1902 De Dion Bouton
THE RUNNING BOARD
November 2013
THE SECRETARY
Club Meetings
Time: 7:30 pm
Date: The 3rd Thursday of each
month (except December)
Location: The Music Bowl
Townsville City Council’s
Thuringowa Building,
Thuringowa Drive, Kirwan.
Club address
THE SECRETARY
PO BOX 5056
TOWNSVILLE QLD 4810
Xmas parties – don’t
miss out, RSVP now
Easter Hub Rally – 2014
Nomination Form
2
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
PRESIDENT: Greg. Sibley
Ph. 4721 0096
VICE-PRESIDENT:
Derek Walker
.
Ph. 4723 5225
SECRETARY:
Kevin Warren
Ph. 4788 8668
TREASURER:
Mike Sherriff
Ph. 4728 7982
ORDINARY MEMBERS
Kristine Walker
Bill Bunt
………………………………………
FOUNDATION & HONORARY LIFE
MEMBER:
Norm Morley
………………………………………………….
OFFICE BEARERS
TOWNSVILLE CLUB CAPTAIN:
Ron Anderson
Ph. 4751 6359
DEPUTY CLUB CAPTAIN:
Kristine Walker
Ph. 4723 5225
TOWNSVILLE DATING
OFFICER:
Bill Bunt Ph. 4772 2469
BURDEKIN CLUB CAPTAIN:
Les Wassmuth
Ph. 4783 2899
BURDEKIN DATING OFFICER:
Gary Crowdey
Ph. 4783 2896
HERBERT CLUB CAPTAIN:
Gordon Schmierer
Ph. 4776 5891
HERBERT DATING OFFICER:
Stephen Melvin
Ph. 4776 3035
LIBRARIAN: (Vacant)
SOCIAL SECRETARY:
Linda Sibley
Ph. 4721 0096
MAGAZINE EDITORS:
Mal Lorimer.
Ph. 4772 6981
Bill Honniball.
Ph.4774 0043
BARBEQUE TRAILER:
Custodian - Bill Honniball
Ph.4774 0043
3
Disclaimer The Townsville Veteran Vintage and Historic
Motor Club Inc. does not hold itself responsible
for statements made or opinions expressed by
contributors to The Running Board.
Membership fees Single: $30.00
Family: $35.00
Joining fee: $10.00
…..………………
Club Merchandise Club shirts and Polo shirts: purchase directly from
Totally Work Wear, Hugh St. Currajong.
Name badge: $9.00
Key ring with Club badge insert: $6.50
Club badge insert for a key ring: $2.00
Car badge: $30.00
……………………
CLUB LIBRARY: (Custodian: Henry Burke)
All Stop Auto, Ingham Road
9am – 5pm, Mon – Fri
9am – 11.30am Sat.
CLUB OBJECTIVES:
To encourage the preservation, restoration
and use of veteran, vintage and historic
vehicles.
To promote and organise rallies and other
events that are appropriate for the use and
display of these vehicles.
To extend to owners of veteran, vintage
and historic vehicles, and all other people
interested in these vehicles, the facilities,
privileges and hospitality enjoyed in
conjunction with the club.
CLUB MAGAZINE:
Six issues of ‘The Running Board’ are produced
annually.
……………………
From the Editors
I make no apology for the emphasis on Rileys or
the ‘Pic of the month’ in this issue. See, this is
what happens when co-editor Bill goes away and
isn’t able to control the nature or the size of
articles snuck in by one particular member, namely
the other co-editor!
Look on the positive side though. If you want to
know about a great car rally (two rallies, in fact)
that covered more than 10,000 kms over a period
of five weeks, then read on. But if you’re not
interested in that sort of thing then read the other
articles and with all the time you’ve saved go and
get that old car in the shed going so we can see it
at future club outings.
Fortunately, there are other equally-interesting
articles in this issue, such as the regular reports
from President Greg and Club Captain Ron. The
‘My car’ story this time is about Richard and
Helga’s 1934 Armstrong Siddeley
Don’t forget to scan through the ‘For Sale’ notices.
There could be the perfect Christmas present, just
waiting to be gift-wrapped!!
Speaking of Christmas, end-of-year parties are
planned in Ayr (23nd
Nov.) and Townsville (30th
Nov.), so, if you haven’t already done so, RSVP
now
Then, there is a tribute to Keith Locke by Mike
Sherriff who probably knew Keith better than most
of us.
Finally, as 2013 draws to a close and the AGM is
just around the corner (Feb. meeting) members
should be giving serious thought to nominating or
being nominated for positions on the Management
Committee or as one of the Office Bearers. So far,
it is known that the Club Captain and both the
newsletter Editors’ positions will be vacant.
……………………
From the President
The end of the year is fast approaching and though
there has been little out of the ordinary to happen
this year, behind the scenes there has been
considerable effort expended to making sure that
next year will be a memorable one.
The Hub Committee, under the chairmanship of
Frank Cerutti, has been working hard to make sure
that next year’s event will be one worthy of the 40
year milestone, while at the same time coping with
the problems arising from locating the event in
Charters Towers. So far there is every expectation
that this choice of venue will result in a successful
event, both from the point of view of our club, and
from the point of view of the Towers community,
however it has put extra strains on the
organisational abilities of the committee and it is
creditable to see how the committee has responded
to these challenges.
4
Another pressure on the Hub Committee has been
the role of the Queensland Historic Motor Council
in sponsoring the event. There has been a lot of
toing and froing going on behind the scenes as our
club and the Q.H.M.C. gains an appreciation of the
aims and capabilities of each other’s organisations.
It has been a steep learning curve for both and not
without its difficulties. Nevertheless it is a
worthwhile exercise and it is to our club’s credit
that we are a pivotal partner in the Q.H.M.C’s
attempts to raise its profile throughout Queensland
and simultaneously to unite all clubs throughout
the State.
It is worthy to note that, thanks to the efforts of our
editors, Mal and Bill, the electronic delivery of
The Running Board is now an established and
smooth running fact. Less apparent but no less
important, is the effort that has gone into updating
the club’s records and resources. This is an
ongoing, dry and thankless task which has
nevertheless placed our club on a sounder
organisational foundation.
After a few hiccups, we have adopted a new
constitution which reflects more closely, the legal
framework within which we operate. Thank you to
all those who organized and participated in this
procedure.
In writing these words, I sought inspiration from
the words of my immediate predecessor Warren
O’Donnell and I noted in his comments for 2011
that he writes:
“The request for cars to be displayed or participate
in other community events appears to be
increasing.”
I don’t think that there is a member of our club that
doesn’t enjoy owning, restoring, displaying and
talking about our cars. The local school fete seems
to be the natural environment where these
attributes come together. It is also worthwhile
mentioning that the car club and its members are
one of the few organisations there for the “love of
it”. Society at large has a rising expectation that, as
the custodians of a community heritage, we have
the public responsibility not only to preserve this
heritage but also to make it freely accessible to the
public at large. Again, I don’t think any club
member would have it any other way but it does
not sit too well when members are seen as prime
targets for revenue raising. We can only dream of
a system such as they have in the United Kingdom,
where historic vehicles are excused any
registration fees in light of the fact that their
owners are preserving a national heritage. Don’t
hold your breath!
On a lighter note, I have been back to my favourite
shopping place again. The Charters Towers dump
currently holds an early Austin Cambridge, a four
door Torana, a Mazda 800 (mid sixties), a Morris
Marina, a Datsun 1200 and la piece de resistance
the Dodge truck early 1950’s. All of these gems
are due to be crushed any day now and turned into
something useful like tins for Baked Beans.
All the Best for the Festive Season
Greg Sibley
…………………………
Club Captain’s Report
The Club activity this month will be the Heads &
Tails run on the 24th. The idea of the run is to stop
at pre-organised spots, wait for the next car to
arrive, toss a coin and the winner of the call moves
onto the next spot. This will be a lot of FUN, so
the more cars the better.
So far we have had a poor response from members
for our Christmas Dinner & Trophy Presentation
Night. This will be held at:
Toms Tavern,
186 Nathan Street, Aitkenvale
Saturday 30th November
Time 6.30pm for 7.15pm start.
Cost: $35.00 per head.
Payment no later than the November
meeting.
There is no Club meeting in December, but there
will be a Christmas lights run at 7:00pm on 16th
December.
In January there will be the Ingham New Year run
to Ashton Hotel and the Fish & Chips lunch at
Bushland Beach [weather permitting].
5
Reports on September and October runs
1. Lunch at Giru International: 22 September
By 11 am on a sunny spring day, about 60
adventurers in roughly half as many vehicles set
forth on a combined car clubs ‘pub crawl’. The
idea was for us to make our way from the Stuart
Hotel on the outskirts of Townsville, to the Giru
International Hotel, a quiet country pub which had
been lifted from obscurity in the 1970s and 80s
through the sarcastic efforts of two erstwhile
Townsville comedians, Lyle Hillway and Mal
Hodges.
To avoid mixing it with the modern traffic rushing
pell-mell down ‘the highway called Bruce’, the 20
kilometres longer ‘via Woodstock’ route had been
chosen. This would have worked well had it not
been for 20 kilometres of road works along this
route, controlled by no less than five sets of
automated traffic lights. By the time the convoy
pulled up outside the ‘International’, more than
just a few of the old timers were letting off a bit of
steam, not to mention their cars!
All was forgiven however once inside the pub
when the barmaid revealed that the price of their
steak sandwich specials, the only fare available,
was a jaw-dropping low $3. For that price, one
might expect a tough bit of old boot leather, but if
the truth be known the steak would have passed
muster in any of the best restaurants – country
hospitality at its delicious best.
Considering our little convoy must have gone
close to doubling the population of Giru, the pub
coped quite well. Meal tickets were purchased at
the bar and redeemed at the BBQ in the beer
garden, where we consumed our sangers amid the
palm trees, and washed them down with our
favourite brew. All the while, the Jags, Minis and
Vintage and Veterans added a touch of class to this
most unlikely of ‘International’ hotels.
Along with the dozen or more vehicles from the
Jag and Mini Clubs; the Vintage, Veterans and
Historics taking part comprised four moderns, two
Rileys, two Morrises, an Austin, a Packard, a
Cadillac and a Mini Cooper, which was suffering
something of a Club identity crisis.
2. Saunders Beach Brunch: 20th
October
The following members, visitors and cars met in
Anderson Park at the earlier-than-usual time of
9:30am, and then set off on a very leisurely and
enjoyable drive out along Hervey Range Road. A
right-hand turn into Black River Road took the
convoy to the Bruce highway and then it was only
3.4km to the Saunders Beach turnoff.
Unfortunately a lot of other people thought the
grassy, shady area and car park at the northern end
of Saunders Beach is a top spot for a picnic too,
and Club Captain Ron (ably assisted by navigator
Heather) had to resort to Plan B and led the
convoy to the southern end, where we had a
perfect area right on the beachfront all to
ourselves.
It never fails to amaze how quickly the next stage
of a club run takes place. It’s like a video on fast-
forward: cars come to a stop, drivers and
passengers pile out, chairs, tables, hampers and
other gear extracted from back seats and boots,
everything unfolded and assembled in the best
shady spot in a large oval formation, everyone
facing in, food and steaming cups of tea and coffee
miraculously appear. Then the video switches to
slow motion and a calm relaxed scene with people
sitting around quietly discussing (and solving??)
the world’s problems, predominates.
Those enjoying the shade and sea breeze, and
doing some of the solving were:
Derek & Helen Hadgraft - VW Beetle
Warren & Miriam O’Donnell - Daimler
Jan & Norm Morley - Morris Minor
Tiny Stonehouse, Yvonne Cisco, Glenda Webb &
Sandra Sellen - 1983 Mercedes 230E
Ron & Heather Anderson - 1949 Riley RMA
Serge & Berice Morelli - 1923 Rolls to Anderson
Park then a Modern to Saunders Beach.
Bev & Bill Bunt - 1928 Ford Model A
Mal & Jenny Palling - Modern
Marilyn & John McMenamin - 1962 Rover 3 Litre
Peter & Tina Ryan-Modern
Roger & Wendy Evans - 4WD & Caravan (?)
Bill & Jean Honniball-1951 Morris Oxford
Georgina & Ernie Valdeter (visitors)-Modern
Mal Lorimer-1949 Riley RMB
……………….
6
Welcome
It is very nice to see two new memberships being
accepted at the last Club meeting. So, a very warm
welcome to Peter Leather, who lives in
Annandale and owns a 1912 Ford Model T Tourer,
and to Ross and Sylvia Chapman, who live in
Brandon and own a 1928 Austin 7 Chummy
Tourer.
We look forward to seeing you and your veteran
and vintage cars at our regular club events (Check
out the Club Calendar on the last page)
…………………
VALE
Keith William LOCKE (7 January 1937 – 28 September 2013)
Keith joined the Townsville Vintage, Veteran
and Historic Motor Club (TVVHMC) in 1976
and was a financial member until December
2012. The onset of ill health several years ago
caused him to be unable to attend club
meetings and activities.
For many years he was a very active member
of the club as was his wife, Dulcie, his
daughter Joanne and Son-in Law Patrick and
Grandson Stephen.
During Keith’s 36 year membership of the
club, he was Club Captain for 6 or more years
and carried out this voluntary appointment in a
very effective and efficient manner.
Keith was instrumental in my joining the club
in 1998 after I purchased my 1927 Willys
Whippet.
I believe I speak for many current and past
club members in thanking Keith for his long
involvement with the club and extend our
condolences to Dulcie and the family.
Rest in Peace Keith!
Mike Sherriff
…………………..
Christmas Party
in the Burdekin
We hope you can join us….
Saturday Night
23rd November 2013 Kalamia Hotel,
50 Queen Street, Ayr.
Time: 6.30pm for 7.00pm sit down Cost: $28.50 per adult Children 5-12 years: $14.25 each Children under 5 years: $5.00 each
This includes a 2 course dinner. Purchase drinks from the bar.
Please RSVP by Friday, 15th November
2013 Definite numbers and payment must be given to the Hotel by that date
Phone: 47833615 (8.00am-6.00pm) Text Mobile: 0417 004 755
Email: [email protected]
7
‘Easter’ Riley Rally in August 2013. What?
Every year Riley owners drive their cars to a 3-day
rally, in one of the States, at about Easter time.
This year it was SA Riley Club’s turn to organise
the rally and it decided to have the rally in August
- who says you can’t be different? Last year the
rally was in Toowoomba, Queensland.
Rileys ranging in age from the 1930’s to the mid
1950’s came from Qld, NSW, Vic, SA, WA, UK
(Yes, Alan and Eddie shipped their 1937 Kestrel
from England to join in the fun), NZ (The
President of the NZ Riley Club is ….. wait for it
….. Bill Riley!!) and South Africa: such is the
enthusiasm and determination of Riley owners.
At a ‘Welcome Brunch’ in Nuriootpa, courtesy of
SA Riley Club, the participants were welcomed
and given the program for the next three days, plus
time to renew friendships. Then, in our ‘trusty
steeds’ we travelled via routes of our own choice
to Burra, taking in the beautiful scenery of the
Barossa Valley and historic townships along the
way, and yielding to the temptation of sampling
and topping up supplies of the local produce.
That night a Progressive Dinner commenced in the
Burra Town Hall and patrons were given a
commentary on historic places as they were
‘bussed’ to the location of the next course of
dinner. The idea was great but the logistics of
moving 130 people several times during the
evening proved to be a tad optimistic.
The next day was busy-busy, starting off with a
‘photo-shoot of all 40 Rileys lined up at the old
mine site where everyone could compare and talk
about ……….… Rileys, of course! What else
would you talk about? And if you could tear
yourself away from these in-depth conversations
there was the Mine site and remaining buildings to
explore. Burra owes its very existence to mining,
as it had one of the world’s largest copper mines in
the 1850’s and its output literally saved SA from
bankruptcy. The township of Burra is now
heritage-listed.
The traditional gymkhana took place in the
afternoon. Three cars from each State had to
complete four simple driving tests, points were
allocated for competency and totalled - the State
with the highest score would take home the
‘Conrod Trophy’. (Bribing the officials, although
tried, was generally unsuccessful).
A buffet dinner back in the Town Hall that night
almost turned into a disaster when a smelly old
hobo, with his bottle of plonk wrapped up in
newspaper wandered in past the security (??) and
thinking he could get a free feed, sat down at one
of the tables, much to the disbelief of those already
seated there. It took some time to restore order and
establish that the ‘the old hobo’ was in fact a
‘Riley-ite’, who had decided to ‘dress down’
instead of ‘dress up’ in period attire. Even towards
the end of the evening, some of the Qld. contingent
still didn’t realise the ‘Hobo’ was one of their own
- he was very lucky not to be thrown out on his
ear!
Next day we drove north through Terowie (once a
thriving railway town where passengers from
Adelaide and Broken Hill had to change trains
because the railway gauge changed from broad to
narrow gauge at this location) and onto
Peterborough, another railway town steeped in
railway history. All three railway gauges met at
Dodging ‘road-kill’ and caravans on the roads
through Qld and NSW kept the driver on his toes
The old Hobo used all his charm on Bev, the Rally
Director, to get a free feed
8
this point - narrow, broad and the standard gauge
from WA and Alice Springs. In its heyday, up to
100 trains a day would pass through Peterborough.
On through extensive cropland and then climbing
up and over the Flinders Ranges we experienced
spectacular views, made even more pleasurable by
the purring ‘twonarf’ litre engine under that long
black bonnet, before dropping down onto the
coastal plain of Spencer Gulf, with Port Augusta at
its northern tip in the far distance.
Fortunately I had pre-booked a cabin for the next
two nights rather than roll out the swag - the
overnight temperatures were minus 0.5 degrees!!
We made the most of the next day by driving 26
kms to Quorn along a marvellous road and through
some amazing scenery. At Quorn the Pichi Richi
steam train took us along the last remaining
section of the narrow-gauge (3’6”) Ghan railway,
built in the 1870’s - it was all clickity-clack, rattle-
rattle and cinders-in-your hair stuff, with lots of
‘huffin puffin’ by the steam engine as it took us up
the Range to Woolshed flat for morning tea.
Shannon’s Insurance heavily subsidised this
activity making it possible for so many of us to
enjoy the experience. Train travel stimulates the
appetite and back at Quorn the local economy was
also stimulated as we descended on the few cafes,
pubs and coffee places for lunch. The rest of the
afternoon was free to sight-see or to have a
‘Nanny-nap’ (the favoured option) and conserve
strength for the Presentation Dinner that night.
The Hard Luck Trophy went to the Creed family
(WA). Their BMC Kestrel broke down on the
Nullarbor and somehow made it to Adelaide,
where a Morris Head was located and fitted, but
found to be warped. Another head was located and
fitted successfully. All this happened over the
weekend and the family still got to the Welcome
Brunch on Monday - amazing!! The Conrod
Trophy for the overall winner of the gymkhana
went to WA (Qld came second - the SA club is
either very honest or it is hopeless at rigging this
event because the host State invariable wins the
Conrod trophy). The Longest Distance Driven to
the Rally also went to WA - I was pipped by about
100kms. John Higham (NSW) won the Alby Lobb
Trophy for the pre-war Riley with the highest
gymkhana score. Bev Wilson (Rally Director)
received the Jim Andriesse Trophy for
contributing most to the future of Rileys in
Australia.
Next year? Mittagong, NSW, in March!
The ‘Farewell Breakfast’ was a time to say our
‘goodbyes’ and ‘see you next year’ as half the cars
headed home, while the other half ‘set their
compass on North’ for the 2,500km journey to
Darwin, but that’s another story.
Congratulations must go to the SA Riley Club for
trying something quite different from previous
rallies, for making it so enjoyable and for giving us
the opportunity to see this beautiful region of
South Australia. Mal. Lorimer (Townsville)
A sight that brings tears to your eyes: Rileys, and lots of ‘em!
'The Pichi Richi steam train ‘a huffin an a puffin’ up
the hill -
9
My Car – 1934 Armstrong Siddeley
We have a 1934 Armstrong Siddeley 6-cylinder,
12 HP Tourer with pre-selector gearbox.
I blame it all on my first laptop about two years
ago. We had been looking at and admiring veteran
and vintage cars for 15 years when one Saturday
afternoon I looked on eBay on my week-old laptop
and there she was – beckoning me to admire her
shiny body and beautiful lines. An old, but still
attractive lady residing in Cooma, NSW, saying
“Hi Richard, I’m available (at a price), just bid for
me – last bids 8 pm Monday night”.
After checking and re-checking bank accounts and
lots of emails to the owner, we were assured that
she had been restored and re-sprayed to a high
standard for a client who could now not pay for the
makeover because he had lost all his money
gambling in Singapore.
At about 7:55 on the Monday night we still didn’t
have the highest bid, so Helga said, “If you don’t
offer more, I will.” I then realised that Helga was
serious, so a winning bid was made and accepted,
money was paid, and the deal was done!
I thought about driving the car back to our son’s
property in Brisbane until I found out it had
snowed heavily in Cooma and it was downhill and
icy all the way to the coast. Sanity prevailed and
the car was transported to Brisbane in relative
safety, via a car company.
A new hood, four new tyres, new wooden hood
bows and other minor cosmetics were completed,
and after about six months she entered the
Ormiston House Rally and won the
Encouragement Award.
Lady Armstrong Siddeley is equipped with the
dreaded pre-selector gearbox which requires a pair
of loving hands and equally loving feet to
encourage her best behavior on the road. Any
rough handling is not tolerated and can result in
‘Her Ladyship’ stopping and sulking on the side of
the road.
Eventually, after about 12 months, she was
transported to Townsville with some lower-class
‘moderns’ to enter into Townsville country
society.
She now mixes quite often and enjoyed her first
‘official’ outing at the Heritage Day, West End,
where she was attired (to her amusement) as a
Bush Bashing Beauty with buffalo horns, shark
teeth, snakes, whips, flags of many nations and
vintage 78 rpm music via an ancient gramophone.
She eventually grumbled about having ‘wet feet’
and wanted to go home but still demands
fortnightly outings so she can keep up her quota of
admiring glances.
She would like to meet a
possible long-lost cousin (a
1927 Armstrong Siddeley 4-
door) who lives in
Herberton and was spotted
in a photograph in the
Cairns & District Vets car
magazine.
Richard and Helga Lee
……………………
Here she is with a brand new hood
First outing – Ormiston House, Brisbane
Aged owner with 2011
Encouragement Award
10
Rules of the road - Thai style
A vehicle behind you travelling no closer than
10 cm is not considered to be tailgating.
If the driver in front of you, especially a truck,
flashes his left-turn indicator several times, he
may be telling you it is safe to pass …….. but
he may be wrong.
If the driver in front of you, especially a truck,
flashes his right-turn indicator several times,
he may be telling you it is not safe to pass
…….. and he will usually be right.
If a driver approaching from the opposite
direction flashes his headlights, it may mean
“Police ahead, watch your speed” or “Don’t
pass that car, you fool, I’m coming too fast” or
“I have screwed up big time trying to pass this
car, so please take evasive action”
The largest vehicle has right-of-way, except
elephants, they always have right-of-way and
water buffalo come second
Expect buses, especially orange ones, to
overtake on curves, hills and as you are
approaching from the opposite direction
If you are on a motor cycle and you see a bus
approaching, expect another bus to overtake it,
especially if the road has no shoulders
If you are overtaking another vehicle, expect
another driver to decide to overtake you at the
same time
If you are on a motor cycle or bicycle, keep as
careful a watch behind you as in front of you
If you are involved in an accident you will
most likely be blamed
Learn to read the Thai script for ‘Men’ and
‘Ladies’ for service station restrooms
…………………….
For Sale
For sale through members of TVVHMC
1979 Volvo 244 GL. Lime Green with Biscuit
roof. Auto in good condition Phone 0488 477
467.
1980 Fiat X1/9. 1300 motor, 5-speed gearbox,
immaculate condition. $7900 ono. Ph Gary
Crowdey 4783 2896.
1950(?) MG Model Y, Sedan, fully restored.
Phone Alan Flynn on 07 4778 1711. $15,000.
Listed for sale in club magazines tabled at recent
meetings
(Only cars located in Queensland and apparently
roadworthy have been included)
Auto Antics
Sunshine Coast Car Club
PO Box 362, Nambour, Qld, 4560
1976 VW Beetle. Superbug, excellent motor,
Needs a good tidy-up inside and out. With a
respray it would make a good club car. $2500
ono. Phone Bob on 0419 704 701.
1957 Ford Zephyr. Good condition and runs
well. Quick sale wanted at $20,000 ono. Contact
Bearing Chatter
Cairns and District Historic Vehicle Club
PO Box 849, Malanda, Qld 4885
1972 Datsun 240Z. 2-seater, fully restored
including reconditioned engine, unregistered.
$12,000. Phone Evan on 0418 922 554.
Vintage Views
Brisbane Vintage Auto Club
PO Box 443, Narangba Qld 4504
1927 Chevrolet Capitol Tourer. Immaculate
condition. Asking $12,500. Phone Graeme on
5445 5656 or 0408 771 175.
……………………….
Extract from Townsville Bulletin 8/6/2013
11
‘Rileys through the Red Centre’
The SA Riley Club organised this rally through
central Australia to Darwin for the cooler month of
the year, but to tag it onto the annual Easter Riley
Rally they had to change Easter time to August -
no problem, South Australians can do anything!!!
The general plan was for the 21 participants (5
‘Nines’, 4 RMBs, 2 Roadsters, 1 RMA, 1
Drophead, 1 Kestrel, 1 BMC Kestrel, 1 BMC 4/68
& 5 ‘Moderns’) to travel at their own pace and to
stop when and where they wanted for however
long they wanted, but to try and meet up for dinner
and some R&R at Coober Pedy, Alice Springs and
Katherine on the 11th, 18
th and 24
th August
respectively, with the final destination being
Darwin for three days, 28-30th August. This was an
ideal arrangement because not everyone has the
same interests or wants to push the 130kph speed
limit along the Stuart highway!!
Rather than give a day-to-day account of the trip
(which would be boring, boring!), I‘ve picked out
just a few of the many highlights.
Meeting together at the designated places was a
marvellous idea. Getting to know people and their
cars was both fascinating and often hilarious as we
swapped stories and experiences - never a lack of
conversation, that’s for sure!! It also made you
aware of what a huge and diverse country
Australia is. But, regardless of what State you
come from (or what football code you follow) we
can sit down with someone we’ve never met
before and relax over a meal, a beer or just a
‘cuppa’ at a wayside stop and share common
interests.
My first night was at Woomera, having pretty-
much wasted the day driving 90kms out to Roxby
Downs to visit the Olympic Dam Mine, only to
find that tours were conducted just once a week,
on a Friday morning - I got there at lunchtime on
Friday!! That was very disappointing, but meeting
up with some other ‘Riley-ites’ for dinner, with red
wine from the Barossa Valley, made up for it.
Uluru, Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Kings Canyon
are quite different in their geology and spectacular
scenery. I walked around each one and it was
impossible not to be in awe, particularly of Uluru,
its mass, changing moods and its mystique. It is
easy to understand why the aboriginal people have
so many dreamtime stories relating to it and so
many sacred sites around its base. After all, Uluru
is the source of life in that region; animals come to
drink from the permanent water holes and feed on
the diverse plant species that exist and survive
only because ‘The Rock’ is there. The 10km walk
around the base, with all the informative plaques
explaining the relevance and importance of
different sites, is ‘a must’, and guaranteed to create
enormous respect for Uluru and its keepers.
The Stuart Highway was a completely unexpected
and welcome surprise. I had not given it much
thought, knowing that at least it was sealed and
therefore much better than the horror stretches
littered with broken and abandoned cars, caravans
and trailers that I’d heard about in the ‘70’s. But to
have this wide, smooth two-way strip of road in
front of the bonnet all the way to Darwin was
fantastic. Road trains, 4WDs with caravans or
tailers, even the ‘odd’ cyclist: no problem!
‘Missy’, my RMB, loved cruising along at 90 kph
hour after hour - no bumps, no squeaks, no rattles!
It was tempting to push the 130 kph speed limit,
but with time up my sleeve and still 5,000 kms to
go before rolling into the carport at Townsville,
why tempt fate? Why, indeed!!
Rileys at ‘The Rock’ - Uluru cast its spell over
these two visitors and their occupants
Happy and
relieved
that we
made it to
our first
get to
gether:
Coober
Pedy
12
I had been to Kakadu NP several years ago so I
opted to visit the Litchfield NP, which is altogether
different, being on the edge of a sandstone plateau.
Beautiful cascades and waterfalls plunging over
the edge of the escarpment have carved out deep,
vertical-sided gorges covered with plant species
that have adapted to a wet and humid tropical
environment, whereas the sparser vegetation on the
plateau has to endure harsh dry conditions for most
of the year. It was hot travelling (despite both ‘air-
conditioners’ on the RMB being open) and several
bushfires were burning out of control in the Park,
so a swim in the crystal-clear waters of the
Florence Falls plunge pool (having been declared
free of ‘salties’, of course) was an unexpected
bonus.
The hospitality showed to us ‘Riley-ites’ during
the Rally was unbelievable. In Alice Springs the
MECCA (Motor Enthusiasts Club of Central
Australia) hosted a fantastic welcome Bar-B-Q and
presented those that had driven more than 3,000
kms to the ‘Alice’ with an ‘Overlander’ car badge
as a reminder that we were re-enacting the
amazing journeys of hardship on nothing more
than tracks to ‘the Alice’ back in ‘the good old
days’, whereas we did it on roads that the old
timers would never have thought possible. Our
arrival in ‘the Alice’ coincided with the Henley on
Todd Festival and we were invited to take part in
the Festival’s street parade. Where else in the
world would you find a city having a festival to
promote something it didn’t have? Like, a river
with water in it, and then organising a series of
boat races? Crazy? Yep, it sure is and it happens in
Alice Springs every year, in the dry season of
course, and it’s a whole lot of fun.
Similarly the KMEC (Katherine Motor Enthusiasts
Club) put on a Bar-B-Q for us in their newly
acquired, work-in-progress clubroom/shed. After
lunch we drove to a large shady and grassed area
in front of the City Council Offices for a huge
Show and Shine display of cars and motor bikes
sponsored by Shannons - some cars and motor
bikes had driven the 340 kms from Darwin to be in
it. Sunglasses were essential to combat the glare
from all that chrome and gleaming paint work. The
biggest surprise for me on the day occurred when
‘Missy’ was awarded the ‘Best British’ trophy -
that wash and bit of TLC in the morning must have
been the clincher!
The boat trip along the Katherine Gorge is another
‘not to be missed’ activity. Simply spectacular,
with fascinating rock formations carved out by the
river and fantastic scenery around every bend.
Only one ‘salty’ was spotted during the two-hour
trip and I was surprised to learn that crocodile
numbers have been decimated as a result of the
poisonous cane toads invading the water way -
what an environmental disaster that introduced
species has been.
Darwin just blew us away!! Fifteen Rileys, five
‘moderns’ and cars from the Darwin Car Club
assembled 35kms out of Darwin to be escorted by
a Shannons car with yellow lights flashing into
Darwin and through the CBD - the lunchtime
crowds loved it; waving, taking photos and
enjoying the spectacle of these amazing 55-80
year-old cars that had just driven more than
3,000kms to their city. The convoy continued on to
Cooling off in the beautiful Florence Falls plunge pool Lining up for a king-size Bar-B-Q in the KMEC clubroom
13
the old heritage-listed Qantas Hangar, which
doubles as a club room and workshop for the
Darwin Car Club, to be met by TV cameras and
newspaper reporters.
That evening we were treated to a wonderful
dinner and social evening under the stars outside
the hanger, courtesy of Shannons. Darwin is a
vibrant city at ‘the top end’ with plenty to see and
do. The Darwin War Museum is another ‘must’.
The devastation caused by the Japanese bombing
was shocking, but the loss of life and the bravery
shown by an unprepared, under-resourced defence
force against all odds was gut-wrenching.
Shamefully, most of us had no idea the bombing
raids continued for two years, not just the two
initial raids we hear about - such is the lack of
Australian history in our schools’ curriculum!
I’m not into markets very much but the Mindil
Beach market is quite something. The range of
foods to eat while walking around or sitting on the
beach watching a brilliant sunset, and the ‘stuff’
for sale, are unbelievable. Then, to watch some of
the younger generation dancing on a sand dune,
silhouetted against the evening sky all to the
enchanting throb of a didgeridoo was pure magic!!
The farewell dinner at the Trailer Boat Club was a
mixture of relief (that we’d made it), sadness (that
it was all over) and varying degrees of exhaustion.
Bev Wilson (Rally Director) was thanked and
applauded for attempting and pulling off such an
ambitious and thoroughly enjoyable rally. There
were lots of hugs, handshakes and back-slapping
with wishes for a safe, trouble-free trip home,
together with invitations to next year’s Riley Rally
in Mittagong NSW, and rallies in New Zealand
and South Africa. The next day we set off in our
‘trusty steeds’ for the 5-7 day drive back home,
hopefully making the right choice of south, east or
west, at Katherine or Three Ways!!
Summary:
For those who might be interested in some figures
relating to both rallies (4-day SA Rally and the
Red Centre Rally), check out the following,
keeping in mind that I camped with a swag and
had a single burner gas stove to boil water for tea,
coffee, noodles or soup for brekkies and lunches to
keep costs down, but had most dinners at a hotel or
restaurant. The 1937 Riley Kestrel brought out
from England to take part in the rally was the only
car not to reach Darwin; she developed a major
gearbox problem in Alice Springs and had to be
transported back to Adelaide, then England.
Total distance travelled (T’ville-Nuriootpa-Port
Augusta-Darwin-T’ville: …………...…10,125kms
Time away from home: ………………..... 5 weeks
Cost of petrol (Max price $2.26 at Kings Canyon,
Av price $1.78): ………….………….…… $2,280
Engine oil used (including an oil change (5L) in
Alice Springs): …………………….…..…17 litres
No. of ‘freebie’ nights with friends: ……….….…4
No. of nights camping: …………………...….…19
No. of night’s accommodation in hotels or caravan
Park cabins: .................................................…...12
Av. fuel economy for the whole trip: …..21.3 mpg
Total cost for the two Rallies: …..$4,400 (approx.)
Mal Lorimer (Townsville)
One of many ‘termite
people’ along the Highway
Loved this sign at the
Barkly Roadhouse
Moving off in convoy for the last 35kms into Darwin
‘Missy’ didn’t miss
a beat during the
whole trip. Here
she is beside the
‘Dachy kennel’
15
Saunders Beach Brunch
As a location for 'Brunch’ it doesn’t get much better than this!
Club members put on the
‘nosebags’ and talked about
this and that as they sat under
the shady Casuarinas …......
............ while the 'thoroughbreds' waited patiently in the sun
'RED' must be
the 'in' colour
for October, or
else these
thoroughbreds
have been
waiting in the
sun too long!
16
CLUB PROGRAM up to February 2014
CONTACTS:
Club Captain: Ron Anderson: 0418 779 600, Assistant Club Captain: Kristine Walker: 0408 071 689
DATE EVENT DETAILS
21stNovember Club Meeting 7.30pm. The Music Bowl, Thuringowa
24th November Heads n Tails Run
Meet at Anderson Park for a 2:00pm departure.
Don’t be late or you will miss out on the
information sheets. BYO smoko
30th November Christmas Breakup (Townsville)
Tom’s Tavern, 186 Nathan St. Aitkenvale (behind
McDonalds). 6:30 start for dinner at 7:15pm.
Theme for the evening: ‘Tropical Christmas’
23rd
November Burdekin Christmas Breakup
RSVP 15th Nov. Ph. 0417 004 755
Kalamia Hotel, 50 Queen Street, Ayr. 6.30pm for 7.00pm sit down. $28.50 per adult Children 5-12 yrs, $14.25; under 5 yrs, $5.00
********** No Club meeting in December ***********
16th December Christmas Lights Tour Depart Thuringowa Council Chambers 7:00pm
12thJanuary 2014 New Year Lunch Ashton Hotel
Depart Bohle Barn car park 8.30am. Meet Ingham
members at Tyto Centre for BYO smoko
16thJanuary 2014 Club Meeting 7.30pm. The Music Bowl, Thuringowa
19th January 2014 ‘Fish-n-Chips’ lunch at Bushland
Beach
Meet at the Anderson Park for a 11:00am
departure - weather permitting!!
Pic of the month
One can forget oneself in the excitement of the
game - ooops!!