Wings on the Road

We are Psyclists!

2008-04-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

Psycho's [adjective] [pronounced siko's]
People of unstable nature making ill informed decisions against better judgement

Cyclists [noun] [pronounced sai.klists]
People who ride bicycles

Psyclists [noun] [pronounced sai.klists]
Crazy people who ride from Alice Springs to Adelaide for charity, off road, averaging 94km per day over 18 days

We did it. And what a great feeling it was to ride into Gouger St at 1.15pm on Wednesday afternoon to a fantastic reception at Cibo Cafe. Customers hadn't a clue what was going on. Hugs all 'round and then we all sat back for a few hours to reflect on what we had just completed. The reaction from friends and family helped give us an idea of what a great achievement it was. Riders and volunteers then later made their way to the RFDS hanger at Adelaide Airport to a great welcome from more friends, family and RFDS employees.

The ride into Adelaide was a difficult one with lots of traffic and close calls with trucks that gave us little or no room. The scheduled departure time from Auburn was 7.30am but such was the enthusiasm by riders and volunteers to get the job done, everyone was ready well before 7am for the 109km last leg.

On our last night we were all given the opportunity to voice our highlights and to express what we got most out of the trip. There was a common theme of achievement, camaraderie, friendship, the generous Outback hospitality and the trust that was built amongst each other to get through every day.

There are a number of people to thank for making this journey / adventure possible;

The sponsors who donated cash / goods thereby making the trip viable
The station owners, caravan park owners and local identities who allowed us to stay on their property and in some cases, not only opened up their homes to 18-20 people but fed us as well.
A massive thank you to each of the 10 volunteers (Iraj, Danny, Nick, Katharina, Eddy, Pat, Jenny, Bob, Trevor and Steve) who gave up their time and did a fantastic job in keeping us safe, fed, on the right roads and transporting our equipment on a daily basis. You all did a remarkable job and the riders could not have achieved what they did without such dedicated support.
The riders who gave up their time to participate and also raise money. The camaraderie and encouragement grew daily and this helped us all in so many ways. Andy S and John; you weren't with us in Adelaide but you were no less part of the adventure.
The final words of thanks should be written for George Karlis. He took an idea dreamt up by colleague Phil Moran and turned it into reality with his passion, enthusiasm, commitment and attention to detail. It might be apt at this time to quote John Lynch who, on our arrival in Adelaide commented that "George's commitment to Wings on the Road was the single biggest sacrifice by an RFDS staff member that he has witnessed in his 22 years of service". George left behind 6 week old daughter Mia and took us all on a journey that would not have been possible without his involvement.

The initial fundraising target of $20,000 looks to have been surpassed although final numbers will take a little while to tally as funds start to get collected. Thank you to all those to have pledged a donation.

Finally, remember that the RFDS exists to support everyone in the Outback. Not only those who are residents - but tourists as well.

Thanks for reading.

Photos

2008-04-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

Please visit our photobucket site for all of our photographs:
Click here.
http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll251/wingsontheroad/

Day 16 to 18 "Done!"

2008-04-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

We all rode into Adelaide and arrived safely. An update (including photos) will be posted Thursday afternoon.

Day 12 to 15 "Everything is relative"

2008-04-13T03:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since the last post and the creative juices aren't flowing quite like they should so apologies for this lazy update. We all got hammered with a strong southerly headwind today - so strong that we had to pedal downhill just to keep momentum. We are all battle weary and the injuries and fatigue are holding up a stop sign to our sense of humour.

It might be a good time to let you know what goes on in the life of a rider each day;

Wake at 5am. Try and locate head torch for 5mins. Pack up tent, sleeping bag and air mattress. Decide which shorts and top to wear. Each rider applies paw paw cream (or similar) to chamois of bike shorts to help aid prevention of saddle sores. Get dressed. Have breakfast. Join the queue for coffee made from the cafetiere. Watch the hairs on your chest grow a bit longer from the strength of the brew. Pack snap lock plastic bag of jelly babies, muesli bars and fruit bars for the days ride. Fill water bottles. Check tyre pressure - less for sandy conditions, more if the tracks are firmer. Weigh in*. Put all our bags at the trailer for the volunteers to pack. Apply copious amounts of sunscreen to all exposed areas of the body (not fun at this hour of the morning). Commence ride. Smash ourselves for 10 hours**. Dump bike anywhere. Flannel wash from bucket if no shower. Flannel wash for the second time to rid yourself of sunscreen and dirt you couldn't get off the first time. Shower if available. Clean chain and rear cassette of bike and re lube for next day. Put up tent and blow up air mattress and unroll sleeping bag. Dinner. Zzzzz.

*We get weighed twice per day. Once in the morning and once directly after each ride as weight loss is a good indicator of dehydration. Strangely, very few of the riders have lost more than a kilogram or two as we are eating and drinking so much.

**Spend the first hour trying to get comfortable in the seat as the saddle sores take effect again. We have 5min breaks after every hour or so. Top up on water, eat some savoury snacks and re-commence riding. Lunch ideally is somewhere shady and somewhere at least half way, usually two thirds from the finish. Spend first hour after lunch trying to get comfortable in the seat again. Watch as the km's tick over ever so slowly until the finish. Tell yourself that tomorrow has got to be a better day. It usually is.

The last few days has been the most rewarding as far as scenery is concerned as we entered the northern Flinders Ranges. The long flat stretches of nothingness were worth every moment as this most beautiful part of South Australia welcomed us all. We've been lucky enough to have had company as we ride; emus, kangaroos, dingos and sheeps (this is German for more than one sheep).

The hardest part about cycling through this area is that we've started each day with 30/40/50km of bitumen and then have to go off road for 30/40km and then it's back on the bitumen. Now that we've had a taste of the tarmac, it's hard putting yourself through the corrugations of the dirt again.

We've had a few days of 92 km and 72 km and we think of these days as short days. Compared to the 100km daily sojourns, maybe it is. Everything is relative and a 78/80km day seems to fly by.

We are now in Port Augusta where a number of the riders are from. What a great occasion it was for them to be able to ride into their home town and be welcomed by family and friends. And how hard it must be for them to continue to Adelaide as they ride away from home. The local television station was out to great us and George was on the radio again this morning (ABC again).

The Port Augusta auxiliary of the RFDS gave us a fantastic welcome and a few of us were lucky enough to be shown around the hanger, the aircraft and witness a take off at close quarters. Thanks to the staff and supporters for a great evening.

Three days to go, 300km to ride. It is unlikely that we'll be able to update the blog until we complete our ride into Adelaide so in the mean time, wish us luck and a safe journey and there will be photos and a final update after we enter the RFDS hanger at the Adelaide airport.

Day 10 & 11 "We can smell the bitumen"

2008-04-09T00:26:00.000-07:00

William Creek to Curdimurka (105km)

Great news on the injury front; we were back to 9 riders today and everyone finished what was a very gruelling day's riding. It was a very long boring ride today but what an ending...

We were greeted by Rowley and Trevor (every 2nd person in the outback is called Trevor) who drove all the way from Adelaide to prepare a gourmet bush banquet for us. The eski was full of ice and Coopers Dark Ale and there were more than a few bottles of red wine getting around during dinner. The food was cooked on an open fire and when we were done, Rowlie and Trevor entertained us all with their stories of the railway, history of the RFDS and the outback. All of this was enhanced by staying at the historic rail site of Curdimurka. The night was warm and most of us took the opportunity to sleep under the stars for the first time this trip. Although Ruhi and George continued to erect their tent for added privacy.

The following morning we were treated to a cooked breakfast by our hosts against the backdrop of a magnificent sunrise. We were also welcomed by nearly every fly in the mid-north. So bad we were nearly choking on them. Nursing a few hangovers, our riders commenced another day.

Curdimurka to Marree (105km)

Another long and hot slog to our next destination. The scenery improved along the way and gave the riders an opportunity to take some photographs. Dr Andy wins our quote of the day award when he aptly described today's ride; "I've invested heavily in the uphill bank today and I plan on withdrawing big sometime soon". Unfortunately for the good doctor and the rest of us, there is still a fair bit in the bank. Riders finished in good condition and enjoyed the welcoming committee of a group of school children who rode with us for the last 500m of today's journey. All around town there are posters notifying the locals of the BBQ to be held tonight in our honour.

We had 2 more punctures today; 1 on the truck and 1 by Andy S as he was sitting at the Marree pub.

We also have a count going for riders getting caught in "wirlee-wirlee's" and out in front is David with 3. On the last occasion, the volunteers in the following support car said the little man nearly got swept away .

Injuries
We are all suffering some form of injury or ailment. Here's an update;
George; saddle sores
Lisa; tendinitis in the knee
Lucky Phil; tendinitis in the knee
David; tendinitis in the Achilles tendon
Ruhi; tendinitis in the knee
Dr Andy; saddle sores
Esther; sciatica
Len; he's tough as nails and doesn't get injuries
Andy S; neck pain (Not to be confused with him being a pain in the neck - which he is.)

A special welcome to John and Iraj who have joined us today. John will be riding the leg from Marree to Port Augusta and Iraj will be acting as a volunteer. Great to have them with us.

Final rider interview...

Interviewer; Hi John. Is it true that you kicked dust onto your bike to make it look like you have ridden the total distance with us?
John; No way, man.
Interviewer; Thank you John.

Day 9 "Nine down, nine to go..."

2008-04-07T01:15:00.000-07:00

Peake Station to William Creek (105km)

An 8-9 hour day today and there wasn't 1 meter of flat. It seemed as if we were either climbing or descending. Whoever said the centre of Australia was flat was obviously sitting in a car.

Great news on the injuries; Esther and Phil both made comebacks. And what comebacks they were too. Today's route was very demanding and not only did they both finish but they arrived in good condition. Lisa again did not start but the good news with her is that she isn't hobbling around like a pirate with a wooden leg. She can now bend her knee and she'll see more cycling action before we're done. (Stop Press; We've just been informed that she is walking without pain and will start tomorrow).

Until today, the only puncture we received was on the truck. The first to puncture would be buying beers and David had had a sharp rock pierce his tyre along today's route. He's claiming it's not a puncture because the tyre sealant inside his tyre self repaired the hole in seconds. He should be a lawyer instead of making spreadsheets. George punctured walking his bike from the William Creek pub to the camping grounds across the road. He's claiming it's not a puncture because it wasn't on today's route. And his wife is a lawyer so who are we to argue.

At 30km, we were greeted by a reporter (Helen) from The Times* who took some photographs and notes. She also baked us some Anzac cookies which were fantastic. We were also greeted by John Ayres, Chairman of The Kidman Group who handed over a very generous donation.

George has conducted a phone interview with ABC Radio which went very well. We told him he's got a face for radio. They will be calling regularly for updates during our journey.

Looks like everyone is buying there own beers tonight.

It's half way today. We're on the home strecth commencing tomorrow.

We're off to the pub!

*The Cooper Pedy Times

Day 8; And then there were 6...

2008-04-06T04:14:00.000-07:00

Oodnadatta to Peake Station (supposed to be 91km)

We all enjoyed a fantastic night at the Pink Roadhouse and the volunteers and riders all enjoyed a relaxing time. The highlight was watching Dr Andy performing a duet with local identity Geoffrey.

We stayed overnight in the local Oodnadatta Aboriginal School. Having a look at the posters on the wall, there was one the students had put together for the 5 food groups. In the Bread and Cereals section, there was damper. And in the Meat section, amongst other things there was Kangaroo, Camel, Lizard and Witchetty Grub. Interesting how things like this are localised.

Today was another punishing day. White gravel was the order of the day and it was all up and down for the first 2-3 hours. White gravel is still better than sand. Sand is evil. What's better; a hot northerly tail wind or a cooling southerly headwind? Depending on where you are and how you are feeling at the time, either can be good (or bad) and we had both today.

Esther (sciatica), Phil and Lisa (both with fluid on the knee) succumbed to their injuries and will try and recover and get on the bike in the next few days. The course today did them absolutely no favours at all and had this been a few days later when the roads smooth out, they probably would have completed the day. They all gave us encouragement from the car which was much appreciated.

Depending on what map you read, today's route varied in distance. Instead of being 91km, it turned out to be 105km. Doesn't sound like much but after 8 days and 700km, we didn't need the extra. Many thanks to Sarah and Jim from Peake Station who put on a fantastic dinner for us all. We all took the opportunity to shower and put on the biggest load of washing you'll ever see.

More rider interviews;

Interviewer; Hi Lisa. Do ever stop smiling? Ever?
Lisa; Yes.
Interviewer; Thank you.

Interviewer; Now Phil, everyone seems to be calling you Lucky Phil on this trip. Why is this?
Phil; 'cause I'm lucky.
Interviewer; How lucky?
Phil; Very.
Interviewer; Thanks Phil.

Dr Andy; Can I please have another favourite medical instrument for the website?
Interviewer; Of course Dr Andy.
Dr Andy, Well, its called a Proctascope and it's used for rectal examinations. A doctor I knew had one bought for him by some colleagues when he retired and inscribed on it was "For looking up old friends".
Interviewer; Thank you Dr Andy.

Quote of the day award goes to tough a nails iron man Len;
"Even the good parts today weren't good".

Tomorrow's route takes us from Peake Station to William Creek Station, 105km in total. Or 489km depending on what map you read.

Day 7; More of the same really

2008-04-04T23:48:00.000-07:00

Hamilton Station to Oodnadatta

Last night Janet and Wayne from Hamilton Station put on a wonderful dinner for us all. It was particularly welcomed by the volunteers who were able to put their feet up and relax instead of worrying about us all the time.

We can go on all day about what the ride was like but that will get a tad boring after 18 days. So...Hamilton to Oodnadatta; very cold start, undulations for the first 20km, then generally good roads all the way into Oodnadatta. Saw a dingo and Dr Andy had a fan club waiting for him about 15km out of town. He's a popular man in these parts.

Some rider interviews...

Interviewer; Hello Dr Andy,
Dr Andy; Hi there.
Interviewer; can you tell me your favourite medical instrument please?
Dr Andy; Sure, it's called a Orchidometer. It looks like a set of rosery beads and it is used to measure the size of testicles. Women can also use it as a fashion accessory.
Interviewer; Thanks Dr Andy.

Interviewer; Hello Ruhi. I saw you were reading a book the other night. Can you share with our readers what the name of that book was?
Ruhi; Sure, it's called "Managing difficult children before they turn ten"
Interviewer; Sounds interesting. What's the best piece of parenting advice so far?
George; don't have any kids.
Interviewer; Shh.
Ruhi; 'Embrace chaos'.
Interviewer; Thankyou Ruhi.

Interviewer; Hello Esther. Have you ever bean called "Esther the Investor"?
Esther; No.
Interviewer; "Esther the Contestor"?
Esther; No.
Interviewer; "Esther the Molster"?
Esther; YES!!!

Interviewer; George, i saw you wearing a cute little black t-shirt yesterday. Has anyone ever told you that you look like John Travolta from "Grease" in it?
George; All the time. Helen loves it. It shows off my man boobs.
Interviewer; Thankyou George.

Interviewer; Hi David. Can you tell me an interesting fact?
David; about what?
Interviewer; Anything you like.
David; my chain lube nearly turned solid overnight in the cold air.
Interviewer; Now that is interesting. So what did you do?
David; I used George's. I'm not sure why but he took it in the tent with him and Ruhi last night.
Interviewer; Thankyou David.

Interviewer; Hi Andy. Would you like to be part of an interview for the website?
Andy; Eh?
Interviewer; OK then, my question is, who cuts your hair?
Andy; Me.
Interviewer; The reason i ask is that there is this annoying tuft of hair under your right ear. I feel compelled to cut it off.
Interview ended without further comment.

Interviewer; Len, what is tougher - an iron man triathlon or riding to Adelaide?
Len; Riding to Adelaide is much tougher. An iron man is over in half a day. But then again I'm not as tough as I once was.
Interviewer; Thankyou Len.

Injury update; Lisa and Phil are hanging in there despite painful knees. And they're still smiling.

Everyone is in good spirits and looking forward to the reception tonight put on by Pink Roadhouse where locals are paying $15 a head to attend with money raised going towards our fund for the RFDS.

Days 4, 5 and 6; This is getting hard...

2008-04-04T00:20:00.000-07:00

Riders and volunteers enjoyed a BBQ put on by staff and supporters of the Aputula Municipal Council. Thank you to Sue Brown for the generous donation and to Ross for his hospitality and advice.

Finke to Eringa Ruins

Riders had an early start this morning, departing camp at earliest light, 6.30am. It was a cool start and a strong southerly headwind made things more difficult. In a word, today’s riding was 'brutal'. Riders were on the road (dirt) for between 9.5 hours and 11.5 hours. We had it all; headwind, sand (more pushing of bikes), corrugations, rocks, trucks, graders, speeding oncoming 4WD's and undulations. We were a sorry sight by days end and none of us had ever spent that amount of time on the bike in one day. Camp was at Eringa Ruins which was a very picturesque camp spot amongst gum trees and next to a water hole. The evening was spent sharing war stories around a camp fire and watching how many yabbies young Nick could catch.

Eringa Ruins to Hamilton Station

Today’s stage consisted of 70km into Hamilton Station. Easy right? The shortish nature of the day did not detract from the difficulty of the cycling. It was a long day with many undulations to add to the very rocky terrain. The road was in poor condition, meaning riders had trouble picking a decent line to ride. Not much in the way of scenery either and we were all glad when we finished. Station owners Janet and Wayne have made us feel very welcome and everyone has enjoyed their first shower in many days. It is amazing how much sun screen one accumulates after a few days. The end of the ride was helped by a passing bus load of British tourists who happily donated money to the RFDS and chatted to the riders.

The volunteers have done a fantastic job over the last few days, keeping us hydrated, fed and proving us with a constant stream of encouragement. The 4 vehicles are all in contact via UHF radio and we are kept well informed of any passing / oncoming traffic and other hazards. The volunteers all work well together and it allows the riders to concentrate on cycling and recovering.

The riders; we are all a little worse for wear. The last few days have been punishing and we are nursing all sorts of injuries (saddle sores, fluid in the knee, fatigue, muscle soreness and back pain). Dr Andy manages to finish each stage with a big smile on his face regardless of how much pain he’s endured to get there, Lisa the trooper has persisted riding despite her badly swollen and painful knee. Phil has brought new meaning to the word 'stubborn' by bulldozing his way to camp each day, Len has been Esther’s guardian angel via his encouragement, providing a wheel to ride behind and being chief motivator. Andy S is thinking of ways to get David back after he locked out his front and rear suspension before the days start (Andy realized this after 60km+). George is doing everything possible to alleviate his saddle sores, including wearing 2 pairs of bike shorts, more than enough paw paw cream on the chamois and even a layer of bubble wrap. Ruhi spat the dummy after he broke his beloved speedo sensor in a minor fall. This means he can't see the numbers 1700km when we arrive in Adelaide. Word on the street is that he'll get over it.

And finally, bike mechanic Andy would like to wish his son Hartley a fantastic 2nd birthday and whilst he can't be there in person, Hartley is in his thoughts.

Day 0-3 "Are we cycling or walking to Adelaide?"

2008-04-01T23:37:00.000-07:00

Day 0 RDFS Base Alice Springs.
Saturday was the day we saw everyone (9 riders, 9 volunteers) arrive in Alice Springs. It was a busy day rebuilding bikes, food shopping (7 overflowing trolleys clogging up the checkout) and packing of the 3 x 4WD's and the truck. We all got to know each other over a great BBQ put on by John Lynch and Darren Shiller of the RFDS (thanks guys!). A welcome and briefing by John Lynch and George Karlis and Medical Officer Andy Killcross and it was time to call it a night.

Day 1 Alice to Arid Gold Date Farm (Deep Well) 83km.
It was an early start for the first day of cycling. A small but enthusiastic group of supporters said farewell to the riders on their 18 day journey. Ten km of bitumen and then it was straight onto the dirt. It was a long day with the last 6 km being the most difficult over sand requiring some riders to dismount and walk. The night was spent camping on Tim Micklin's Arid Gold Date Farm. We awoke to the sun rising over 1000's of date palms which was a nice way to begind the day.

Day 2 Arid Gold Date Farm to Maryvale Station (54km).
Today was an enjoyable days cycling. It was short and covered many different types of terrain and scenery and included for many of us, our first sighting of a camel in the wild. There were many photos opportiunities on route. The short nature of the day meant that everyone arrived at Maryvale Station in good condition and in good spirits.

Day 3 Maryvale Station to Engoordina Ruins (65km).
Oh dear. After a leisurely start through the neighbouring Aborigional Community today's route of 65km was dominated by long straight roads scattered with remains of sleeper nails and sleepers from the old Ghan railway.

And sand. Loads of it.

When God finished making the Sahara Desert, any left over sand must have been deposited on the old Ghan route. Riders spent the whole 9.5 hours riding distances of 1-2km and then dismounting to walk. The last 14km was all walking whilst pushing the mountain bike in deep sand in the heat of the day. By day's end, we were nursing sun burn, copious blisters from walking in sand filled shoes not purpose built for walking and headaches from dehydration.

Day 4 Engoordina Ruins to Finke (72km).
Today's route was supposed to be a ride to Finke. The road was so sandy however that the riders had to be driven and the truck taking a detour to avoid getting bogged. Everyone was a little disappointed about not cycling this leg of the journey but it was for safety and well being reasons. Instead the day was spent resting and preparing for the longest leg of our journey, 119km to Hamilton Station (10 hours).

The Volunteers, without whom this trip would not be possible have afforded tremendous support for the riders. The combined years of 4WD and outback experience of Bob, Eddie, Pat, Stephen and Trevor is invaluable. Danny unfortunately got stuck doing most of the truck driving as he was one of the few with the appropriate license to drive it. A special mention also for our 2 international guests, Katharina (Germany) and Nicholas (Canada) for their great support and assistance. Last but in no means least, our 5 star chef Jennifer who has been serving up gourmet meals.

The riders.
Tough as nails Len and his partner in crime Esther have been keeping everyone entertained with their banter. Phil is so lathered with sun screen he looks like a ghost. Dr Andy has yet to demonstrate his complete musical talents on bongos and guitar. Lisa has demonstrated cycling talent well beyond her training regime. Ruhi is imparting his off road knowledge and skills to road cycling mates George ("Don't panic, you are the strongest") and David. And bush bike mechanic Andy with his high mechanical aptitude showed eveyone the technique for coughing up unwanted flies.

They're on their way!

2008-03-31T18:42:00.000-07:00

The ride has started, in good conditions and all fit and well. Let's hope they finish just as well - though fitter I imagine...

The riders, the volunteers

2008-02-27T06:03:00.000-08:00

The following individuals are braving the elements and riding about 1700km over rough terrain over 18 days:

Phil Moran (RFDS Port Augusta Base Manager)
Andy Killcross (RFDS Port Augusta Medical Officer)
Esther Veldstra (RFDS Port Augusta Base Pilot)
George Karlis (RFDS General Manager Safety Quality and Risk)
Lisa Lumsden
Len Sharenburg
Ruhi Afnan
David Habib
John Tsalapatis (Marree to Port Augusta only)

Andrew Swain

The following volunteers have generously agreed to drive the (now) 4 support vehicles and help make life more comfortable and safe for all the riders:

Robert McGibbon
Trevor Hartmann
Nick Phelan
Danny Concannon
Stephen Collins
Edward Concannon
Patrick Lo Basso
Katharina Reffelt
Jennifer Lucas
Iraj Afnan (Marree-Adelaide only)

Our Important Sponsors-without whom the trip would not be possible

2008-02-18T21:19:00.000-08:00

The following organisations have pledged or offered generous support, assistance or sponsorship to make this adventure possible. Their support means that money which would otherwise have been used for the journey expenses can be redirected into the donation pool to support the vital work of the Royal Flying Doctor Service Central Operations Inc (RFDS). The support and logistical help of the RFDS, particularly the Public Relations and Marketing section is aknowledged.

Anaconda Mile End
Aridgold Farm
Australian Satellite Services
Avanti Cycles Alice Springs
Avanti Cycles Port Augusta
Australian Women Pilots' Association SA Branch
Bike SA
Brasilia Coffee, Glynde
Cibo Espresso Gouger Street (Anna & Mario Paglia)
Coopers
Eddie Concannon
Dick Smith
Fire Equipment Maintenance Group
Great Southern Rail Ltd "The Ghan"
Hamilton Laboratories
Hamilton Station
Hahndorf Vegetable Garden
Haughton Honda
Helen Taylor, Port Augusta
Industrial First Aid Service
Kidman
L'Abruzzesse
Maryvale Station
Mitcham Rotary Club
Northern Territory Freight Service(NTFS)
Northpoint Toyota Port Augusta
Ozzie's Coffee Lounge Port Augusta
Prairie Hotel Parachilna
Probiotec Limited/Milton Australia PTY LTD
RFDS Auxiliary Alice Springs
RFDS Auxiliary Port Augusta
The Adventure Collective
Veska & Lohmeyer Pty Ltd
VO Whiting and Sons Port Augusta
Whyalla & Districts 4WD Club Inc
William Creek Station
Willis Australia

Preparing for Wings on the Road

2008-02-18T17:34:00.000-08:00

The organising committee for Wings on the Road would like to thank Adventure Collective for their assistance with the preparation of this adventurous and challenging journey. The planning is running well with 3 cars secured and at least 6 volunteers expressing interest to assist. As with all these journeys a lot of preparation is involved. We have at least 12 riders now registered. We are also finalising the event risk assessment, procedures, emergency plan and then moving on to all our equipment, food and provision needs. This blog will track the rider's journey and we will be updating it at every opportunity. Our itinerary (subject to change) to date is:

Stage 1: Sunday, 30 March 2008: Alice Springs-Deep Well

Stage 2: Monday, 31 March 2008:Deep Well -MaryvaleStation

Stage 3: Tuesday, 1 April 2008: Maryvale Station -Engoordina

Stage 4: Wednesday, 2 April 2008: Engoordina-Finke

Stage 5: Thursday, 3 April 2008: Finke-Eringa Ruin

Stage 6: Friday, 4 April 2008: Eringa Ruin-Hamilton

Stage 7: Saturday, 5 April 2008: Hamilton-Oodnadatta

Stage 8: Sunday, 6 April 2008: Oodnadatta-Peake

Stage 9: Monday, 7 April 2008: Peake-William Creek

Stage 10:Tuesday, 8 April 2008: William Creek-Curdimurka

Stage 11: Wednesday, 9 April 2008: Curdimurka -Maree

Stage 12:Thursday, 10 April 2008: Maree-Copley(last section sealed)

Stage 13: Friday, 11 April 2008:Copley- Parachilna (Sealed Road)

Stage 14: Saturday, 12 April 2008: Parachilna-Hawker(Via Blinman and Wilpena)

Stage 15: Sunday, 13 April 2008 Hawker -Port Augusta (via Warren Gorge)

Stage 16: Monday, 14 April 2008: Port Augusta-Laura (Sealed Road)

Stage 17: Tuesday, 15 April 2008:Laura-Auburn(Sealed Road)

Stage 18: Wednesday, 16 April 2008:Auburn-Adelaide(Sealed Road)

Stay tuned for more progress reports.

For more information please contact George Karlis 0429697953, email: george.karlis@flyingdoctor.net
George