were heavily corrugated. We had to go through a number of gates which, of course, always had to be opened and closed by the unlucky person who had the front passenger seat. There were a lot of wrecked cars by the roadside. The boys enjoyed wrecking a few of these a bit more by smashing in the windows. (Ed: who were these vandals?).

We spent six days in and around Alice Springs before heading out to Ayers Rock (Uluru). At the rock we started to climb from around 9.00am to avoid the heat. The lower and steeper portion had a handrail. It took about 45 minutes to climb to the top and a tremendous view over the whole area – Mt Connor, The Olgas (Kata Tjuta), with dome shaped rocks, and the flat red earth with tea tree and salt bushes, the vista broken by the winding red dirt roads. We visited caves and saw aboriginal paintings before exploring The Olgas.

A reminder of times past – Aussie 1

2007-02-11T15:45:00.000+11:00

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.

The perils of travel

2007-01-24T13:49:00.000+11:00

One of the pleasures of overland travelling is the constant new experiences with which you are confronted on an almost daily basis. There is a seemingly endless supply of new sights, sounds, people and culture to expand the mind and fill the memory banks. The human body is also subject to slight modifications. These are mostly unpleasant experiences in the form of ailments, accidents and illnesses.
In our journeys from England to India and down through Africa we were fortunate? to include in our number an Australian nurse – Sandy Thompson. I was unaware until six months ago, that Sandy had kept a list of the misfortunes which occurred to the members of the group during our travels. So, as a warning to other overland travellers, as to what you are likely to encounter, and to remind fellow travellers of how they abused their bodies some 35 years ago, here is Nurse Sandra’s List of ailments suffered by individual members on the trip.

Bologne, France
Jean - Blood nose & cut foot playing footy
Ned - Cut finger cooking

Visp, Switzerland
Don - Cold

Venice, Italy
Graham - Lacerated feet in bar
Paul - Broken blister on finger changing tyre
Terry - Cut finger changing tyre
Judy - Cut foot in bar
Rae - Bites
Ned - Dermatitis
Carole - Heat rash

Yugoslavia
Terry - Vomiting
Barb - Bee sting WOW (a biggy)
Hoppy - Imaginary shits
Barb - Trod on sea anemone
Rae - Bites

Platamon, Greece
Noel - Diarrhoea & Vomiting
Graham - Gravel rash? cause!
Noel - Cut hand
Bob - Toenail off
Rae - Bitten eye

Istanbul, Turkey
Barb - Diarrhoea
Noel - Bruised back
Sandy - Cut foot
Paul - Flea bites
Hoppy - Hayfever

Pammukale, Turkey
Carole - Black eye
Graham - Sprained back

Isparta, Turkey
Graham - Thigh hit by flying suitcase

Troy, Turkey
Marg - Cut knee falling into the only hole for miles
Paul - Cut hand on coke bottle fighting with locals

Goreme, Turkey

Barb - Flea bites
Bob - Grazed knee falling into grave!
Jean - Amputated toenail
Sandy - Vomiting
Paul - Vomiting

Maku, Iran
Noel - Bruised toe
Carole - Headache

Tehran, Iran
Marg - Blood nose (x 2)
Noel - Headaches
Rae - Stubbed toe

Isfahan, Iran
Jean - Stubbed toe – very fashionable
Bob - Cut finger
Barb - Headache

Ahwaz, Iran
Hoppy - Cold
Marg - Cold
Don - Sprained wrist, cut face and toe, climbing wall
John - Cut toe
Carole - Fainting

Shiraz, Iran
Barb - Diarrhoea & Vomiting

Zahadan, Iran
Rae - Vomiting

Dalbandin, Pakistan
Rae - Broken blister & vomiting
Barb - Diarrhoea & Vomiting
Carole - Diarrhoea & Vomiting
Marg - Vomiting

Quetta, Pakistan

Carole - Shits
Sandy - Stubbed toes
Little Pete - Hurt back

Kandahar, Afghanistan
Paul - Guts ache
Sandy - Guts ache
Colin - Guts ache

Kabul, Afghanistan
Don - Diarrhoea
Wendy - Dehydration and bowel infection
Paul - Guts ache & Diarrhoea
Colin - Guts ache & Diarrhoea
Jean - Diarrhoea
Little Pete - Rope burns on fingers from army obstacle course
Don - Sores on feet
Sandy - Guts ache and shits
Graham - Shits
John - Cut fingers
Brutus - Shits
Graham - Sore eye
Rae - ‘flu
Marg - shits and headache

(Editor: Readers will note a general change in terminology from here on. Vomiting and Diarrhoea are more frequently referred to by the medical terms Chucks and Shits.)

Srinigar, Kashmir
Bob - Migraine
Don - Infected cuts heel, neck and foot
Noel - Headache and allergy to ??
Colin - Farting plus, plus
Hoppy - Bruises
Rae - Bruises
Carole - Bruises
Graham - Stubbed toe
Don - Horse trod on infected toe
Bob - Shits

Delhi, India

Graham - Shits
Rae - Chucks
Sandy - Cut foot infected
Bob - Shits and chucks
Barb - Headaches and chucks
Paul - Shits, chucks and toothache
Carole Fran. - Chucks and shits
Colin - Farts, shits and cut finger
Hoppy - Cut finger
Graham - Cold, Venice bar dirt in scars
Jean - Cold
Brutus - Shits and sleeping sickness
Noel - Shits
Don - Prickles in feet
Sandy - Cut leg
Carole - Diarrhoea & Vomiting

Rauxaul, India
Graham - Hayfever, asthma
Brutus - Cold

Kathmandu, Nepal
Paul - Diarrhoea & Vomiting
Hoppy - Chucks
Jean - Chucks
Graham - Cold
Sandy - Diarrhoea & Vomiting
Jean - Generally unwell
Little Pete - Generally unwell
Sandy - Generally unwell
Rae - Cold
Hoppy - Hayfever
Carole - Hayfever

Calcutta, India
Rae - Cyst & Hepatitis
Noel - Sinusitis

Bombay, India
Graham - Sore eye
Little Pete - Fingers not healing and infected mozzie bites

At sea on the ship "State of Haryana"

Little Pete – Cut toe in fan while (allegedly) fornicating
Jean - Put finger in fan
Noel - Shits
Heather - Cough
Graham - Dislocated thumb fixing Stan
Jean - Sore on leg
Sandy - Sore on leg

Mombassa, Kenya
Carole - Anorexia & lethargy
Heather - Sliced thumb
Graham - Sliced thumb
Graham - Pepper in eyes
Heather - Headache
Marg - Blistered toe

Malindi, Kenya
John - Blistered hands from horse racing game
Heather - Blistered hands from horse racing game
Jenny - Blistered hands from horse racing game
Graham - Thumped thumb with hammer

Nairobi, Kenya
Graham - Hepatitis
John - Foot rot
Jean - Goobies on leg and foot
Sandy - Blistered foot
Carole - Fainting in supermarket
Bob - Laryngitis

(Editor: From here on there are a number of ailments which are referred to as “Gooby or Goobies”. Sandy tells me that these are infected insect bites. I could not find any reference when I “Googled” the term, so I presume it was a word which we invented to describe a common condition.)

Murchison, Uganda

Bob - Cold
John - Indigestion and farting plus, plus
ALL - Ticks
Carole - Delhi Belly
Sandy - Bashed leg on stand

Ngorongoro, Tanzania
Little Pete - Malaria
Jenny - Love sick

Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Marg - Blistered from new shoes climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
Carole - Blisteres

Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania
ALL - Bites
Jean - Skun toe
Carole - Skun toe
Jenny - Attacked by tent peg
Little Pete - Shits
Sandy - Bruises
Graham - Thumb out of joint
Carole - Fainting
Carole - Infected bites
Jenny - Infected bites
Sandy - Infected bites
Brutus - Very irritable

(Editors Note: I wish to point out that the cause of my irritation was a certain Australian nurse and her Kiwi mate who, after demolishing a couple of bottles of the local brew, insisted that I should have a beer shampoo.)

Lake Malawi

Jean - Skun toe. Grasshopper bites
Noel - P.U.O & Goobies
Marg - Goobies
Caorle - Goobies
Jenny - Earache & Gooby
Bob - Gooby
Brutus - Sleeping sickness, shits
Little Pete - Shits
Graham - Gooby; welding burns on feet; fell over and stubbed toe; guts ache.
All - Mozzie bites

Lusaka, Zambia
Carole - Love sick
Little Pete - Love sick
Sandy – Pus (bites)
Carole – Pus (bites)

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
John - Infected wart on elbow
Most - Infected goobies

Salisbury, Zimbabwe
Carole - Recurring goobies
Jenny - Recurring goobies
Sandy - Recurring goobies

Zimbabwe Ruins
Sandy - Amputated toenail
Little Pete - Orcho-dermitis

Johannesburg, South Africa

Jenny - Nits
Graham - Sore eye
Carole - Pruritis
Graham - Stood on tent peg
Sandy - Goobies
Jean - Goobies
Noel - Big toe nail off
Graham - Shits
Noel - Shits
Jean - Stew sickness (ie. Sick of eating stew)

The Gold Medal for the most ailments at one time goes to Graham, for his effort at Lake Malawi: Gooby; welding burns on feet; fell over and stubbed toe; guts ache.

This surpassed the great effort by Paul, in Delhi of: Shits, chucks and toothache.

My thanks to Sandy for keeping this record of the trip, and to Jean for bringing it to my attention.

A reminder of times past – part 4

2007-01-10T11:58:00.000+11:00

Meanwhile back at the travel reminiscing…

The period from March to July 1971 was spent in Johannesburg, working to refill the financial coffers in preparation for the next leg of the trip around Australia

It was shortly after arriving at a campsite in Joburg that we met a group of lads from Surrey in England who had driven a Land rover, from England, across the Sahara, and down to South Africa. Graham was to buy their Land rover, for use on the trip around Oz, and two of the members of the group, Peter Ide and Lou Winwood were to join the trip.

For our stay in Joburg we rented a couple of flats in the suburb of Hillbrow. We all found some sort of employment. I managed to get a job working on the construction of the Hillbrow Microwave Tower, which was just ten minutes walk from our flat.

Our stay in Joburg was greatly assisted by Bernie Fisher, a local resident and friend of Graham’s, who, besides providing accommodation when we first arrived, lead us around all the best (and some fairly average) drinking establishments of Hillbrow. I wonder.....has the Chelsea Hotel survived the past 35 years?

Following Peter and Carole’s engagement and departure for Australia, while in Joburg, another member of the group, Noel, became engaged to Malcolm, a friend of Bernie’s.

On July 10, 1971 John, Sandy, Jean, Marg and myself, together with luggage and camping equipment, squeezed into a rented Ford Escort and headed out of Joburg to Lourenzo Marques (now known as Maputo) in Mozambique. After the claustrophobia of living in a big city for three months, it was exhilarating to be back on the road.

After a few days in Mozambique we headed for Swaziland, and then took a slow drive down the coast, intending to meet up with the rest of the group, who had gone in various directions, in Durban. Well…everyone turned up….except the ship, which was to take us to Australia. It was running 9 days late.

We were accommodated in Durban by Bernie’s brother Red, and sister-in-law Kay, as well as their neighbours Don and Lill (a couple of ex-poms) for a few days before deciding to fill in the time until the ship arrived by driving down to the the small coastal town of Port St John. Here we spent the best part of a week, propping up the local bar between periods of “drowning worms” in the sea.

The Lloyd Triestino ship “Guglielmo Marconi” eventually docked in Durban some ten days late and on July 30 we farewelled Africa and, looked forward to arriving at our next destination – Fremantle, Western Australia.

Secret travel destinations required

2007-01-02T13:16:00.000+11:00

A Happy New Year to everyone. Not too long until the reunion in March.

I had John and Sandy call in on New Years Eve. John had brought around some CD’s which he thought contained photo’s of the Oz trip. There were lots of photo’s on the CD’s but not many of Oz. It seems that he has a similar filing system to me. Does anyone have any good tips for how to file photo’s on your computer so that you can find them again? This is yet another excuse for me not producing something on the Oz trip!

The main reason for this post is that, while chatting to John and Sandy, they mentioned that they are planning a trip to the UK later in the year. They are looking for destinations to stop off, on the flight from Melbourne to London, which are interesting places to visit, and are off the tourist track. I did suggest Kabul and Baghdad, but they weren’t that keen.

So here’s your chance to suggest that special, out of the way place, somewhere between Oz and the UK, which is your favourite stop over. Just click on that “comment” tag at the bottom of this post and make a suggestion…but keep ‘em clean. If you don’t wish to inform the world about your special place then send John and Sandy an email.

On the reunion front…Margaret has organised another get together of the Melburnites in a couple of weeks, so if you have firmed up, or altered, any travel arrangements for the reunion could you email me before January 13th.

Best Wishes to everyone for 2007.

TTFN.

Warnie’s last googly

2006-12-23T15:55:00.000+11:00

Headline 1: “Shane Warne to retire”

Headline 2: “200 Journalists to be laid off”

Heavenly Pleasure

2006-12-23T14:56:00.000+11:00

I wonder if the people on the India trip can recall what you were doing around about December, 36 years ago, in Kathmandu. If not then this may explain why you have no memory…..

Last week I received a package of travel memorabilia from my brother, Ronnie, in the U.K. He has been reading this blog and thought I might find all my old letters and postcards, which I sent while travelling, to be useful in jogging the memory.
In among the papers and letters was an old “flyer” I had picked up in Kathmandu, Nepal in December 1970. Here’s what it said (including original typo’s):

INN EDEN

EXPERIENCE
The Heavenly Pleasure Room of
INN EDEN

A COSMIC HASHISH PARTY WILL TAKE PLACE ON
December 5 th and 25 th 1970

EVERY TYPE OF HASH PRODUCT WILL BE

Available as Always

BEST QUALITY VARIETY
HASH- HASHISH CAKES, COOKIES, COFFEE
TEA SQUASH
WILL BE SERVED.
OTHER FOODS WILL BE FOUND
IN THE TOTALLY NEW DEHCIOUS
INN EDEN RESTAURANT
REMEMBER- DEC 5 th & 25 th

Heavenly Pleasure at
OUR
FREE COSMIC HASHISH PARTY

As one of those who was naive and immature in the ways of the weed, and did not partake of the “Heavenly Pleasure, I would be interested to know, from those who did indulge, if they can recall anything of their “cosmic” experience. I do remember some very strange people returning to the hotel in the early hours of the morning.

In the meantime, my Best Wishes to everyone for a happy and peaceful festive season, and I look forward to meeting up with many of you in 2007 – the Year of the Reunion.

PS. Will do my best to get something up on the Oz trip over the holiday period.

The Kiwi’s are Koming

2006-12-20T13:25:00.000+11:00

Good news from the “Land of the Long White Cloud”. I’ve had a email from Paul Foster to say that both he and Don Clarke are in the process of making travel arrangements to be at the reunion in March.
Well done to Jean for getting this particular ball rolling. Your reward of several free feeds awaits you in Melbourne.
By the way, Jean, do you prefer McDonalds or KFC?

Latest weather forecast from Melbourne – smoky, again. I hope it clears up by March, otherwise you might have to bring your own fire fighting equipment.

Who will rid me of this irritant Yorkshire man

2006-12-20T13:19:00.000+11:00

After a hard day of internet equine investment on the races on Saturday, I logged off, settled into the sofa, and flicked the TV on to watch the third Test Match from Perth. The timing could not have been better as Adam Gilchrist proceeded to create a little bit of history by "tonking" the poms to all parts of the WACA in scoring a century off just 57 balls. He just failed to break Viv Richards record of a 56 ball century, but boy was it enjoyable. I know that, as an ex-pom, I shouldn’t delight in an English team getting a good thrashing, but I do make an exception of the England Cricket team.
Following Gilchrist’s performance, Ricky Ponting declared and put the poms in for the second dig, where they lost one wicket before stumps.
I went to bed reasonable content only to be woken at about 2.30am by the THUMP, THUMP, THUMP of music coming from a neighbour’s birthday party over the back fence. How did I know it was a birthday party? Because of the singing of “Happy Birthday to Laurie”, but I don’t know if Laurie’s birthday was on Saturday or Sunday – whichever, it was a bit late at 2.30 in the morning.
To help drown the racket from the party, I turned on the radio and tuned to the BBC World Service. Here, Jonathon Agnew was interviewing the ex-Yorkshire batsman, Geoffrey Boycott, about the Test match in Perth.
Now it should be said that Geoff Boycott was not the most exciting of English batsman. In fact if you look up “boring” in the Oxford English Dictionary, it has a photo of Boycott playing a forward defensive stroke. So, after one of the most memorable days of Test cricket in recent years, what was Geoffrey rabbiting on about? He was saying that the England team had a “cat in hells chance” of saving the match because they didn’t have any batsmen (and the implication was – like me) who could bat for two days. Here’s the problem, Geoff, Adam Gilchrist was batting in front of a full house. If you had been batting for two days, the ground would have been empty. The bloke is way past his use by date.

Note to BBC: please rid me of this irritant Yorkshire man.

The Melburnians Meetup

2006-11-04T12:27:00.000+11:00

It’s been a while. I have been extremely slack in updating you on the reunion plans. Apologies for that. We are right in the middle of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival at the minute….so I’ve had some…..diversions. It's also taken me 25 attempts to upload a couple of pictures in this post.
There seemed so much to tell that it was difficult to know where to start so this account is based on emails that have been flying between us over the last couple of weeks…..hopefully it all makes some sort of sense.

The Melbourne gang of John, Sandy, Peter, Margaret, Graham and Barb (+ husband Andrew) met up on Sunday October 15, and really there was hardly any change in appearances – give or take the odd wrinkle or two - amazing. Anyway it was a good day and we hope to arrange another some time over the summer months. Besides catching up on the last ten years or so we also tried to fine tune arrangements for the reunion. I think we went with the KISS principle- Keep It Simple Stupid.

So here is how we see things being organised

Monday to Friday March 19-23
People arrive in Melbourne. Do your own thing - Melbourne sightseeing/activities or trips to country Victoria, whatever. Possibly casual get-togethers in evening. We will organise Melbourne accommodation once we know your arrival and departure dates, and any special or particular needs.

Saturday 24th
Daytime: - Melbourne sightseeing.
Evening: BBQ at Graham's place in Rowville, which is about 30km South East of the city.
I won’t bore you with all the details we discussed. Besides, we need to keep some things as a surprise!

Sunday 25th
Marg suggested a visit to Werribee Open Range Zoo on the Sunday – nostalgia for some, and a new experience for those who missed the Africa trip. Two for the price of one – Africa in Oz. We all agreed to this idea and Marg later sent me this information on the Zoo and what they do (hey, I’m a poet, and I didn’t know it):

Entry fee to Zoo is $22. Seniors Concession $20. A group discount is available if you pre-purchase in excess of 20 tickets, therefore $19.80 with the 10% discount.
Zoo opens 9.00am - 5.00pm and safaris commence at 10.30am and go to 3.40pm, lasting for 40 minutes. However understand that some earlier safari departures go for some of their special or group tours, probably starting at 10.00am. I asked if we purchased tickets on a group basis whether we could book a time for a vehicle and was advised to ring a day or so before to try and organise, at least on the same bus, although I would also like to book a time for a safari as the earlier you go the better as you see more animals, and it also avoids the crowds.

A picnic ground is available at the zoo. If you want to book a group picnic size where BBQs are available it costs $70 and is under cover, otherwise you just take pot luck in the general picnic area which is free of charge. A kiosk is also situated in the zoo grounds and offers fast food and snacks. It may be better to have the picnic at the zoo rather than Werribee Park, as there is a charge of $12.50 to enter the park and the Mansion. This would make things a little expensive. There is however a Joint Zoo/Mansion ticket at $30.80. I believe a bit rushed to cover the Zoo and the Mansion, therefore probably not worth paying the extra to go to the park.

Some options are:
- Canoe Safari. Takes maximum of 18 people and lasts for two and a half hours. Cost $50 which includes canoe safari with equipment (you paddle), zoo entrance, safari bus tour and a stop on the river bank for morning tea. This leaves at 9.30am in the mornings.
- Open Vehicle Adventure with morning tea provided. $57 which includes admission. Takes maximum of 12 people and last 2 hours. Departs 9.30am Sundays and bookings essential.
- You might also be interested to know there are additional options of staying overnight on an "Out of Africa Night" at $205per person in 4 star luxury tents with an African BBQ feast, campfire and African drumming lesson. Maximum of 26 people, or else an option of a "Roar and Snore" night costing $150, which includes tent accommodation and dinner.

In view of the above information my recommendation would be to go the zoo (purchasing group tickets once we knew numbers) and trying to book an early safari departure, and either take a picnic lunch with us or just buy something at the kiosk. There is plenty to keep people occupied for some time at the zoo, once the safari has ended. We could then, as Barb suggested, head off to Queenscliff for a little look and across on the ferry to Sorrento for say 3 nights accommodation which may be more relaxing than returning to Melbourne accommodation and then going to Sorrento, however the latter option may be preferable for those departing on the Monday or Tuesday or who have some other plans.

Sunday night 25 to Tuesday night 27
We agreed on Sorrento as best place for an optional short break because, with people have varying departure dates, it’s so much easier to get back to Melbourne, and, as Barb and Andrew live in the area they offered to accommodate any late arrivals. They also offered their yacht for anyone wanting a nautical experience. Barb sent this picture and cautioned: "Our yacht is no 50 ft luxury vessel, just a 25 ft Catalina - but at least you don't get your bum wet .. and we can accommodate a dozen or so would-be old salts for a bit of social sailing...visiting the stinky bay seals and hopefully sighting a few dolphins."

As I mentioned in my last email to everyone, Barb has checked out accommodation alternatives in the area and had this to say on the place she recommended:

"In my opinion I don't think I will find anything more suitable for your needs. The lodge is casual and comfy with plenty of space for everyone. It has a very large open plan kitchen/living/dining room area, all kitchen equipment is supplied, the dining area has long trestle tables (perfect for sitting around and catching up on old times) the living area has plenty of couches to collapse in, there's a large TV, internet facilities, etc. and out the back is a great BBQ area. The bedrooms have the usual beach-house pine bunks, double and queen beds all freshly made up. It’s not a glitzy modern place with stainless steel everywhere and manicured lawns - or a B&B with starched sheets and postcard pretty gardens - its just like a nice big family beach house set among the tea-tree."

"I suggest arriving on Sunday evening because you could move straight in on arrival, however if the booking starts on the Monday you wouldn't be able to check in until 2 pm ...much more relaxing to have all day Monday free to do the "tourist things" (or sleep-in if desired!), As I mentioned to Marg, I'd be only too happy to buy the breakfast etc. supplies and have them there ready for your arrival so that everyone can just relax and enjoy themselves...you would only need to give me a shopping list! "

From everyone's emails (re: their plans), it appears that most would be spending a couple of days down at Sorrento, with a few staying on until Friday - so we won't need ALL the accommodation for the entire midweek.

Barb provides these tips for visitors to Sorrento:

"The Great Ocean Road - for those wanting to head across the bay to Lorne etc, its very handy from here on the Sorrento-Queenscliff car ferry which runs every hour 8am - 8pm.

Getting to and from Melbourne - If anyone wants to get back to/from Melbourne without a car, the excellent Peninsula Bus service runs approx. every 45 mins Sorrento-Frankston (& vice-versa) and meets the Frankston-Melbourne trains. "

Marg has found this proposed list of Events on in Melbourne (which have to be confirmed) that you might want to factor into your plans:

15-18 March. Formula One Australian Grand Prix
16-25 March. Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
16-25 March. Melbourne-Osaka Cup Yacht Race (Lou - this could be a cheap way to get back to Japan!)
17-1 April FINA Swimming World Championships
17-1 April Free FINA Cultural Festival
20-25 March Avalon Air Show
28-1 April Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show

From all correspondence I have received, my estimate of the number of people who will be coming for the reunion weekend is about 25.

OK, so that's how things stand at present. Once you have decided on your travel plans, please let me know your arrival and departure times so that we can make arrangements for your accommodation, and to get you to the City or airport, when you leave.

Marg has again dived into her diary and written an account of the trip around Oz. That should be the subject of the next post.

Author wanted

2006-09-11T13:18:00.000+10:00

It was my intention to write an article about the trip around Oz, but it may be that someone who kept a diary (I didn't), and has a little time available, would be prepared to contribute a couple of hundred words to accompany some of these photos from the "Smith Family Collection". If you are willing to do this, please send me an email before starting to do any writing.

Ideas and suggestions…

2006-09-10T11:34:00.000+10:00

My apologies for not posting anything here for a while. I’ve had a few distractions which have occupied much of my time recently.

At the beginning of August, my anti-virus software company McAfee offered me a free upgrade of my security system. I downloaded the upgrade which immediately stuffed up my computer. That took me a couple of weeks to sort out. Thanks for that Mr. McAfee – you will not be surprised to learn that I have dropped you from my Christmas card list, and your chances of getting any further business from me are somewhere between zero and nil.

Following that debacle I encountered another problem when my “equine investments strategy” (ie. my betting account – which was to help pay for all the meals I promised Jean Ide for finding the “lost” kiwis) headed in a southerly direction at an alarming rate. This required a week or so of burning the midnight oil and undergoing some personal panic and stress to sort things out.

While all of this was going on I was also in the middle of updating the Wikipedia Melbourne Project, in which I have been involved for the past couple of years. Incidentally if you are coming to Melbourne for the reunion, and you want to check out information about Melbourne, then have a look at the articles and categories listed on the wikipedia page under Melbourne Categories.

End of excuses.

Reunion correspondence and meeting:

Following Jean’s comment on the blog that Don and Paul have been “found”, I received an email from Don in August and sent him the details of the blog and the reunion. No further contact since then, your honour.

Barb remembered the name of the girl who she met some years ago, and was on the trip from London to Venice – her name is Sandy Pennicott (nee Schrank) – ring any bells with anyone who was on the India trip? Sent Sandy details, but no reply as yet.

Chrissie Jobson has written to say that the Melbourne Grand Prix is confirmed for March 18, and that she will be staying on after the race and is a definite starter for the reunion.

Jenny Lee (Jones) emailed a few days ago that she and Sarita have both booked flights to Melbourne for the reunion.

Meanwhile, here in Melbourne, myself, Marg, John and Sandy (the Reunion Organising Committee – or ROC) – a bit like the IOC only smaller and less scandal ridden – had a get-together a fortnight ago. The idea was to kick around a few ideas about what we would need to organise when people actually front up to the reunion. Fortunately, Margaret made some notes about what we discussed (I did have a glass of red) and emailed them to me, so they are the basis for what follows. Please bear in mind that these are random ideas and suggestions which we would like everyone to have a think about…. add to….knock on the head ….or flush down the dunny. Here goes:

Ideas for reunion

(a) Saturday/Sunday – March 24-25

Book a room in a restaurant - Indian/Nepalese/African type food? (Meat pie for Bill Jeans)
Hold a BBQ (catered, or by us) - at park, other venue, or someone's house
Have dinner at someone's house – may depend on numbers?
Hire a venue and have a party/dinner dance, e.g. Albert Sailing Club
Hold a picnic in a park or by the river.
Take ferry or boat from St. Kilda to Williamstown or along Maribynong or Yarra River

(b) The following week - Monday 26+

Two or three days camping at beach (tent, caravan or cabin) – Rosebud, Sorrento, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet, Apollo Bay, etc.

Hire a bus for two/three days and stay in either a guest house, ski lodge or other accommodation - Mt. Buller, Falls Creek, Daylesford , Marysville, etc.

Do a tour of the vineyards in the Yarra Valley.

Hire a couple of houseboats from Echuca and drift down the River Murray for a few days.
(Marg came up with this idea a couple of days after we had the meeting and I must say that it immediately appealed to me – accommodation, transport, food and drink in one package. Any votes for this idea?)

Arrange a 60th birthday party for a certain John Smith on 26 March. Anyone else having a birthday or anniversary around this time?

(c) Other touristy things to do around Melbourne

Grand Prix (March 15-18)
World Swimming Championships
Horse racing - personal investment advice provided, but no reponsibility!
Play golf
Go sailing
Go fishing
Go bushwalking
Visit local tourist spots - Southbank, Docklands, National Gallery, Street Markets, Casino.
Further afield - the Great Ocean Road, Mornington Peninsula, Sovereign Hill, Penguins at Philip Island.
For the less active - go on a pub crawl and reminisce about the "good old days".

(d) Items to bring, display, organise

Bring old travel photos, and pictures of family.
Arrange a display of maps of travel routes, newspaper reports, and “blow ups” of group photos.
Arrange for showing of DVD of overland trip – yes we have a movie - and it's in colour!
Bring/wear some item of memorabilia – perhaps have a “1970s dress" party?
Members of the “Ghurka Club” - please bring your Insignia of Office.
Organise a "reunion memento" - e.g. T-shirt, cap, mousepad, etc.?
Arrange surprise prizes/gifts.
Take lots of photos and video to compose a Reunion DVD.
Put together a Melbourne/Victoria “Tourist Kit”and send to interstate and overseas visitors .

Those are the suggestions and ideas, and this is the proposed timeline:

Friday 23rd March - People arrive and either stay in own arranged accommodation or accommodated at houses we organise in Melbourne. Casual get-togethers organised by host houses

Saturday 24th March - During day - own arrangements. Evening - dinner in restaurant or a BBQ somewhere

Sunday 25th March - Lunch time get-together (BBQ, picnic, lunch at restaurant) or drive somewhere for lunch, BBQ, picnic

Monday 26th March - Optional 2/3/4 day's away from Melbourne at the beach, in the bush, or on the River Murray.

What do you think? Either leave a comment here or send me an email on what you would like to do for the reunion. Send your suggestions as soon as possible so that we can organise a meetup of all Melburnians from the trip to sort out accommodation plans and discuss your ideas.

Update on update on....

2006-07-29T13:01:00.000+10:00

Australia to host first Grand Prix in 2007

Australia will host the opening race of the 2007 Formula One season, local organisers announced on Friday. The race will be held at Melbourne's Albert Park track on March 18, pending final confirmation from the sport's world governing body, Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman Ron Walker said.

So, if this report is confirmed, we will be looking at a reunion date based on the weekend of March 24 -25, 2007. For people who need a definite date in order to start making plans, let's work to this date.

Thank you to the people who sent cards or emails on the occasion of my 60th birthday on July 17. Some people have extremely long memories, or else there has been a bit of correspondence going on behind my back. And thanks to Marg for organising a night out, which I was quite happy to avoid, but she insisted should happen.
It was during that night that Marg's work in looking for Barb Rozsa (Cooper) bore fruit when, as we were having dinner, Barb telephoned Marg. She and Andrew are retired and have moved out of Melbourne, and are living on the Mornington Penninsla at Sorrento. They have a daughter who has inherited the "travel genes". In an email Barb said:

I mentioned to Marg there was a girl named Sandy (can't remember maiden name) who went only London-Venice. I ran into her about 20 years ago and kept in touch until about 10 years ago, so when I remember her married name I'll try to contact her.

Can anyone help Barb on this?

Peter Ide has sent this larger size photo of the groups arrival in Melbourne in November 1971.

Some fine looking specimens.

Update on Date

2006-07-21T15:26:00.000+10:00

My attempt at setting a "Date" for the reunion which does not coincide with the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix may soon be settled if the this report is correct:

Melbourne still not guaranteed 2007 opener - 20 July 2006

'(The 2007 race) could be March 4, 11 or 18.'

While March 4 and 11 are likely to be season-open spots, March 18 - or the third weekend in the month - is traditionally the date for F1's second race.

Australia's 'Herald Sun' newspaper, meanwhile, reported that the latter date is most 'likely' for the Albert Park event of 2007.

'(The FIA) is expected to confirm the grand prix dates by the end of the week,' the newspaper article added.

It seems that "The Movers and Shakers" of Melbourne Events might have organised more events for March than "you can point a stick at". The city appears to have been double booked, with the World Swimming Championships set to commence on March 17.

Watch this space.

A reminder of times past – part 3

2006-07-10T14:32:00.000+10:00

This reminder of the Africa trip has been written by Marg Curry.
The photographs are from “The Smith Family Collection” and the pathetic attempts at a Comic Strip are from my contribution to Graham’s journal from 1971. It may not surprise you that I did not pursue my artist talent!

African Overland Trip

After traveling 15,310 miles overland from England to India, the ship journey from Bombay to Mombasa was looked forward to as a pleasant change. Only 35 cabin class passengers, of which we were 11, the remaining passengers being bunk class and not allowed in many of the public rooms.

It was just as well we liked Indian food as we had spicy varieties for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including eating vegetarian meals with our fingers, consumed in the dining room of the cabin class passengers. Lazy days of reading, playing table tennis, sunbathing, visiting the bridge, a lifeboat drill (in which the boats could not be released) and fights with water and Gurkha badges! The only stop during the voyage was at the Seychelles Islands – a tropical paradise.

Finally, arrival on the African continent and an idyllic campsite at Whitesands Hotel, near Mombasa. We became acquainted with insects, ants, crabs and numerous black millipedes. It was in Mombassa that our tour group welcomed Jenny Jones who flew out from England to join the trip on her way home to Australia.

The camp at Whitesands was a relaxing time – swimming, sunbathing, writing, reading, playing darts and drinking at the bar, the latter our downfall as I believe we were politely asked to leave the campsite after more than one raucous evening.

Carole was not well here and had a visit to hospital. At first it was suspected hepatitis but this did not develop. However, our entire group had hepatitis injections, looking apprehensively at each other in the doctor’s waiting room, before going in one by one for a jab in the tail.

Christmas Day was a great celebration everyone helping with preparations and the cooking. Breakfast of fried eggs (no bacon) and bread with margarine for the first time since leaving Turkey. Lunch of fresh fruit salad consisting of plums, passionfruit, oranges, bananas, pineapple, paw paw, mangoes and fresh cream. Chicken and pork were cooked in a hungi on hot coals. We lazed around on Graham’s Kashmir carpet in front of a tree hung with Christmas cards. A few decorations of streamers and coloured paper and balloons completed the festivities. Afternoon tea of pineapple juice and Christmas cake. Exchanging of fun presents before dinner and plenty of drinks purchased duty free and kept cold by filling a trunk with ice.

Our next stop was Malindi 70 miles north where we camped on the beach in front of
the golf club. New Year’s eve was celebrated with dinner beside a swimming pool, followed by a discotheque. The New Year saw Brutus and Jenny being thrown into the pool, although many others went swimming.

Tsavo National Park was our first game park and time was passed by guessing what animals we would see first. When one was sighted no one knew what it was but we later decided on an Impala. We also saw elephants, zebra, gazelle, monkeys, squirrels, giraffe, foxes, rhinoceros and a hippopotamus. Mt Kilimanjaro barely visible through the cloud.

While in Nairobi, it was discovered that Graham had hepatitis so he was admitted to
hospital and each day people made trips into the town to visit him. We had to leave Graham here to convalesce but had lunch with him in the hospital grounds. Graham joined us in his pyjamas and insisted on going for a short drive checking that everything was OK with the bus. Graham was to join us later but here we farewelled Heather who left to fly home to Queensland.

We celebrated crossing the Equator by a brief mud fight and finally reached the
Ugandan border after being stopped for police checks – had to toot the horn and show that the wipers worked! The good roads near the border soon petered out and from then on we travelled on red dirt roads. The African people were always waving to us and calling out ‘Jambo’.

Our campsite at Murchison Falls National Park was memorable for finding ticks on ourselves, sleeping bags and stretchers so we spent some time de-ticking each other.
A disconcerting sign read “When pitching tents allow room for animals to roam amongst them”. Apart from in-ground loos there were no other facilities so intrepid travelers that we were resorted to having a drink in the bar at the lodge and visiting the modern toilets there to wash in the basins, having first armed ourselves with soap and towel.

Apart from seeing numerous animals in all the game parks we visited, on a launch trip up the Albert Nile to see the mighty Murchison Falls, we must have seen hundreds of hippos and crocodiles and also numerous kinds of birds such as eagles, cranes and kingfishers.

One day in western Uganda, whilst filling up with petrol, we observed a group of 20 to 30 people lying on the ground outside a police station. They appeared to be receiving some very physical interrogation from a number of police officers. In hindsight, it may have been connected with the overthrow of the Uganda Government by Idi Amin which occurred about a week later, after we had left the country.

Serengeti National Park was vast, and on asking one of the park drivers where to go to see the best viewing spots he advised we would get lost. However we set off alone and did managed to completely lose ourselves but soon saw the Park’s vehicles and followed them being lucky to see 7 lionesses in one group and also two leopards. After an afternoon’s viewing of many animals, we drove to our allocated campsite No. 9. On driving past No. 1 we noticed an elephant and there was much hilarity and apprehension as to what would be on number 9 and how we would fare during the night.

Sandy and Jean ventured to the loo but returned running back to the bus for safety having heard grunts and seen eyes shining in the darkness. Brutus who was in a tent, lifted up the flap and yelled to us to open the bus door then raced across the ground to land panting inside. In the morning we laughed over the incidents of the night before and found that some of our animals had turned out to be a tree stump and the eyes silver paper. Leaving Serengeti we witnessed the memorable sight of thousands of zebra, gazelle and wildebeest migrating across the plains.

We camped at a local police station near Ngorongoro Crater for two days waiting for a Contiki tour to arrive as we hoped to use their Land Rover to go down into the crater to view the animals, and also the driver of the trip – Peter, was Jenny’s boyfriend. The wait was worth it as before we left Jenny and Peter announced their engagement. However, Peter O’Neill was diagnosed with malaria there and dosed up on quinine shots. After about a week he was back to his usual self.

We set out to walk up to the first hut on Mt. Kilimanjaro – 9,000 feet and 9 miles up. It was a steep climb and after about two hours it started to rain heavily. We found a small hut to shelter in for lunch but then decided to return as the track was now like a miniature stream. We were drenched and slid down the track through the mud and slush eventually reaching sunshine lower down the mountain.

At Dar Es Salaam we were reunited with Graham who had travelled from Nairobi with a Contiki tour. They camped nearby and we made the most of the company sharing our travel experiences. We stayed in log cabins by the beach and the bar for the complex was like a miniature zoo, being frequented by an assortment of animals – dogs, cats, mongoose and monkeys that swung from the rafters, sometimes upsetting drinks.

Heading to the Tanzanian border we were delayed as the road was just mud and slush with numerous trucks stuck and others skidding. We had tea while waiting and others investigated the conditions. We later weaved our way between trucks, the rest of us following behind giving a push when needed or jumping on the back bumper for extra weight to stop the vehicle from slipping.

At the border into Malawi, the girls were politely asked by an Immigration official to wear a dress which covered the knees. We were prepared for this and had previously obtained lengths of materials to wrap around our shorts.

We arrived in the country on the weekend of their changeover to decimal currency. At one town on asking if there was a bank, the reply was “Yes, it comes on Thursdays”. We managed to change some money but there were long queues of people as many had come to the town with their money tied up in their handkerchiefs and wanted the exact equivalent coin for their old coins.

We camped on the edges of Lake Malawi in the grounds of a hotel for 7 days. It was a lazy time, swimming and reading, the boys going fishing and we watched the local fishermen using their dugout canoes to carry their fishing nets out into the lake then sit on the beach pulling them in.

A man who had befriended us here, and who owned a garage offered the group the job of driving some Australian Holden utes and panel vans for export into Zambia. Many of the people accepted
the offer and thoroughly enjoyed themselves slithering and sliding their way along the muddy, pot-holed roads. The cars were left at the town of Chipati near the Zambian border.

Good bitumen roads to Lusaka the capital of Zambia with many modern buildings, beautiful goods on display, and in general the most civilized place we had been in for months. The camping ground was the best since Turkey and it was luxury for us to have hot running water, baths and showers.

It was Sandy’s birthday so we celebrated by having dinner at a small cafe then going onto the Chilanga Club. It turned out to be a double celebration as during the
evening much excitement was created as Carole and Peter announced their engagement. Our night ended with a 2.00am return to the campsite. Talk of ‘Stan’ being the wedding vehicle led to the bus being decorated the next day with white toilet paper and driven into town.

From Kariba Dam where the middle of the wall separates Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) from Zambia we headed to Victoria Falls – a tremendous sight. We wandered around the many viewpoints some of which it was recommended to wear raincoats and use umbrellas. We didn’t and got drenched.

At the camping ground in Salisbury the different tradesmen called at the tents each day, making it easier for buying goods but other more unwelcome visitors were hairy grubs which spun cocoons in our clothes and also white ants which took a liking to the tent bags.

Heading to Fort Victoria (now known as Masvingo) we called on a friend of Grahams, and although he was not at home his mother invited us in for tea and cakes while seated on a verandah from which to look out on a beautiful view. In exchange for petrol coupons which were used because of the shortage of fuel, we were given a turkey and roll of beef – most welcome.

Visited the Zimbabwe ruins discovered in 1868 before heading to South African border. Here we immediately became aware of the apartheid policy that existed at that time with separate entrances to Immigration marked “White” and “Non White”.

Arrived in the sprawling metropolis of Johannesburg known as “The Golden City”. Met Bernie Fisher, a friend of Grahams then headed to the camping ground only to be advised they only took caravans as campers lowered the tone. As it was late we ended up at Bernie’s home placing our stretchers around the various rooms, much to the bewilderment of his mother. The next day we found a camping ground to take us.

In Johannesburg the bus had major repairs, we held an engagement party for Carole and Peter, visited a diamond warehouse where Carole chose a ring, saw movies and slides of our trip and visited the Rand Easter Show. Then it was off travelling again towards Kruger National Park – but not for long. Just as we entered the town of Nelspruit the engine on Stan stopped. It was discovered the drive shaft in the fuel pump had gone and subsequently that the replacement part was rather expensive. As the engine generally was not in a good condition it was decided to end the trip now doing the uncompleted part prior to catching the ship to Australia.

Graham and Jean hitched back to Johannesburg to bring back a Land Rover to tow us while the rest waited patiently for their return the following day. We were towed the 230 miles back to Johannesburg in a long slow trip, while most of the group hitched to save on weight.

The following day it was job and flat hunting for most people. Carole and Peter were leaving the trip to return to Australia, and Graham hired the bus to a company doing a trip up to Nairobi. This was the end of our nomad life for a while, as, after almost nine months of travelling through numerous countries in the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa we faced the real world of work for the next 3 months.

Like, what’s happening, man?

2006-07-10T13:59:00.000+10:00

Now, where was I before this World Cup interrupted my life. Oh, that’s right – the reunion.

Do you ever find that there just never seem to be enough hours in the day to do everything you want to do? As a kid I recall that time seemed to drag on into the distance. But, once you crack 50 it’s like you’ve joined life’s bobsleigh team, and you’re hurtling downhill and can’t find the bloody handbrake. Anyway, no time for introspection, let’s get to the “goss” update.

Jean Ide emailed to say that she had found that Colin and Carol Francis were on the 2005 electoral roll as living at 8582 Paeroa Kopu Road, Puriri, Coromandel in New Zealand and that she had written to them at that address. In a later email Jean said:

“No luck with Colin and Carol Francis - letter returned from their 2005 Electoral Roll address. Only possibility now is that when the new 2006 E/Roll books come out later in the year they may be in one of them - when people move their redirections are automatically sent to the electoral office for them to update records so hopefully if they have 'retired' in NZ they may be traced later.”

As far as Don Clark and Paul Foster are concerned Jean wrote:

“No word from the Clark connection in Masterton so far. Tried to work out Paul's second name as far easier to trace that way but unfortunately there were several born in the Wairarapa/Palmerston North/Wellington region - is there any possibility of someone having his second name?”

And added in a later email:

“Nowt back from Don Clark contact in Wairarapa, nor Paul Foster so it may appear to be a dead end with them.”

Jean had better luck in finding Rae (Lancaster) Drake as you may have read in the “comments” section to the June 9 post.

Rae and husband Bruce have recently been in Melbourne on business and we managed to arrange a mini-reunion last Sunday - July 2. Rae is terrific. Has not changed a bit. The conversation was along the lines of…..“as I was saying 35 years ago!” It certainly whet the appetite for the big reunion next year. Bruce is an aircraft engineer, who is battling his way through the bureaucratic nightmare of the paperwork involved with registering a new ultralight aircraft in Oz.

While on the subject of “The Date”, I rang the Melbourne Grand Prix office this week and they told me that the Melbourne race is provisionally set for the first or second weekend in March but that will not be confirmed until October. I’m thinking that the weekend after the Grand Prix would be an ideal date. That would make it March 10-11 or March 17-18. Any “petrolheads” amongst you, or anyone who wants to loosen the wax in their ears, can front up a week earlier and watch the procession around Albert Park. If you ask John or Sandy nicely, they might be able to arrange a view of the Grand Prix from a sailing boat on Albert Park Lake while the race is on.

Jennie Lee has been very extremely busy. On June 9 she wrote to say:

“I am trying to find Mike Jackson and have sent out a few emails looking for him.
I have always been in touch with Sarita, and she is coming to stay for a few days soon. She is following up with Alfi so hope to get her involved too.”

And a couple of days later:

“I have just spoken with Mike Jackson. He is living in NSW.”

Jennie included Mike’s email address, and I wrote to him, but have not yet heard back from him.

I had another email from Jennie on June 20:

“I am including Nereda Denington's email address.
Nereda was on the trip in the very begining. She went from London to Germany.
Nereda lives in Brisbane and we have kept in touch all the time.”

On June 29 Ned (Nereda) emailed me to say:

“I was involved very, very early in the trip travelling from London to Venice, from whence I had to fly home. I still stay in touch with Sandy and John, and of course Jennie, and know most of the people involved from the beginning of the trip. I had a little to do with the tour insignia/design on the buses, as Graham was a friend of mine in London. Also I was in Brisbane when they passed thru here and we put them up for a few nights.”

On June 26, Sandy had an email from Heather Dowling (Gillespie) in South Australia which said in part:

“Thanks for your letter about the reunion. I’d love to come, and usually arrange some leave around March each year, so it might fit nicely.
All the best. Hoppy”

I’ve also received emails from Bernard Fisher in Perth and Noel Maclachlan (Huntley) in Sydney. Both are very interested in the reunion. Apologies if I haven’t responded to your particular email.

Margaret is trying to track down Barb Rosa (Cooper) who we misplaced a few years ago in Melbourne.

Note to Lou, presuming you are reading this blog:
Any chance that you and Peter Ide could write an account of your journey from England to South Africa. (ie. before we met up in Jo’burg.) Would like some pictures to go with it, and will publish here. I would appreciate your thoughts, Lou. Drop me an email.

I would like to put together a list of people who have been contacted and their intentions as to the reunion. Could you email me as to how you see your situation, assuming that March 10-11 or 17-18 is the date. We may need to work out if it's necessary to hire a couple of marquees to accommodate everyone. I’m sure you would all look forward spending some more time under canvas!

This post has now dragged on for three days. Time to publish.

The New Academy Award

2006-07-07T11:53:00.000+10:00

There are a couple of World Cup rumours doing the rounds....which I’m starting right here.

The first rumour is that the next Academy Awards will have a new category for “Best performance by an Actor at the 2006 World Cup”. Nominations so far include:

Fabio Grosso for his spectacular effort in tripping over a blade of grass in the Australia v. Italy match, and

Thierry Henry in the France v. Portugal match for his magnificent performance in milking everything from a minor foot contact, and suggesting to the referee that his legs had been severed at the knee.

The other rumour is that FIFA is considering changing the team strips for the next World Cup to include goggles, face masks and flippers so that players are better equipped for the developing football skill of diving.

End of rumours.

In the past, the world game was played by people of integrity, not by a bunch of cheating millionaires. Don’t these dickheads realise that there are millions of kids around the world watching their antics. Will someone please rid a great sport of these fraudsters and con men.

Australia 0 Italy 1

2006-06-28T13:03:00.000+10:00

It is now 24 hours since the Socceroos dream was shattered by yet another "very ordinary" refereeing decision. Rather than vent my spleen on the standard of FIFA officials at the 2006 World Cup, here's a quote from an independent observer.

Rohit Brijnath of The Hindu writes:

Driven by dreams
Football is driven as much by dreaming as it is by tactics and fitness, thus leaving room for heartbreak. Ronaldinho has said that at 14 he realised his purpose was to win the World Cup. Australia's dream was just to arrive at a cup, and there is something grotesque about men striving for 95 minutes only to have their ambitions betrayed by a referee's error.

How tragic was Italy's penalty against Australia: it came with no time left for reply, it came because of a foul against Lucas Neill who did not put a foot wrong all tournament, it came because an Italian swooned on contact with Neill and the referee believed the performance. Cried Tim Cahill: "All the hard work and spirit has been for nothing."

Australia is possibly the story of this cup, for almost every other attending nation lives for football, in Australia it is only being discovered. Now the prime minister has been filmed cheering, and for a politician to turn a sport into a photo opportunity it must be important.

For all the imperfections of Australian football, its performances were almost perfect in their effect. They demonstrated to sceptical Australians the beauty of football (the thrill of three goals in the final eight minutes against Japan, the catastrophe against Italy), and advertised to the football world, where it is mostly unacknowledged, the boldness of the sporting Australian.

They will get over their heartbreak, but for us the tragedies of the cup remain. Like waking up to watch an ugly England, and then wondering why we did not sleep on.

Thanks for the memories boys.

Referee was simply apPOLLing

2006-06-24T09:52:00.000+10:00

I’m beginning to understand why some people find “blogging” a bit of an addiction. It does provide a means of blowing off steam on subjects which you are passionate about. So please excuse my rabbiting on about the World Cup again when I’m supposed to be organising a reunion….BUT, did you see this mornings football game between Australia and Croatia. It ended in a 2-2 draw but once again the quality of the refereeing has to be questioned.

You have to wonder if there was a conspiracy going on, in Germany, to deny the Socceroos their rightful place in the round of 16. The pommie Premier League referee Graham Poll, who was in charge of this mornings Australia match, was simply apPOLLing…. sorry about the pun, I just could not help myself. His knowledge of the rules of the game is sadly deficient. As far as I’m aware, a rugby tackle in the penalty area should result in a penalty kick. Not, apparently, in the opinion of Graham Poll. And he appears to be ignorant of the rule regarding which players are allowed to punch the ball in the penalty area. That’s restricted to the goalkeeper, Graham. Have a look at the rule book, mate. AND he can’t count. After getting TWO yellow cards, a player should be sent off the field, Graham. Not three!

And another thing, while we are on the subject of World Cup officials, might I suggest that FIFA review all offside decisions by linesmen (PC=referees assistants). There have been far too many incorrect decisions, and the worst offenders should be given a red card and told to pack their bags. Any marginal offside decision should go the way of the attacking side, not the defending side, which is what is happening at present. That will result in more goal scoring opportunities, which is what the public want.
There, I feel a lot better after getting that off my chest.

I did notice that the “Fat Man” had a bit of a yodel for Brazil in the Japan game and scored a couple of goals.

WARNING: Italy beware. The Men From Down Under are going to “Bite yer legs”.

Brazilian Footballer - new endangered species

2006-06-19T13:41:00.000+10:00

It would appear that a new endangered species has been identified. It is the Brazilian Football Player at the 2006 World Cup. According to the Brazilian Spin Doctors the species is threatened by overly aggressive opponents, particularly the Australian species known as the Socceroos. In accordance with the Spin Doctors guidelines this newly endangered species is being given special protection....by World Cup referees.

The species can be identified by its yellow and blue plumage, often with a partially or fully shaved head. It has recently been seen in Germany, on football pitches, running around with one arm extended, to illegally keep its opponents at bay. Should an opponent come within an arms length of the species, it is liable to collapse in a screaming heap, at which point the referee will caution the opponent....for attempted murder.

Fair Dinkum! A magnificent performance by the Socceroos this morning. The 2-0 score line in favour of Brazil was not representative of the way the match played out. I think Brazil would have been flattered by a 1-1 draw.

On the basis of Brazil's first two matches, I cannot see them winning this World Cup. I am tempted to say that if Brazil do win this World Cup, I will walk the length of Collins Street, backwards, naked, and in a stooped position....but you never know when the "Fat Man" will decide its time to sing.

News from Kaiserslautern

2006-06-13T13:18:00.000+10:00

World Cup result:
Australia 3 Japan 1

That result again:
Australia 3 Japan 1

And especially for the all the knockers and "Doubting Thomas's":
Australia 3 Japan 1

They left it a bit late.
But I am chuffed.
And tired.
Bring on Brazil.

Correspondence update

2006-06-09T18:56:00.000+10:00

This is to update everyone on the telephone and email “goss” which has come my way in the last few weeks.
1. Chrissie Jobson, who was on the Aussie leg of the trip and now works for a large broadcasting company in the UK, will be coming to Melbourne to cover the Formula 1 Grand Prix next year. The race is provisionally scheduled for March 1 to 4, but needs to be officially confirmed. This date pretty much fits in with the time I suggested in my first email to everyone.
2. I am being pressed by Queenslanders to set a definite reunion date. Seems there’s been a sale of cheap airfares going on up North recently.
3. Peter and Jean Ide have been doing some great sleuthing work in NZ. They are hot on the trail of Rae (Lancaster) Drake and Don Clark, and have also got a lead on Colin and Carol Francis who were on the Turkey to India leg of the trip, travelling with Wendy and Barb Thomas in the Bedford van.
4. As I mentioned in the last post, Graham Strachan has sent me his journal/scrapbook of the overland trips, which will make recalling things a bit easier when I get around to writing something on the Africa and Aussie trips.
5. Marg Curry has been overseas for the last month, attending a wedding in the UK and taking a holiday in Europe. I believe she is due back in Oz next week.

That’s all for now folks. Need to get some sleep. I’ve got the watching of 64 World Cup matches to fit into the next month. Most of them late at night, or early in the morning.
Go the Socceroos.

Song of Oz

2006-06-09T12:11:00.000+10:00

I was day-dreaming a few days ago, trying to recall the time we were travelling in Western Australia, and we managed the travel arrangements so that all the “poms” spent the day together in the Land Rover. The reason for organising this subterfuge was to get together to compose a song which reflected our thoughts on the first few weeks of travelling in Oz. I was trying to remember the title of the song it was based on, and couldn’t, and was thinking that I might post a request for anyone who could recall the song and the lyrics.
A couple of days later, John and Sandy Smith called around with a surprise packet. John had recently contacted Graham Strachan, who is running a South American travel business in Croydon, Victoria – see the link on the right: Destination Holidays.
The surprise which John brought was Graham’s scrapbook of the trip in 1970-71, containing contributions from just about everyone who was on the trip. It was like being presented with the Holy Grail. And contained within the pages were the lyrics to the song I had been trying to recall a few days earlier.
With many thanks to Graham, and Sandie and Chrissie Jobson who had the foresight to write down the lyrics, and to the tune of “We three Kings…” here is…

The Poms Song

We six poms from England are,
Come to Aussie via Africa,
Streams and creeks, pisses and leaks,
Stopping at ev’ry bar.

Chorus:

Ohhh, land of nothing, land of shite,
Land of flies that torment and bite,
Eastward heading, clothes we’re shedding,
What will happen to us tonight.

Verse 2
We came here with hopes so high,
All we’ve left is a throat that’s dry,
The price of beer is too bloody dear,
And all we can do is sigh.

Verse 3
Land of sheep and kangaroos,
Waterless rivers and stupid emus,
Bushflies, bores and Hay Street whores,
Travellin’ our way right through.

Verse 4
Melbourne’s there, we could be late,
For we had three broken clutch plates,
This is the end, we’re round the bend,
So we’ll wish you “Hiya Mates!”

Unlikely to make the top ten, but not bad for a one day effort while travelling several hundred kilometres, in 40 degree heat, in remote W.A.

Missing….but not forgotten

2006-06-05T17:20:00.000+10:00

I thought it might be time to put up a list of the people who have not been mentioned in emails or discussions as being on someone’s list of contacts. I have been through my old address book, circa 1970, and come up with this list, with my last known address. If anyone reading this has any other information please let me know by email or through contact details on the profile page.

Here’s the list:

Australia
Barb Rosa (Cooper) – Hotham Street, East St. Kilda, Victoria
Wendy Thomas – Warringah Road, Forestville, NSW
Barb Thomas – Warringah Road, Forestville, NSW
Heather Storey – Peel Street, Manly, Queensland

New Zealand
Don Clark – Kibblewhite Road, Masterton
Paul Foster – Third Street, Masterton
Rae Lancaster – Browns Road Christchurch
Colin Francis – Papatoetoe, Auckland
Carol Francis– Papatoetoe, Auckland
Mike Jackson - Rotorua

Africa
Alan Boyd – How Avenue, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, S.A.
Roelof (Butch) Roberts – Harvey Street, Umkomaas, Natal, S.A.
Pat Harnden – Lambourne Farm, Chegutu (formerly Hartley), Zimbabwe

U.K.
Bob Martin

Could everyone put on their detective hats and make a big effort to try and contact these long “misplaced” friends. You could start by checking out this website - NetTrace - which has suggestions for lines of enquiry.
I’ll shout dinner to anyone who can come up with a contact address. But you’ll have come to Melbourne to get a free feed!

I am the invisible man

2006-05-31T14:50:00.000+10:00

This has nothing to do with the reunion thing, but I believe that the idea of these blogs is that you can use them to have the occasional whinge. So here it is.

I called into the Optus shop in Chapel Street this morning to transfer my phone to Optus and get a broadband connection. It seems that to do this you have to produce 100 points worth of identification. Problem. My passport has expired and, as I haven't been driving for the last few years, my driving licence has also expired. It seems that if you don't have either of these documents you cannot get a broadband connection through Optus. You are a non-person. You do not exist. You have become the invisible man. Even an original 59 year-old birth certificate was insufficient to convince them of my existence.
I walked 50 metres to the Telstra shop where the ID was a “non-issue”. I have suddenly re-appeared again. Looks like Telstra might get my business.
Whinge over.

The best laid plans…

2006-05-31T13:49:00.000+10:00

It had been my intention to post more information on the Africa and Australia legs of the overland journey of 35 years ago, before getting to the “here and now” and suggestions for the reunion. But since I started the blog I seem to have "opened the flood gates to pandora’s can of worms" of photo’s and memorabilia. And thank you for all your emails. I will reply…soon… Promise.

So, here are some of the photo’s I have been sent recently. Maiden names are in brackets.

First, some oldies (photo's that is).

December, 1971 Melbourne. L-R: Barb (Cooper) Rosa, Alan Boyd, Peter Ide, Pat Harnden, Mike Jackson, Peter Froment, Lou Winwood, John Smith and Butch Roberts.

December, 1971 Melbourne. L-R: Graham Strachan, Alvah (Bronckhorst) Barrington, Pat Harnden, Jean (Mackay) Ide, Peter Froment, Sarita (Smuts) Benade, Mike Jackson, Alan Boyd, John Smith and Butch Roberts.

And second, some older oldies.

The “Surrey Overlanders” Reunion 2005 at Rusington, UK. L-R: John Hawkins, Lou Winwood, Peter Ide, Liz, and Jean Ide.

The wedding of John and Sandy’s daughter Peta, to Aaron, November 2005 in Melbourne. L-R: Peter O’Neill, Carole O’Neill, Peta (Smith) Newnham, Bernie Sermon, Peter Froment, Margaret Curry, John Smith and Sandy Smith.

Sandie (Jobson) Fellingham (right) and sister Chrissie. February 2006 Durban South Africa.

A reminder of times past – part 2

2006-05-29T13:31:00.000+10:00

From Bombay the journey continued by the Indian ship “State Of Haryana”, via the Seychelles, to Mombasa in Kenya.
A number of people had left the trip in India and others had joined, and we were to meet more replacements upon arrival in East Africa.

On January 6, 1971 this article appeared in the Nairobi newspaper the Daily Nation:-

What a way to go
It started with small hand written advertisements in men’s and women’s loos in London. It is continuing with a round-the-world motor-trip for a dozen hardy adventurers who are taking their time – a year – to see the varied cultures of this globe.
Twenty-three-year-old Graham Strachan, an Australian farmer from a Melbourne suburb, has a bit of Marco Polo in him. He has driven half a dozen times from Britain to India. But last year he wanted to do something more adventurous.

Top: Graham Strachan, John Smith, Peter O'Neill and Peter Froment. Bottom: Sandy Thompson, Noel Huntley, Jenny Jones, Carole Proctor, Heather Storey and Margaret Curry.

So he struck on the idea of a round-the-world trip in his mini-bus from Britain overland to India, thence to Mombasa and down south to sail over to Australia. From there on to New Zealand and again across to South America. Then it would be north to Canada and back home.
To recruit passengers for this global bus safari he posted handwritten advertisements in the men’s and women’s toilets at every party he attended in London last summer.
It was not taken as a joke and more than a dozen adventurers from Britain, Australia and New Zealand turned up, Graham charged them ₤520 for expenses for the year-long trip.
They roared off from misty London for more sunny lands in their diesel mini-bus dubbed “Stanjun”. “Now we have seven girls and five men on this trip who have taken a year off from their work and are determined to see something of the varied culture and lands of the world,” he told me.
They are clerks, secretaries, nurses, teachers and engineers.
When I rode their bus in Nairobi I was greeted by cheerful people who take bumps in their stride. Aren’t you fed up by being bounced along the dusty winding roads by now was my first question.
“We love it,” said a couple of girls visibly suntanned. Graham added: “It is cheaper to travel this way and you also have a one-year holiday.”
What have been the memorable experiences on the trip?
“Treading grapes for wine at the Daphni Wine Festival,” said one. “Being chased by wolves in Yugoslavia,” said another.
“Driving up 50 miles on a dry river bed in Iran.”

This was a part of the daily exercise regime in Nairobi. The slacker (not pushing) on the right is Margaret Curry

After spending Christmas of 1970 camped on a beach at Mombasa, and New Year at Malindi, we set off on the African leg of our journey.

Luxury campsite at Mombasa, Kenya. Note Graham's genuine Indian carpet being used as a picnic blanket on Christmas Day 1970.

A reminder of times past – part 1

2006-05-18T12:58:00.000+10:00

Recently, a few old friends living in Melbourne were chatting after dinner, when the subject of a reunion was mentioned. The particular reunion discussed was of friends who were part of an overland journey from England to Australia some 35 years ago. A number of people on that trip had stayed in touch over the years and the subject of a reunion had been mentioned on a number of occasions. The outcome of the discussion was that I was ‘volunteered’ to organise the reunion. This blog is the first step in that process. To give readers a little background, and to assist old friends, who may suffer the odd ‘senior moment’ here is a reminder of times past – with pictures.

In late summer of 1970 four innocent, young, pommie lads departed England intending to drive a converted ambulance to India, and then catch a boat to Australia.
At about the same time a group of 12, mainly Aussies and Kiwis, were also leaving, with similar plans which included a trip to Africa. Their paths were to intersect a number of times on the journey to India, before combining, heading to Africa, and on to Australia.

The following article about the trip to India was published in the “Hartepool Mail” in January 1971 based on a report which I sent from Kenya:

Overlanders’ converted ambulance took man to hospital while in Turkey
Three young men – two from Hartlepool and the other from Billingham – remaining in a party of four, who set off from Hartlepool in August last year (1970) on an overland journey to Australia in a converted ambulance will now be in Africa – minus the ambulance.
It was on August 25, after six months of planning and converting the ambulance, that the four headed south in their vehicle which they had purchased from Hartlepool Corporation for ₤45 10s.
They were John Boagey (23), of Windsor Street; Peter Froment (23), of Jutland Road; John Smith (23), of Haswell Avenue, all Hartlepool, and Peter O’Neill (22), of Billingham.
They journeyed by way of Dover to Ostend and motored on to Italy, via Munich, Innsbruck, and the Brenner Pass. After a short tour of Italy, they boarded the overnight ferry boat and crossed to Greece, arriving at Igoumenitsa the next morning to begin a two day run to Athens.

To hospital
It was in Kavalla in Greece that they met Graham Strachan a 23-year-old Australian from Melbourne, who was making his seventh trip to India, having previously made the journey as a driver for a couple of concerns running coaches to India. Graham was later to feature strongly in their meanderings.
On September 23, they drove into Istanbul, and on leaving, retraced their steps slightly and turned south to catch a ferry boat for Asia Minor at Ecabat. At Pamukkale, they spent an hour bathing in the old Roman mineral swimming pool which is fed by a hot spring.

After leaving Egridir, they received their first puncture since England, and while they were mending it, they again met with Graham Strachan’s mini-bus. They then travelled together for practically the rest of the journey.
The former ambulance once again was used for the purpose for which it was made for a short while at Nevsehir. They had travelled 30 km. south to see an underground city carved out of rock and were returning to Nevsehir when they were stopped by a policeman.

One less
He asked if they could take to hospital a local man who had fallen from a tractor and badly cut his forehead. John Smith administered some first aid to the man, who was also suffering from shock, and they took him to the hospital in Nevsehir.
They travelled to the Iranian border and camped at Tuncelli. Although the weather was getting very good during the nights, they were surprised on waking one morning o find the countryside at Erzurum covered with snow.
Tehran was to become the end of the journey for one of the group, when John Boagey informed his fellow travellers that he had to fly back to England.
They were sorry to lose John because they had become a closely knit and well-organised group. However, at 3 am on October 14 at Tehran Airport they said goodbye to John and headed south through open desert to Esfahan, the most beautiful city of Iran.
In Ahwaz, their number became 19 because they were now carrying an Australian couple, Carol and Colin Francis, whom they had met earlier in Iran, and had been joined by two Australian sisters travelling in a Bedford van.
The convoy of three vehicles parted company for a while at Shiraz.
The mini-bus and Bedford van took the more direct route across the Great Sand Desert, while the English party followed the gravel road to the Pakistan border.

Traffic on this road was almost non-existent and it was not unusual to drive for four or five hours without seeing another vehicle.
After four-and-a-half days of slow driving through desert, where their speed was sometimes reduced to about 8 mph for several hours, they arrived in Pakistan, but the open barren desert continued.

Familiar
It was while they were walking through the streets in Quetta that they first heard a phrase which was to become familiar – “Change money sahib?” In Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nepal there existed a black market for changing money and it was often possible to obtain twice the legal rate of exchange.
For some time they had been considering Graham Strachan’s offer of joining him on the African part of his journey and with this in mind they decided to try and sell their vehicle in Kabul.
They found a buyer, but the deal eventually fell through because of the amount of duty – 200 per cent of the purchase price – which the buyer would have to pay. In anticipation of selling the vehicle, they had sold their camping and cooking equipment and were a little disappointed when they left Kabul.
Graham, who was now carrying most of their personal effects, had left four days earlier and gone to Srinigar in Kashmir. They were to meet later in New Delhi.
Travelling on, they passed through the historic Khyber Pass and on to Rawlpindi and Lahore.

The party arrived in Delhi on November 13, having travelled from Kabul without any tools or a jack which they had given to Graham. They had four punctures during the period and were helped each time by local lorry drivers.

After meeting up with Graham again they headed south and stayed the night at the 16th Century abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri.
The next day was a particularly memorable one because they travelled to Agra and visited the 17th Century mausoleum built by Shah Jahan, the Taj Mahal.

Himalayas
A 15-hour drive then took them to the holy Hindu city of Benares on the River Ganges. They then visited the Kingdom of Nepal with its terraced hillsides and backcloth of snow-covered Himalayan peaks.
After 100 miles of winding their way over two 8,000foot passes, with hardly 100yd. of straight road, they entered the fascinating city of Kathmandu.
Peter Froment takes up the story from there:-
“Our hotel was costing 2s. 6d. per hight and a meal of buffalo steak and chips was also very cheap at 2s. 6d. At our hotel we met Harry, an 18-year-old Nepalese, who we engaged to sell our vehicle. This was to prove something of a task because of the high duty (approx. US 2,000 dollars) which was fixed by the Custom’s officials.
“However, after a couple of days, Harry found a buyer and within a few hours all the formalities were completed, and out vehicle became the property of a local grain merchant.
“Very early the next morning we journeyed to Nagarkote, about 20 miles from Kathmandu, to catch a glimpse of Mount Everest. At a distance of 50 miles, Mount Everest was only a tiny peak in the distance, but the views of the majestic Annapurna and the cloud-filled Katmandu valley made the journey well worthwhile.

Brief stay
Back in Katmandu, we met Heather Storey, a school-teacher from Queensland, Australia who had also come overland from England, and was, like ourselves, joining Graham Strachan on the African part of his journey. Graham had left three days earlier for Calcutta.
“On the morning of November 29, it was foggy when we arrived outside the main post office where a convoy of buses and trucks was assembled, ready for the journey to the Indian border. Finding all the bus seats taken, we climbed aboard a truck and paid our 3s. to the driver. The truck was soon filled with about 40 people and at eight o’clock the ten hour journey to the border began.
“At Raxaul, on the Indian border, we had a meal of mutton curry and boarded a train for Calcutta. The third-class compartments which we travelled in were wooden benches with a similar bench above for sleeping on. We had to change trains three times during the journey of 30 hours and were extremely tired when we arrived at Calcutta. However, our stay in Calcutta was extremely brief. We met Graham at 2 am., had two hours sleep, and at 8 am. We were on the road to Bombay.
“The drive out of Calcutta was particularly interesting. December 1 was the end of the Moslem Fast of Ramadan and we drove past streets filled with people parading to an open air meeting. The most amazing people were the beggars who lined both sides of the streets for mile after mile. Later we passed a sit-down demonstration which had stopped the local trams from running.
The journey to Bombay took 65 hours, travelling day and night, and only stopping to cook meals and repair punctures, of which there were quite a number. On December 4, we arrived at Bombay, our final destination in India.

Many foods
“On refection, our journey had been a memorable one. We had sampled many different kinds of food and drink – the local brews of retsina and ouzo in Greece; shish kebabs, coffee and raki in Turkey; the long grained rice of Iran, usually served with butter, which is probably the finest in the world; the beautifully cooked, but inexpensive steaks of Afghanistan; thw sweet chai (tea) of Pakistan, without doubt the most refreshing drink of our journey; the hot curries of India; and the buffalo steaks and various Chinese dishes of Nepal.
“We had tried a number of different types of transport – motor-cycle taxis in Delhi; Afghan buses, where each driver seemed intent on creating a record of the number of people he could carry; a truck in Nepal; and a train journey in India.
Our only health problems had been the occasional touch of ‘Delhi belly.’ We had visited many interesting places, met a number of remarkable people, and learnt a great deal about the countries we traversed. There was no doubt in our minds that the time spent in converting the ambulance, obtaining visas and insurance, and getting the various vaccinations had all been worthwhile.
“We were perhaps a little saddened by the sale of our vehicle in Nepal, for it had served us well, but I am sure that it will be seen around Katmandu for many years to come.
“Finally, to all the people whose generosity and encouragement helped us to make the journey a success, we would like to say, ‘Many thanks, we will be forever indebted to you’.”

- continued in next post.

Reunion links

2006-05-15T16:15:00.000+10:00

For the benefit of anyone who happens on this blog while doing research on "travel reunion" the following links may be of assistance:

Top Deck Reunion Website

The Official ex-Encounter Overland Web Site

AFRICA OVERLAND 1972/3

Contiki Reunion Video