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Daily 'T-Team' Update Day 01 - Sunday September 7th (Distance 360km) The team left Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement at 8.30 am, Sunday 7th September in a cavalcade including five other Model T’s, sent off by Swan Hill City Mayor, Cr David Quayle. Other T’s from the Model T Ford Club of Victoria (names to be supplied) accompanied Jim and the team to Piangil and returned to Swan Hill. After stopping at Robinvale to refuel, the party continued to Gol Gol where they met Bob Fox in his1927 Model T tourer. The team continued after a brief lunch and an interview with the Sunraysia Daily, before crossing the border into South Australia at 4:30pm (EST) and then we travelled on to Renmark for the night.
The team departed Renmark at 8:00am and travelled through Loxton on to Karoonda where we stopped for low-fat sausage rolls and coffees. Arrived at Murray Bridge at midday where the team met Ross and Carlean Langbein in their 1923 Model T tourer. Then through Hahndorf where the Haigs’ 1912 Model Van joined in for the run through the hills to the Adelaide Town Hall. The Lord Mayor, Cr Michael Harbison, formally welcomed Jim and the team to the City of Adelaide and invited the team to sign the visitors book, and inspect the Council Chambers. Jim then took part in a radio interview "live-to-air" on local ABC radio. Overnight in Adelaide.
What a day! The team, less trusted member Ray (who returned to Hobart last night, and Brian, who returned to Melbourne this morning) headed for Port Augusta at 8:45am. Jim started with a 15 minute 5UV radio session with Annie Hasselwell, before departing Adelaide at 9:15am, and then another "on-air" session on 5DN with Barry Ian followed by yet another radio interview with Andrew Male of the ABC’s 5PI. An early lunch was enjoyed at CJ’s Diner (35 Main North Road, Clare - phone (08) 8842 2848), although Steve does not suggest the local delicacy - Snag-in-a-Rag. And then at 1:30pm "the blow-out" on the Clare - Port Augusta Road, approximately 5km south of Gladstone. Despite Alan and Steve having the tyre and rim changed by the time the support crew had arrived, Graham and Michael had set-up a comprehensive traffic management plan to ensure that the safety of the team was not compromised - not bad hey Rols? More media commitments on the Wilmington - Port Augusta Road. This time with Bryan Charlton of the Adelaide office of Melbourne's 'The Age' newspaper. Some great photos were taken - the best will make home page when available. And then finally at 5:00pm a 20 minute TV interview with Kara Jenkins on local Port Augusta TV. Additional thanks for today's activities and events goes to Bill and staff at Vince’s Pizza and Pasta - Victoria Parade, Port Augusta station. Log on tomorrow for further up-dates on the continuing journey.
A full day commencing with a 7am departure for Ceduna, and photo shoots almost straight away on the outskirts of Port Augusta. Smooth running for 468km, apart from topping up the radiator to avoid overheating about 45km out from Ceduna, made for a great days driving. Some good roads and great scenery through undulating countryside added to the day. Driving past the red soils of Iron Knob, through ever changing vegetation to the enormous, lush green wheat fields around Kimba, and then to the fresh sea breezes at Ceduna. Average speed for the day was slightly higher than previous because of the gentle terrain and few major towns to slow us down. Finally at Ceduna, the evening started with a huge feed of fresh local oysters and prawns, washed down with some very enjoyable chilled beers and wine, and finished with local whiting (not Ray!) at the Ceduna Foreshore Motel.
Light rain in the morning for the trip out of Ceduna meant that we had to put the side curtains onto the Model T. Jim stayed back in Ceduna to do a radio interview for 5CS - Port Pirie. After the rain dried up, along came the wind, and driving into a headwind slowed the T from our normal 70km/h to about 60km/h. There was very little vegetation, apart from groundcover along this section of road - the start of the treeless plain. Just before Nullarbor we turned toward the coast for some whale watching at the 'Head of the Bight'. Really spectacular scenery and saw a few whales and calves only a couple of hundred metres away. Arrived at the Nullarbor Hotel-Motel about 5.30pm. This is an unbelievable place - completely flat terrain for the full 360 degrees around you.
Heading off after getting a photo of Jim with Katrina - the almost 'one woman whiz' of the roadhouse / hotel / motel etc., we stopped at another viewing station along the coast, with big cliffs and strong winds - again very spectacular. Got to Border Village (SA / WA border) about noon (almost lunchtime) and then put our clocks back 45 minutes, but still had something to eat. The Model T with Allan and Graham kept heading west after the quarantine check, but Jim and the others visited the old Telegraph Station ruins at Eucla, where Jim was reminiscing with other tourists about sleeping there as part of his 1930 trip. Got to Madura fairly early in the afternoon and after unloading the cars, headed out to get some photos of the cars on the old highway through the Madura Pass - where Jim and his parents travelled 73 years ago. Then went down to the old Madura homestead ruins and car graveyard, with stacks of old 50’s & 60’s wrecks - as well as some old Model T parts.
A few more photo shoots on the old Madura Pass and then on to Cocklebiddy for lunch and fuel. Then after going through Caiguna we were on the longest straight stretch of road we have travelled - about 150km without a bend. At the end of that with only 27km to the Balledonia Roadhouse for an overnight stop, we get almost there and run out of fuel in the Model T about 2km from the roadhouse. More tourist stuff going out to Afghan Rock - a huge granite outcrop, complete with natural pools of water. But missed out on seeing any of the camels that live there, particularly an albino (white) camel that uses that area. That night was going real well - in the bar, watching the footy on TV - until Essendon eventually lost, and their finals run ended. Pretty quiet from there on.
We're always willing to help anybody out and our hosts at the Roadhouse needed 40 litres of cooking oil delivered to their 'sister' restaurant in Norseman - so we did it. On the way, we stopped for a morning cuppa - billy tea and biscuits - very enjoyable. Eventually delivered the cooking oil to Andy at BP Norseman (which is a bit of a conflict as we have Mobil sponsorship), and she provided coffee and sandwiches for lunch. Met up with Kari & Joan Hobbs and tried to arrange a visit to the Boulder Primary School for the next day (Kari is a teacher there). Just out of Kambalda, we had a police escort into St Barbara Square in Kalgoorlie, where we were welcomed to the City by Ron Yurewicz, the Mayor of Kalgoorlie Boulder City Council. He made a presentation to Jim in recognition of the trip. Our tourist bit for the day was our quick visit to the Kalgoorlie Super Pit - we were just blown away by the size of the whole operation there. Had a great meal at the Albion Shamrock Hotel Motel where Rick and Mike looked after us as we watched the local Karaoke competition (we were a bit worried that our almost Octogenarians, Jim and Ray, were going to get up and perform - but they didn’t).
After meeting Christie and Tony from the Kalgoorlie Miner (local paper) for a photo shoot, we caught up with a group of people and their Chamberlain tractors on a tour around south-west WA. But we missed out on the visit to the Boulder Primary School. Eventually we hit the road for Coolgardie and Southern Cross - it was a pretty quiet run until we ran out of fuel for the Model T about 7km before Southern Cross. Back into improved agricultural land now, with some good looking wheat and oat crops along the road into Merredin for our last overnight stop before reaching Perth tomorrow afternoon. The core group of seven enjoyed our last meal together at Potts Restaurant in Merredin - and what a meal it was. The 'T-Team' has had a policy of 'nothing goes back' at the restaurants, but this time it failed in a number of areas, except for Ray Whiting, whose plate was as clean as the proverbial whistle.
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