Just Grounds Community

For Like minded people who like to see-

Convoy #6

Please put ORANGE balloon/ streamers to show your convoy.

Convoy leaders are Matt 0427 815 595 Janet 0417 815 595

Number 1 Rule: FOLLOW YOUR CONVOY LEADERS!!

18^th August Perth WA to Norseman WA

19^th Norseman WA to Penong SA

^20th Penong SA to Renmark SA

21 August Renmark SA to Coolac NSW **As at 1:30pm, Saturday 20 August, your stop overnight at Coolac is confirmed**

22 August Leave Coolac at 7:30am sharp for drive into the Canberra Staging Area - then police escort/green light corridor to drive past Parliament House - you will then be escorted to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) for parking (correct as at 20 August)

*At AIS, you will be directed to different parking if camping overnight - You will need to have $20 cash per vehicle per night ready for this.

DETAILS FOR CAMPING AT AIS ARE SIMILAR TO CAMPING AT EPIC (as below)

Epic grounds are available for camping however no further bookings for powered sites will be taken – it will be on a first in first served basis.
Sites will be available at a rate of $20 per vehicle CASH ONLY as there will be no Eftpos facility available.
A coloured sticker will be used to identified paid vehicles for one or two days duration.
All trucks & trailers must park in the designated parking area. Traffic control will be in place to direct you to the designated area.
All trucks must avoid driving on grassed areas due to the soft condition of the grounds at present.
Cars, caravans and campervans are the only vehicles permitted on the grassed areas.
Any litter/rubbish must be placed in bins provided. No litter to be left at grounds.
Media is not permitted on site without the permission of Epic personnel.

10 August Important Change

Wow, what a story. Anyway the launch point has been changed a final time. It is Belmont Race Course. I repeat. Belmont Race Course!

We are the orange convoy shown above. Please bring orange balloons and streamers!

The Convoy will assemble in the car park of Belmont Race Course to better accomodate all vehicles and an orderly departure.

We will leave at 7:00am sharp on the morning of 18 August!

We are asking that everyone be there by at least 6:30 am. We have a long way to go.

Due to popular demand, the convoy WILL proceed through the center of Kalgoorlie on the 18th of August.

Please refer to the pdf files attached for important information for anyone particpating. You may join us at any point and leave us at any point.

Any questions or queries regarding convoy #6 please post them here, or contact Matt 0427815595 or Janet 0417815595.

Route.pdf

Map%20-%20convoy%206.pdf

Check%20list.pdf

National%20Road%20Freighters%20Association-1.pdf

Press%20Release%2029-07-2011.pdf

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Matt Thompson on August 19, 2011 at 11:13pm

We made it across the Nullabor no worries and are bedding down tonight in the little town of Penong. Great people here welcomed us with orange baloons and good food. We had a fantastic group of 14 die hards that made it all the way from Perth with us, and now will be gaining more and more as we get closer to Canbera. Thanks to all participating.

We can sleep when we get old. Oh yeah I forgot, we already are old. Please jump in and go with us for a while even if you can't go all of the way, by checking out our routes posted above. Also, if you can get your petitions and return to senders to one of our rest stops posted on routes pdf above, we will gladly take them to Canberra for you.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Janet H. Thompson on August 20, 2011 at 8:47am

Bev or Dale, I've made a mistake and put pics up on the main Routes page instead of on here. If you get a chance, can you copy all to this Convoy #6 discussion? Sorry to be a pain! Sure appreciate you all!

Cheers,
Janet

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Janet H. Thompson on August 20, 2011 at 12:46pm

Driving through Port Augusta!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Janet H. Thompson on August 20, 2011 at 2:23pm

Driving through Port Augusta:

PA locals treated us to a sausage sizzle. Thanks, Lindsay & Crew!

Nick and Fluff joined us, and we're on the road again!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Janet H. Thompson on August 20, 2011 at 2:26pm

So far, we've been able to stay on schedule, so should be getting into Renmark at 7:00 p.m. Any locals who want to meet us there, we'll look forward to seeing you!

Cheers,
Janet (and Matt, Kate, Abby, Will & Luke)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Julie Just on August 20, 2011 at 2:52pm

Good luck & safe travels :-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Janet H. Thompson on August 21, 2011 at 9:25am

Thanks, Girls! Just read your messages on the 2-way to our convoy. Everyone is chuffed. Good stuff!

The River Murray was gorgeous and peaceful this morning. We camped right on the river. Would love to go back there. The folks at Riverbend Caravan Park were very supportive...signed the petition, and said, "Go get 'em!" They run a clean, fantastic caravan park. Highly recommend it!

Amazingly, we've run across lots of potholes in the road. How could we possibly be spending money overseas when our own roads are in such a state? Oh yeah, I forgot....we're all supposed to be riding bicycles or trains. Centralised planning advocates love those.

Matt's written another update on Day 3 and it will be up on Quadrant this arvo.

Thanks again for all the support. We've got 7 vehicles with 16 people in our core convoy now, with heaps of thumbs-up, waves and horn honking as we go past.

In Mildura right now... I made a mistake, and forgot to turn the clock ahead .5 hour in Renmark, so we're running 30 minutes behind schedule. (shhhh...don't tell Peter Whytcross! I spoke to him this morning before I realised my mistake, so he doesn't know! haha!)

Peace and goodwill abound within a strong shell of HOPE. Sure feels good to be speaking in such a physical, visual way.

Cheers,

Janet

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Janet H. Thompson on August 21, 2011 at 9:44am

My quote of the day for this Sunday:

"Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself
reasons why I can."

-- Unknown

Well, now, if THAT's not apropo for people considering joining our CONVOY, I don't know what is! C'mon and join our convoy! Don't let "nothin' stand in your way!" Give yourself reasons that you CAN.

Please don't sit back and let others do this. Go for a drive to Canberra. Do it today. Do it for democracy.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Debra Chirichilli on August 21, 2011 at 1:15pm

Hi matt & Janet im georges fiance hes just got home & said he had the best time with u guys & didnt want to leave u hes made some good friends on the way and was wondering if u have any pics of your travels with george as dont have any exept 1 thats conimg form gordon when he emails it to me so safe traveling to u all & give it to them in Canberra Cheers debbie

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Janet H. Thompson on August 21, 2011 at 2:33pm

Oh, Debbie, thanks for that! I reckon you guys need to drive across and meet us there. Would love to meet you!

George is awesome! You've got a good one there! We're missing him today... amazing how quickly bonding takes place when doing something like this together.

Matt just said, "That George is a good driver, too" to which I replied, "Yeah, when he's not bloody reading a novel!" LOL!

You guys take care, and thanks sooo much for the new friendship. We can only control our own actions...we cannot control the results of those actions. But if we accomplish nothing more than seeing this amazing country while convoying with committed, hard-working, every-day, tax-paying Aussies, it will have been worth every kilometre.

Will text George's mobile with our email address, and send you some pics of our trip. :-)

Keep on truckin'....

Cheers,
Janet (and Matt, Kate, Abby, Will & Luke, and the rest of the hard-core Convoy #6: Gordon, Nick, Fluff, Billy Mac, Cookie, Fluffy, Rohan, Greg, Leanne and Adam)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Matt Thompson on August 21, 2011 at 8:35pm

Convoy 6 made it in to Coolac. Tired, but in one piece with all of the above hard core travellers. We're now listening to country music and have joined the purple convoy. Hopefully, we will manage some sleep. Our group is leaving Coolac at 7:30 and are expected in Canberra at 9:00.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lorna Bahnisch on August 21, 2011 at 8:58pm

Have loved reading about your trip. We would love to be there and see you again and meet other good friends but it was not to be at this time. Janet, I'm afraid the can'ts outweighed the cans!

We are proud of you all!