Highway Wanderers-October

Highway Wanderers have a new committee. Vicki Samin is our new President, Sandra Sargent is our new Vice President and Chris Wilson is the new Treasurer (he is also staying on as Secretary). Big thank you to the outgoing committee.

To Robin and Keryn Wood for all of their work over the years in keeping the Chapter bubbling along. Robin is staying on as webmaster but is letting go of the purse strings and the management of the database. The amount of time and effort involved with keeping the database up to date, newsletter compilation and distribution, HW clothing sales and stocktake and general running around at rallies is considerable and I just hope we can continue the good work. Keryn may finally be able to sit back and relax at rallies rather than running around like a maniac making sure everything is going to plan. (Somehow I don’t think so, can you imagine Keryn sitting still for more than ten minutes !) Anyway thanks guys and just make sure you get to Tassy NO EXCUSES.

I would like to introduce myself to any Highway Wanderers I haven't met. John & I started motorhoming in 1994 in a 36' 72 Model Bedford Bus. We joined the Highway Wanderers in 2000 at the Warragul Rally.. I have previously been secretary of the chapter. I am a fan of disk bowls and have represented the chapter at many rallies. John and I travel for 3-4 months each year. This year we left home in February and will return at the end of October,
The Rockhampton rally has been well attended with 45 members at the AGM. We have had fun at

happy hour with most members attending at some time. We again thank Tom Sargeant for hosting the LRKC game the proceeds being donated to the charity supported by CMCA.
Congratulations to all our disk bowl players, we entered six teams and all bar won were still playing on the second day. Special congratulations to our mens triples of Tom Sargent, Andrew Verschaeren and Philip Procter for winning the championship. It was a very exciting ending with our team four behind on the 5th end. They tied the game and the skip Philip won the play off with a score of 2 out of 3.
We are not going to Tassie but watch your newsletter for details of a pre rally venue for HWs. I look forward to catching up with many of you at Port Macquarie.
Safe travel to all.

Hello to all Highway Wanderers wherever you happen to be wandering. Hope you are well, keeping fit and getting younger each day. As you know by now we have a new President and Vice President elected at the Rocky rally. As usual the competition for committee positions was intense but we managed to finalise all positions with Vicki, Sandra, Robin and myself fending off all the opposition. We had a pretty good turn up of HW members at the Rocky rally and HH each afternoon was most enjoyable. There were about 50 or so HW members with notable return of our founding members Philip and Helene Procter which was just as well because it was Phil who got us over the line in the men’s triples final by winning the play off. I don’t like to brag but I did say in the last newsletter that HW would prevail and take the gold (YooHoo). Congratulations to Phil, Tom and Andrew for winning the men’s triples and to all the other teams for getting through the first round.

With a few disc bowls newbies having a go it was great fun. Vicki Samin and Kim Saunders had entries in the photo competition and Kim came away with 1^st prize in the Camaraderie section (I think that’s what it was called) with a picture of HW members playing bush skittles at the pre rally venue organized by Vicki. John Samin put on a great performance at the final day talent show and as usual got the audience going with some good gags. Next time you see John can you ask him if he has found out where to buy one of those new “cordless extension leads”. Thanks again to Tom and Sandra Sargent for carting the HW flag and disc bowls to Rocky. HH was fun with the blocks game MC’d by Tom Sargent and the final day auction helping to raise around $180 for the charity that the rally was supporting. Thanks to Barryne Wilson and John Samin for representing HW at the Chapter forum. Barryne took copious notes and although there were no earth shattering matters raised it is still a good opportunity for chapters to air any issues. I will try to find out if CMCA took minutes of the meeting and if so will they be published. The Rocky Horror theme night on the Saturday was mostly an outlandish display of geriatric bodies dressing in up weird attire some with bits hanging out where bits shouldn’t be seen and lot’s of blokes dressed up in womens clothing BUT GEE IT WAS FUN. You will get the general idea if you check out the website photo section. Thanks to all the HW ladies for setting up our tables. It was a great night of entertainment particularly watching Robin Wood dancing albeit that you didn’t want to be too close to him on the dance floor for fear of being whacked by a flying arm or leg. The HW award for best dress up has to go to Nurse Les. I just hope that his relatives never get to see the pictures.

Thanks to Kim and Les Saunders for proudly carrying the HW banner in the Banner parade (fortunately Les wasn’t wearing his nurse’s gear). Anyway that was Rocky and it is now onwards to Tassy. Sounds like quite a few HW members are planning to be there so it should be good. Phil Procter has sussed out a pre rally venue not far from the rally site and more details will be provided in the next newsletter and on the website.

The Highway Wanders had a great rally with our Mens Disc Team WINNING the Mens Triple, to the surprise of many other Chapters. The final match was nerve racking for all, as we were 4 down going into the last end. Who would have thought that Tom, Andrew and Phillip could pull of a miracle and get the 4 they needed to tie. Well you should have heard the screaming when we realised they had done it. It was now a playoff, we were on tenterhooks Phil took the court he walked up and plonk right next to the ball, we were cheering him on then it was there turn (no where near it), so Phil calmly walked back up and again plonk again the other team didn’t stand a chance. We had Won and what a Win. The guys had come from behind in every game they played so we had nicknamed them the “Behind Team” but now we just call them “Winners”.

Our other teams did very well the “Shortstops” (Barryne Gwen and I) were beaten out by the giant Lakelanders. Our other girls (Vicki Sandra and Evelyn) was also in the same round, the two mixed teams unfortunately were also taken out in that round, and our 2^nd mens team was the same. On the whole we did extremely well as all our 6 teams had a go and a lot of fun, and who could forget our cheer squad who were terrific with lots of OOO'S and RRR'S.

We also managed a 1^st place in the Camaraderie Section of the Photo Competition in all a very successful rally for us. (Kim didn’t say that she won the prize)

Our Happy Hours had lots of laughing playing Tom's Block Game and Andrew introducing us to Bush Skillets which was great fun to play and watch. We managed to recruit some new members (wonder if they know what they got themselves into).

The ball on Saturday night was a blast with a number of us dressing up, but when Les walked in a Nurses outfit everyone was shocked and laughing. Les is a big boy and the dress a bit short. Chris also went in drag but couldn't get his breasts in the right place so he was playing with them all night. Vicky looked great in her short skirt, fishnet stocking and wig, while Barryne looked very tarty in her red lingerie top and skirt. New member Val took the plunge and dressed up and had a great black curly wig. Robin was up and well you couldn’t call it dancing it was more like everyone else move I’m coming through but it was all fun. Sunday night we all went to the Presentation of the Disc Bowls a

mighty roar went up from our gang when our boys were presented with their medals.

It was a great rally and who was once acquaintances have now become friends, which is what the Highway Wanders are all about Fun Laugh and Friendship.

24th Anniversary Rally: Quercus Park - Carrick, TAS

Dates: 15 March - 21 March 2010
Rally Manager: Ken Newman T9441

25th National Rally: Port Macquarie, NSW

March 11 - 14. Highway Wanderers.Pre-Rally Get-Together. Westbury Cricket Club, Westbury St, Westbury.

Toilets, showers. No power. St Patrick's Festival weekend. Further details - Phil Procter 0427 444337. No Details on cost at this stage but should be minimal. More info next newsletter.

Levies are due on the 1st July for 2009. If you have not already posted your remittance for previous years would you please enclose it along with your 2009 remittance? Levies are $10.00 per membership.

Remember the Maintenance Levy covers the costs of maintaining the Chapter resources and the compilation and distribution of the Newsletter. If you would like to know if you are paid up to date send an email to secretary@highwaywanderers.com

In previous newsletters we have tried to let you know who might be celebrating an event but it is difficult if we don’t know about birthdays, anniversaries or other significant happenings. At the Rocky rally we asked existing members and new members if they would like to tell us their MONTH of birth. The year of birth was optional and in hindsight it is probably best that we do not keep details of the year of birth. However if we know the month we can at least wish you a happy birthday. So here are some members who have already celebrated or will be celebrating a birthday sometime in September to December. I happen to know that there are a couple of big 0’s in amongst them but who’s counting. If you think you should be on the list but are not then it is probably because we don’t know your month of birth.

Carol Dahler, Chris Maitland (significant but not telling), Evelyn Verschaeren, Jan Binskin, Chris Wilson (the big 30) , Richard Costello, Ray Frost (significant but not telling) , Derek Forsyth, David Roach, Anne James, Peter Nolan

If you would like to tell us about specific special events like milestone birthdays (the big 0’s), anniversaries, marriages (only 3^rd or 4^th ones) please email details to secretary@highwaywanderers.com and we will let other members know via newsletter and website. For instance Barryne and I celebrated 40 years wedded bliss (haha)

recently and guess who forgot. Well it wasn’t me so I managed to embarrass (she who must be obeyed) in front of heaps of people at Woolworths in Charters Towers.

Now I know that not everyone is “internet savvy” but you don’t have to have your own computer to get on the web. Maybe you know someone who is hooked up to the Internet or maybe ask someone in an Internet café to show you how to get onto the HW website. It’s a great way to keep up to date when you are on the road or at home.

If you have access to the Internet and want to start chatting with other HW members all you need to do is go to the HW website www.highwaywanderers.com and click on the link "My Stuff". The chatroom is exclusive to HW members and if you want to participate I will make sure you are a HW member and then give you the info to enable you to start chatting with other HW members. As well as allowing you to chat (typing and talking) online it is a great way let other people know what you are doing and where you are doing it. (Not sure what IT means but whatever IT is we all hope you are enjoying doing IT.) You can use the chatroom to get all sorts of info from other members, where to go, where not to go, who is travelling where and enabling people to get together if they are going to be in the same area. If you need info on stuff in general an email to the mail list will most likely get a reply from someone who can help and because everyone on the list will see the questions and answers then the rest of us will benefit as well. It's a win win really and we need as many fellow chapter members to be involved as possible. The chatroom is a closed group and only HW members can participate so don’t worry about getting junk mail etc. Do yourself a favour and take a look.

If you want your own email addy like IE: john.julie@highwaywanders.com send an email with your requests in order of priority to mynewemail@highwaywanderers.com

Talking about emails it would be great if members that have an email address could take a moment to send us an email which will confirm your current e/address and let us know whether you want to receive the newsletter by email or simply be advised when it is on the website.

Let us know and maybe we can put details on the website or in the newsletter. Send details by email to sales@highwaywanderers.com

My husband and I would like to extend our sincere thanks to all those people who assisted us when my husband took very ill at Ceratodus near Eidsvold -Qld early in October. Our special thanks go to Mick and Eileen Kiely (Bugawork-Highway Wanderers) who bent over backwards to help us.

Eileen actually had to flag down a miner on his way to work at Blackwater to call an ambulance for us as none of the caravanners or motorhomers there had reception on phone or UHF. My husband was rushed to Eidsvold Hospital and then on to Bundaberg (our home town) where he was given a blood transfusion. A very lucky man. This was a sad end to our wonderful time at the rally in Rocky.

Again many thanks to all concerned who gave assistance - it is great to know such a wonderful camaraderie still exists on our roads.

Mens Triples
1. Tom Sargeant, Andrew Verschaeren, Phillip Proctor
2. John Samin, Chris Wilson, Doug Brown.
Ladies Triples
1. Vicki Samin, Sandra Sargeant, Evlyn Verschaeren
2. Gwen Hodgkinson, Barryne Wilson, Kim Saunders (The Short Stops)
Mixed Triples
1 Jan Binskin, Dave Binskin, Les Saunders
2 Maree Douglas, Derek Forsyth, Paul Hildebrand.

Highway Wanderers’ newest game of Bush Skittles is something that anyone can make and play anywhere. The game was adapted from a Swedish game that Andrew played while at Carnarvon Gorge a few years ago, the original game has turned skittles and throwing stick but Andrew has used bush timber to produce several sets at various locations during our travels.

To make your set you need 12 pieces of timber about 30cm long – cut these from a branch of bush timber if this is handy. The 12 skittles have a flat base and their top end is cut at 45 °to allow them to have their numbers (1 to 12) written on the tops. The 13^th stick is the throwing stick and would be a little longer.

To play, set up the skittles in a bunch in no particular order, take 3 or 4 paces and mark the ground with the throwing line (we have a rope that doubles as throwing mark and can be threaded through holes in the sticks to keep together for storage). Players take turns to throw the throwing stick hitting over skittles. Each player must stand up the skittles that he/she has hit over, placing him or her to face the front again wherever they land.

To score you either take the score that is on the top of the skittle if you only hit one over, or if you hit over more than one your score is the number of skittles hit over. The first player to reach the agreed total (50 points or 100 points or whatever is agreed before play commences) is the winner – the exact score must be thrown, if you over score it is not counted.

If you miss hitting skittles over you may have another throw next time your turn comes around but three consecutive misses will result in you dropping out of the game. You may miss many times on non-consecutive throws without penalty.

Andrew & Ev Verschaeren, “Wheel Estate”, Q43431

How about some contributions for getting a laugh. Send them in by mail or preferably email. We will publish them onthe web and in the newsletter (provided there are not too many). Remember they have to be nice enough to tell your grandkids.

THE MUM TEST
I was out walking with my 4-year-old daughter. She picked up something off of the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that. 'Why?' my daughter asked. 'Because it's been on the ground; you don't know where it's been, it's dirty,
And probably has germs,' I replied. At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and asked,'Mum, how do you know all this stuff? You are so smart.'
I was thinking quickly and replied, 'All mums know this stuff. It's on the Mum Test. You have to know

it, or they don't let you be a Mum.' We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently pondering this new information. 'Oh.....I get it!' she beamed, 'So if you don't pass the test you have to be the dad.' 'Exactly,' I replied with a big smile on my face.

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica - where do they go?
Wonder no more!!! It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life. The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life. If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried.
The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing:

Blonde Mortician.
A man who just died is delivered to a local mortuary wearing an expensive, expertly tailored black suit. The female blonde mortician asks the deceased's wife how she would like the body dressed. She points out that the man does look good in the black suit he is already wearing. The widow, however,

says that she always thought her husband looked his best in blue, and that she wants him in a blue suit.

She gives the Blonde mortician a blank cheque and says, 'I don't care what it costs, but please have my husband in a blue suit for the viewing.' The woman returns the next day for the wake. To her delight, she finds her husband dressed in a gorgeous blue suit with a subtle chalk stripe; the suit fits him perfectly ....
She says to the mortician, 'Whatever this cost, I'm very satisfied. You did an excellent job and I'm very grateful. How much did you spend?' To her astonishment, the blonde mortician presents her with the blank cheque. 'There's no charge,' she says. 'No, really, I must compensate you for the cost of that exquisite blue suit!' she says. 'Honestly, ma'am,' the blonde says, 'it cost nothing. You see, a deceased
gentleman of about your husband's size was brought in shortly after you left yesterday, and he was

wearing an attractive blue suit. I asked his wife if she minded him going to his grave wearing a black suit instead, and she said it made no difference as long as he looked nice. . . . . . . ...
So I just switched the heads.

A little girl asked her mother, "How did the human race appear?" The mother answered, "God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so was all mankind made." Two days later the girl asked her father the same question. The father answered, "Many ages ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved." The confused girl returned to her mother and said, "Mom how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys?" The mother answered, "Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his."

We recently stayed at the Nanango Caravan and Motorhome Park with some hosts that most of you know, Robin and Keryn Wood. There happens to be a really good Go Kart track in Nanango and at HH we decided to have the first round of the Highway Wanderers go kart challenge. Well the first round was so much fun that we decided to go again and we now have a record of the fastest laptime by a HW member. Next time any of you petrolheads are going through Nanango make sure you give it a go and let us know your best laptime. (we will need documented proof). Competitors so far have been Robin Wood, Chris Wilson and Felix Wans.

Yummy Slice Recipe
200g Dark Choc Melts. 75g Marg, 11/4 Cups Sugar, 3 Eggs beaten, 1/2 Cup S.R. Flour, 2x250g Philly Cream Cheese
Melt choc, cream 3/4 Cup sugar and marg. Stir in half eggs add choc keeping 1/2 cup in reserve add flour. Spread over greased and papered slice tray.. Beat cheese eggs and sugar until smooth, spread over base. Dot remaining choc mix and stir in for marble effect.
Bake for 40-45 min in 180 Oven

Sliced or unsliced bread, breadrolls or buns can be used, particularly if they are getting a bit “old and dry” this is a good way to use them up instead of throwing them away.

Cut or break bread into small pieces and layer in microwave safe dish sprinkling sultanas, shredded or dessicated coconut, and a little sugar onto each layer.

Beat together eggs, milk and vanilla – use 1 or 2 eggs per cup of milk depending on the size of dish being used. Pour over bread mixture, don’t forget that the liquid will be soaked up by the bread so be prepared to beat up more if needed.

Sprinkle the top with cinnamon, nutmeg (& a little extra sugar if you like it sweeter). Cook in microwave for 12 minutes on 60% – 70% power until the egg mixture sets.

You can make this mixture to suit the size of container that you have available for storage.

500g rolled oats (not instant variety), 1 cup sultanas, 1 cup shredded coconut, 1 cup dates, 200g packet of Robern Fruit Salad (or half a 50g packet each of dried apples, dried peaches, dried pears, and dried apricots).

Dice dates, apples, peaches, pears and apricots, add to rolled oats, sultanas and coconut, mix well and store in an airtight container for a quick, easy, tasty and healthy breakfast. Serve with milk, add fresh fruit if you like, or in the cold weather you can either use hot milk or cook like porridge.

Just another case of trusting the GPS. Destination Burnett Heads (south of Bundaberg)
Approaching from northern outskirts of Bundy GPS sent me left on a reasonable arterial road which gradually narrowed amidst cane fields complete with oncoming cane trucks. Resisting the "polite comments" of passenger (DB) to turn around I continued finally reaching the river and the vehicular ferry alas privately owned by sugar mill. Both Dave and I hopped out to discuss with mill staff the prospect of a ferry ride "no go mate GPS sends heaps of travellers out here" Not happy Jan !!
Change of drivers U turn and off we go back whereby followed a "debate" on merits of following GPS when DB was sure we were on wrong road. As the "discussion" continued I turned to back of the motorhome to get Oskar's (our maltese/poodle) opinion NO OSKAR!!! Stopped searched loo, behind seats etc still no canine passenger.
Back we go dodging cane trucks once again fearing the worst but there covered in dust dodging trucks was Oskar quite forlorn Lucky in the time of about 20 minutes he hadn’t moved, been picked up or squashed by a truck. He had apparently hopped out (a rare event) for a pit stop.
Next day our new neighbour in Burnett Heads - a big bus with car in tow also followed the GPS to the ferry !!!
Moral of story don’t trust GPS especially when you see sign post to Bargara (near Burnett Heads) is in opposite direction and your co driver "suggests" you are going the wrong way.
I am sure other Highway Wanderers have similar GPS stories or just funny wrong turns I have a few more for another issue and I reckon we could start a column.
Happy travelling

Jan and Dave Binskin

24th Anniversary Rally: Quercus Park - Carrick, TAS

Dates: 15 March - 21 March 2010 Rally Manager: Ken Newman T9441

25th National Rally: Port Macquarie, NSW

Dates: 15 March - 21 March 2010
Rally Manager: Ken Newman T9441