Author: Tim Law

Board Chairman Don sent out an invite to all the WA rellies to get them along to a good bye to Ingo and Iris, which was also an opportunity for those who wanted to come along on the bash but couldn’t, to meet up with this huge extended family.

Kings Park Synergy Playground was the venue. April 14, 2013 was the date.

Over 20 of us turned up, a great turn out. Many of the women seemed to flock to Trevor.

Grossie Weidenbach had a sister Selma. Three of her granddaughters came along which was terrific to see them and catch up. Cynthia, Natalie and Melita.

Good to see Bruce has recovered remarkably well from the tragic incident on the Mt Morgans football over that left him dazed and bleeding profusely. His wife Melita was rather looking forward to a few scars to add to his ruggedly handsome appearance, but it seems our first aiding in the bush was of such high standard, there’s nothing to show for the incident. Maybe the trick was that we were all so engrossed in cleaning him up and patching him back together that at the end some one said – would anyone like to disinfect their hands before doing any more!!  It was all good clean dirt by the look of it.

And MORE women with Trevor.

Some were wiser and stayed well away.

Some very important discussions and explaining kept everyones attention.

Thanks to Don for the idea.

So folks, this is the end of the Grand Rellie Bash of 2013.

Total distance travelled by Perth people – approx 2200km. Many more by those from Toowoomba, Sydney, Melbourne, Mt Gambier, Karratha and north of Frankfurt in Germany.

The buzz on the radio as we travelled home yesterday was about ‘what’s next?’.

Suggestions came thick and fast, mainly from our 87 year old insatiable traveller Pat!

• Gunbarrel Highway from Wiluna to Giles and Uluru.
• Pilbara
• Gibb River Road in the Kimberley
• Tom Scotland history at Cue, and Anna Plains Station near Broome where there is a Scotland Point named after him.

But for now, the bash goodies have been packed away but not the dreams of the next big great rellie bash. The tables are at Kerry and Don’s, the toilets and Showers at Barry and Jenny’s. The food, my goodness the food ……..    Tim found a full carton of beer and two casks of red wine in his car, along with 8 loaves of bread, still fresh as the day it was bought a week ago.  So much food to eat, tomatoes, oranges, lettuce and cabbages carried through the deserts. Sauces, sausages and sangria – all laid out on the tables for each meal. Breads, rolls, wraps. Olives, pickles and vegemite.  Cheeses, not just one, but many.

Someone asked what we would do differently next time in the planning.

Many things, in fact 95% of the planning went smoothly and as we had hoped. Most of these things, we did magnificently. The allocation of tasks worked well as people played their roles with aplomb. What we couldn’t account for was vehicle related problems, but all of those were resolved with minimal fuss and minimal delay to the overall bash. In all we had two flat tyres, one running out of fuel, a veggie oil filter needed changing on the mighty VeggieCruza, and an odd loss of oil from the airline feeding the diff lock on the VeggieCruza. Oh, and the biggest issue was Tim’s trailer brakes locking on, and with him not knowing, dragging the brake for 30kms by the time it was ready to melt or burst into flames – taking our food, camping and stash of 300 litres of canola oil with it. Fortunately this didn’t happen!!  So with seven or eight vehicles and 27 people for our last night, this was remarkable. There were a few with colds and the flu, fortunately it didn’t get passed around. And Bruce, well…. we will never forget the silence that descended over the oval as he dived towards the rocky ground, and the subsequent blood and damage that needed repairing. But repaired it was, and with all that prima pore bandaging on his face, he’ll be staying out of the public glare for a few weeks and be doing lots of work in the back paddocks on the farm.

Timing was always tight, we needed to stay with the plan, work as a collective, and things would fall into place. We did our best to onboard everyone with plenty of information via email, and post for those who didn’t have email. What we could have done more of was making sure we telephoned every participant and briefed them on their role, our expectations and really bring them all into the fold.

So folks, this one is done and dusted. Will there be a next time?  and will you be up for it?

Tuesday 2^nd March 2013 – 700km

1.1 9:00am Breakfast, pack up camp and head off in convoy.

 

 

Girl power Kerry, Pat, Lorraine Don and the wonder shower tent Don’s pile of yet to be loaded stuffJulia and Janet, unpegging the toilet
More to go Don
Trev and Tony

1.2 Travel to Ora Banda, site of famous tavern, still operating.

Sadly we said goodbye to Chris and Sue at Ora Banda who headed north wards and the Enrights who needed to get home quickly today.

1.3 Visit old leases worked by Tom Scotland at Kunanalling.

ACHIEVED
Interesting tour of the leases held by Tom Scotland, and we relocated his mine shaft, first found in the great reconnaissance of October 2012.

1.4 Distance is 100km from the overnight camp to Coolgardie for next refuelling – 520km since departing Laverton.

1.5 Lunch in Coolgardie. Refuel if needed. Return to the bitumen road and drive along Great Eastern Highway to your destination. 560km Coolgardie to Perth.

ACHIEVED:
Final meal together in the green grassy park in Coolgardie.

 

Monday 1^st April 2013 – 300km

Photos loaded when the technology permits. I can write blog text when out of range but cannot insert photos unless online.

1.1 9:00am Breakfast, pack up and leave in convoy

ACHIEVED.
Last night, commitments where made to pack up early so we could play the big footy match and get on the road early

Teams were drawn by Phoebe, Trevor and Barry captain coaches. John was umpire. Consideration was made for the fitness of the participants vs the size if the oval and both teams kicked to the same end.

 

Team Huddles The Umpire surveys the field

Clearly this team needed some serious talking to. No doubt drug testing was one option.

 

After a rousing chant that intimidated the other team we lined up opposite each other and there was a exuberant rendition of the national anthem. Dacien Gold staff lined the boundary as witnesses to this historic reenactment.

 

The ball was bounced. Things happened quickly and suddenly Bruce burst through the dust and a goal was scored.

 

The ground dear reader is rock. With a little dust in between.

 

At the second bounce Barry went down. Bruce looked like he was heading for a second goal when catastrophe struck and he went head first into the stones. The mood was sombre and he lay, motionless for a moment as he gathered his thoughts and the crowd gathered around. There was blood. Nose, chin, forehead. Serious cuts. Lots of blood.

 

After being patched up, Bruce was keen to take on the opposition again but we all realised this was not a good idea!! Those stones looked pretty awful.

 

 

 

Dacien filled our water containers and sent us on our way. We were very grateful for their support.

1.2 Travel 20km along Old Laverton Road to Murrin where Pete Pustkuchen worked at the WA Bank.

ACHIEVED:
Waiting for the train

1.3 Travel 25km along the Old Laverton Road to Eulaminna, where Paula, Pete, Leo Pustkuchen all lived.

ACHIEVED:
Sadly there is so little left here. Remnants of the railway siding, a few bottles and little else.

Time for a fruity treat in the outback

 

1.4 Travel past Kookynie pub, old mine site and lunch stop. 125km from Mt Morgans. Top up water supplies at Niagra Falls Dam

Lunch crew bursts into action Kookynie is the best preserved old town we found. In ten years, it will be rubble like Burtville. Once the roof goes the bricks deteriorate and crumble. 

 

Exploring the mineshafts

Don explaining the amalgam leaching process.
Gecko. Known as a crocodile to Ingo. Every reptile was a crocodile by the end of the journey.

 

1.5 Menzies. Refuel if needed – supplies not confirmed.

1.6 Travel 100km to Theil Well, near Black Rabbit Mine. Theil Well was named after Leo’s alumni from Freiburg. 325km from Laverton

1.7 Set up camp next to Theil Well, on Credo Station.

The toilet and safety crew did a wonderful job. Holes were dug, tents erected, safety guides in place, all night lighting. Superb.

Trevor’s palace
Don, Kerry, Iris, Ingo, Gary and Phoebe

Barry, Jenny, Helen, GraemeTim’s trailer and the VeggieCruza

Janet and Tony

The kitchen crew’s work was superb. Comfortable overheard, soft and prickle free underfoot. Barry and Jenny next to the Theil Well windmill. Theil Well was definately named by Leo as it was the name of his alumni from his university. We have every reason to believe Leo, Pete, Eric and Tom all spent time in these exact parts.

And joining us for the last night were Paula, Geoff and Louise – Weidenbach descendants who had come from Melbourne to meet us in the middle of the outback.

Janet and Tony

Katejean

Sunday 31^st March 2013 – 100km

1.1 Easter Sunday.
Plan :
Find melted chocolate Easter Eggs under mulga trees. Fight off 2m Bungarra on chocolate Easter Egg high – they steal food. Eat remaining Easter Eggs. Skin and cook Bungarra if dead.

ACHIEVED

 

 

1.2 Tour of the Freiburg leases. Find gold lying on the surface like mushrooms. Inspect mine shafts dug by Leo. Go back to campsite and do a head count! Share Easter eggs, and nuggets.

ACHIEVED

1.3 Pack up and head off in convoy after lunch

And driving out through the rubbish tip provided some very tempting distractions for a few of us….

Called into cemetery at Burtville. A lonely place to be buried and long way from home

ACHIEVED

 

1.4 Drive past Laverton, can call in if needed for refuelling. Next reliable fuel is at Coolgardie – 450km away. Drive down the Old Laverton Road 24km. Gravel Road in good condition.

1.5 3pm Arrive at Mt Morgans historic gold town. Induction by current leaseholder for the area. Set up camp adjacent to football oval.

ACHIEVED

Greeted by Neville and Christian from Dacien Gold the local exploration company. We received our safety induction from Christian and then were greeted by Rex and Shareen, reps from the local Mt Margaret aboriginal community, who gave us a moving welcome to county in the indigenous language.

1.6 5:30pm Football match on the stone oval that Pete Pustkuchen played on and recreate the Grand Final between Mt Morgans and Menzies from 1904.

1.7 Recover from Football match with traditional beer. Wear Hawaiian fancy dress.

PART ACHIEVED. We got a bit late to have the football match today, the warm showers provided by the Miners camp proved too attractive. But the Hawaiian outfits warn around the dinner table were astonishing.

 

 

 

 

1.8 Walk 150 metres to renovated Mt Morgans Municipal Chambers. Showers and toilets in mine site camp shut at 9pm.

ACHIEVED – Heaven. Warm proper showers….. Mmmmmm. And flushing toilets. Luxury. Notwithstanding the magnificent effort of the bash toilet crew who gave us excellent facilities each night we needed them.

1.9 Night under the stars

 

 

John and Ingo