The tale of the ‘Cow Pat Lotto’…Day 4 on the Outback Trek

The 24th Annual Outback Car Trek left Bathurst on Sunday, 2 June. For 7 days, over 300 participants will travel 3,300 kms in pre-1978 cars through Outback NSW and Queensland en route to Coolum on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in aid of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) who are celebrating their 85th anniversary this year.

The Outback Trek has raised around $20 million for the RFDS since its inception in 1990 and last year raised in excess of $1.4 million – an amount it hopes to match or even better this year.

The following is an account by Nick Bleszynski from the RFDS of life on the road with the Outback Trek (OBT).

 

The Queenslanders are feeling cocky. At breakfast we are confronted by ranks of burly maroon shirted Queenslanders, which could only be answered by a cry of “Come on you Blues!” and some friendly banter. Tonight is Game One of State of Origin and we’re in Queensland who have won the previous eight series – and don’t we know it.

The day starts with a local story as heart-warming as the breakfast we enjoy at the showgrounds. Some of the Trekies had gone along to a local tyre dealer, Monaro Tyres, to get new tyres and spares but the owners refused to take any money. The RFDS had airlifted her son to hospital following an accident on his property.

Morning tea is taken at the tiny settlement of Begonia whose school has just 13 pupils who seize the influx of trekkers with both hands. Little hands are thrust aloft offering Tombola and raffle tickets and tickets for the intriguingly entitled, “Cow Pat Lotto.” A breathless pupil explained that a numbered grid is drawn on the ground and a cow led around it until it drops a cow pat on one of the squares.

I don’t know much about cow psychology, but the one they produced was obviously suffering from performance anxiety as 300 curious trekkers looked on and was unable pick a winner. However, no sooner had the cars disappeared than a shout went up. Daisy the cow had spoken and car number 86 had been blessed.

The prize and a sample of said cow pat were later presented to the bemused driver in front of a reporter from the Warrego Watchman newspaper – the story fulfilling two of the prime journalistic criteria – colour and movement. Should make a great story with headline to match.

Day 4 was also notable for the fact that we had breakfast, morning tea and lunch and dinner in four different communities – each of whom tried to outdo the other with a delicious selection of home bakes, soups and meals. How many Lamingtons, ANZAC biscuits, chocolate caramel squares and slices of gooey chocolate cake is a man expected to eat in a week? I’ll let you know at the end of Day 7.

But Day 4 wasn’t finished yet. After reaching Charleville and having dinner and yet more home bakes the Trekies descended on the historic and exotically named Corones Hotel to watch the State of Origin rugby league. The vocal locals were soon silenced as the Blues cast off a decade of failure to record a very convincing win. The foundations of the grand old pub shook with the thunderous chants of “New South Wales.” It was good clean fun and the hotel went all out to make sure a good night was had by all.

Day 3 of the Outback Car Trek…

The 24th Annual Outback Car Trek left Bathurst on Sunday, 2 June. For 7 days, over 300 participants will travel 3,300 kms in pre-1978 cars through Outback NSW and Queensland en route to Coolum on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in aid of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) who are celebrating their 85th anniversary this year.

The Outback Trek has raised around $20 million for the RFDS since its inception in 1990 and last year raised in excess of $1.4 million – an amount it hopes to match or even better this year.

The following is an account by Nick Bleszynski from the RFDS of life on the road with the Outback Trek (OBT).

Day 3 – Outback Trek

Thankfully, Day 3 was bright and sunny, which helped to dry out the roads after the storms of the weekend. For the first time, the Trek did not pass through a town during the day in the whole day. Lunch was taken in a small but thriving Aboriginal community of Weilmoringle, just over the Queensland border. It’s tiny school only has a handful of pupils. The Shrek, Cockroach and Westpac Where’s Wally? novelty cars again prove a big hit with the local kids.

Day 3 ended with a proper sit-down dinner at the local St Patrick’s Hall in the town of St George. Having spent the first two nights in the bush under canvas it was the first shower and shave for most trekkers in three days. Hot water never felt so good.

An address by a member of the RFDS Queensland board and formerly a GP in the town , reminded us just what a vital role the RFDS plays in these communities. The RFDS provides an air ambulance service between St George and the regional hospitals, but provides clinic and emergency services to many of the outlying areas we have just passed through and been made welcome in. There are also new services – a dental van for remote communities and a new GP service in Charleville.

Bill Patrick reminded us of one of the important secondary functions of the Trek. The arrival of 300+ people in small communities, often with few shops and services, gives them a focal point and injects much needed funds into ailing rural economies -something we were all acutely aware of during the first few nights.

The night ends with the news that the Just Cuts Cut-o-Rama raised $7,000 on the first night in Bathurst and the fabled Auction Night.

For further updates on the OBT, follow the trekkers on their Facebook page.

 

 

Life on the road with the Outback Trek…

The 24th Annual Outback Car Trek left Bathurst on Sunday, 2 June. For 7 days, over 300 participants will travel 3,300 kms in pre-1978 cars through Outback NSW and Queensland en route to Coolum on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in aid of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) who are celebrating their 85th anniversary this year.

The Outback Trek has raised around $20 million for the RFDS since its inception in 1990 and last year raised in excess of $1.4 million – an amount it hopes to match or even better this year.

The following is an account by Nick Bleszynski from the RFDS of life on the road with the Outback Trek (OBT).

Day 2 really came to life when we stopped for lunch at St Joseph’s primary school in Nyngan. After a sausage sizzle and a chance for kids to get pictured with the ever popular Shrek and Cockroach cars – these novelty entries really work with communities – the ‘Trekkies’ were treated to a real country style demonstration of whip cracking courtesy of a brother and sister team aged only 6 and 8. The boy is currently in the top 3 whip crackers in his age group in Australia! They performed a whole range of tricks – formal showpieces and then some freestyle routines they developed themselves climaxing in the “firecracker” a virtuoso two-handed display of wild whip-cracking that impressed even the hardest-bitten trekkie.

The day ended with a 120 km run along drying dirt roads to the town of Carinda, which has a claim to fame even bigger than Bogan Gate! David Bowie… yes David “Ziggy Stardust” Bowie shot the video for his No. 1 worldwide hit “Let’s Dance” in the Carinda pub – a factoid that would be lost even on the most dedicated trivia buff. It’s a rough and tumble old weatherboard place that was last decorated in the 80′s (the 1880′s) and why Bowie chose it, I don’t know. The locals were still trying to figure it out, but they put on a great welcome for the OBT, including a fantastic roast dinner at the local hall, which Bowie apparently didn’t film.

The evening concluded with some very un-Bowie like caterwauling as the Trekkies worked their way through a selection of 70′s/ 80′s old faves – Bowie, surprisingly, not amongst them. The karaoke went on until after midnight and a very good time was had by all.

Day 2 was thankfully uneventful on the roads with drivers using the radio to good effect and calling out hazards and trek references “roo on the road at 103.5″ which is very handy as all cars are using on board navigation systems that are re-set at the start of each leg – so everyone can place themselves instantly in relation to the hazard.

Technology is making the Trek safer.

 

For further updates on the OBT, follow the trekkers on their Facebook page.

Dorothy’s decade of donations

For 10 years Murray Bridge woman Dorothy Head has been raising money for the RFDS at The Hangar Op Shop on Fifth Street, Murray Bridge.

Dorothy opened the shop 10 years ago, with her late husband, Alan, and since then has raised an amazing total of more than $275,000 for the RFDS.

If you haven’t had the chance to visit the shop yet – make sure that you do, because you never know what treasures you might find hidden deep in the shelves or hanging on the racks!

Dorothy’s secret to The Hangar Op Shop’s success is not only in the merchandise she finds – “the older the better” – but it is undoubtedly her passion for the shop.

“We find lots of people coming in looking for older things that they say work better than what you can buy today – like cake tins, egg poachers and saucepans,” she said.

Dorothy doesn’t rely just on goods handed from the community, but every week attends garage sales to find the treasures she knows will sell in the shop.

“I really enjoy running the shop and what makes it even more special ist hat I’m doing it for such a wonderful organisation that appreciates it. To be appreciated for what you do is all you can ask for,” she says.

Dorothy is helped in the shop by her friendly counterpart, Marie Lawrence.

You can visit Dorothy and Marie and find your own treasures in The Hangar Op Shop at 2 Fifth Street, Murray Bridge, from 9am to 5pm from Wednesdays to Fridays.

Channel 10′s Scope came out to film us

The team from ‘Scope’ came out to film Dr Andy Killcross at our Port Augusta Base in South Australia recently. Watch the piece they put to air and get an inside view of what we do.

Great job Andy!

It’s show time…

Boy on Simulator

If you’ve been to the Royal Adelaide Show or Royal Melbourne Show you might have seen our life sized simulator at the RFDS stand.

It’s a life sized replica of the fuselage of a flying doctor plane, fully equipped with stretchers, communications, oxygen, suction and the equipment used by our every day heroes,  the doctors, nurses and pilots of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. And this week it’s appearing at the Royal Melbourne Show where you can make a ‘Pit-stop’ and get a health check from one of our lovely volunteer medical students.

At the Royal Adelaide Show recently, the RFDS site was awarded FIRST PLACE for Best Community Exhibit, so it’s well worth a look.

The simulator has been doing the rounds at schools in Victoria and Tasmania  as part of the RFDS Victoria schools program. If you would like to find out more or organise for us to visit your schools just visit RFDS for schools.

The Man on the $20 note

This Sunday 23rd September at 6.30pm, ABC1′s Compass has a program about the life of the Rev John Flynn. The founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service and as the man on the $20 note.

One hundred years ago John Flynn was the founder of the Australian Inland Mission, established by the Presbyterian church, his dream to provide a mantle of safety to the people in the outback. He couldn’t have imagined that this would become the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, one of the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical services in the world.

To find out more about the program visit the ABC website –
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/guide/abc1/201209/programs/RN1111H028D2012-09-23T183000.htm

And if you can’t catch the program, you can always catch up on ABC iview.