Lofty And His Mates On The Road To Birdsville
Newcastle Herald
Saturday August 31, 2002
IT may have been a case of `wagons, ho!' when 10 four-wheel-drives rolled out of Newcastle last Tuesday morning, but trail boss Trevor Smith reckons it might have been a case of `wagons ? uh-oh!'
The 10 offroader crews, men with the unlikely monikers of Squawker, Haveachat, Bones, Bomber, Ninetoes, Feral and Polly, are on a 23-day cultural mission of sorts to the famous Birdsville Races.
What makes this trip unusual though, says Mr Smith (`Lofty' to his mates), is that all those taking part are retirees kicking up their heels to show that old is a description, not a state of mind.
`Between the 20 of us blokes there is close to 700 years driving experience and knowledge,' Mr Smith said prior to their departure, adding: `But there probably isn't a brain between us.'
So far the wagon train has travelled via Nyngan, White Cliffs, Menindee and Broken Hill.
Tomorrow they head for Tibooburra then on to Innamincka, arriving in Birdsville on Wednesday after trekking via the Burke and Wills Dig Tree and Camerons Corner.
They leave Birdsville next Sunday (September 8), heading home via Longreach, Quilpie, Enngonia, Lightning Ridge and Coonabarabran.
© 2002 Newcastle Herald
