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GONE ON R & R 2001 Saturday morning, noticing the thick cloud cover and unchanged forecast, we packed wet weather camping gear and drove 60km north to the starting point of the R & R. We arrived at Anna Bay, parked our family car, and with Kay and kids now squashed in the front of our 1964 SWB GS we drove the last 500m to the R & R Form Up Point. As we crested the headland and looked down at the Pacific and all that sand, there below was the Birubi carpark with it's borders lined by WWII concrete tank traps. But I was disappointed as I could see only three Land-Rovers. We pulled up right on time beside the others and the introductions began. I grabbed the camera and looked around. Coming toward me was the Legacy man bearing his tray of fundraising pins. Although pre-occupied with the rain clouds (it hadn't rained yet), I got out the event consent forms and introduced Mr Legacy to the three Landy crews. So there I was after waiting months in anticipation of a great weekend and now in the first few minutes of the R & R we were dealing with three let downs. Number one; the lousy looking weather and the even lousier forecast. Number two; the small turn-out of vehicles (due mostly to Number one). Number three; the small fundraising (due to Number two which was due to Number one). A long list of vehicles hadn't arrived: a few WWII Jeeps, a CMP Blitz, a Dodge Weapons Carrier, a SASR Series 2A Landy, some Series 3 ex-military ¾ tonners, etc. I had about six apologies. For example, Wee Wullie, another Series 2A SWB GS, had an ill driver. Fortunately the situation improved before the R & R set off. The sun came out and there was a patch of blue sky. Even better, six other vehicles had arrived and let air of their tyres in readiness for the sands. One of the arrivals, Phillip Hartas, showed us how you hand-crank a Lightweight, which he was obliged to do all weekend, because the starter was damaged. Keen or what! The R & R got going right on 10am having raised about $300 for Legacy and after saying good-bye to the Legacy man. Nine of Solihull's finest were then 'off on R & R' -
The "First Bogged Land-Rover Award" was won after only 500m of sand. Ana's Lightweight hadn't properly engaged the front axle and a Range Rover snatched it out of trouble and down onto the beach. Once on the beach near the surf line we all stopped and I told the story about the Morna Pt aircraft gunnery range. The cameras got busy - on the first morning of the R & R, when the sunshine looked to be in short supply, it was a case of getting out the cameras at any and every opportunity. Then after another false start we began running south at 60kmph; Phillip's Lightweight had not yet engaged the free-wheeling hubs (he had made it onto the beach using only the rear axle). |
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