Hi Everybody

We've spent the last three days in Nuriootpa (Barossa Valley), and tomorrow we make the trek into Adelaide. We were lucky enough to catch the last couple of days of the Barossa Vintage Festival, so have had a good time and made the most of it . Visited a couple of our favourite wineries and had lunch at Maggie Beers Farm.
We'll be in Adelaide at least a week, depending on pathology reports after the mole removals on Wednesday.

Hope you are all doing well and keeping safe.

Lots of love
Lea & Rick

Lea & Rick Avey
c/- Landbase LBA7835
Locked Bag 25
Gosford NSW 2250
Phone: 0419 219 794
bigbirdtwo@bigpond.com




TANK EVANS TRAVELLING THE GREAT SOUTH LAND


Tank Evans has forwarded the following email on his travels:

G'day Folks,

Well Phyllis and I are on another journey exploring our great country. We have been on the road for over 3 weeks already and have so far only travelled in so called civilised and populated areas. Still, we have had an interesting and enjoyable time. Although it's disappointing that Phyllis is not so keen at caravaning as I am. She does of course enjoy the happy hour(s) involved later in the day. Myself, I am overdosing on caffiene via Pepsi Max, have to look after the figure of course. I feel left out sometimes now being a non drinker for over 2 years (sob). Buy I still seem to loud and crude without the grog still.

We left Bellmere and headed inland down towards Echuca on the Murray via Goondiwinda and to stay at Dubbo with Dolly and Lil Gray and forgot they were in F 1 J 1 on holidays. We do however hope to meet up with them on our trip along the way at somewhere yet to be determined. So got to Echuca earlier and met up with an ex sparker Kerry Heffernan and his wife Margaret. They shot my diet to bits with great food and company.

Then went down to Melbourne for a few days to catch up with Family, Our son and wife, Hywel and Nadine and visited Aunties and cousins who also destroyed my diet which is only temporary whilst on this trip by the look of things. We had not been to Melbourne for over 17 years so a lot of changes especially in the road system. It was fantastic to catch up with the families again.

We then returned to Echuca and met up with our travelling partners for the next 3-4 months Derek and Marilyn Whyte, whom I joined up with in '63. They are great company and have a sense of humour to match the best. They then took us on to Robinvale on the Murray where they grew up and met some of the family who were marvellous and very friendly to us. They also showed us around the area and also visited a vineyard and saw the workings of picking and packing the grapes and they gave us a box of red crimson seedless grapes to go away with. We ate and shared them before we crossed the fruit fly borders too.

From there went to Mildura for a couple of days once again only a couple of metres away from the banks of the Murray at the 'van park. Beautiful area and we had a nice relaxing time during the days and an invigorating time during happy hour ( or sundowners).

From there we stayed at Wellington and Normanville prior to arriving at Moana Beach about 40 kms south of Adelaide to stay 6 days over the Easter period. Here we met up with Bob Stupple and his wife Pat.Derek will have his vehicle serviced and get new tyres here and I hope to get the 'van rear vision camera fixed and the indicators on the van have also been disrupted by lack of LED lights.

We move on then to visit the Fleurieu Peninsular and then head up north to Woomera and Roxby downs before travelling the Oodnadatta track and on to Ayers Rock. This of course will be the subject of my next travelogue.

We trust everybody is in good health and would love to hear from any of you.

Best regards

Gareth (Tank) and Phyllis

PS Annette & Peter got your travelogue this morning from UK Keep enjoying yourself and love to Alicia and wish her a Happy 30th





A litle dit from Mick Gallagher when touring in India in March 09

I am at present in Udaipur NW India on a tour. Today just witness a 'Taliban' Parade through town celebrating Mohammad's birthday. Back in Sydney Wed 25th March, have a week at home and then booked in to the Mater Hospital at North Sydney/Crows Nest for a hip replacement on Wed 01 April (April Fool's Day).

I spent a day in Mumbai but didn't have time to go for an audition at Bollywood or find a Slumdog millionaire princess. Next time eh!

Namustay.

Mick Gallagher. Still a QMG at heart.




Mike and Jill Hogan arriving in the Shaky Isles


Only minutes ashore & I'm using the Maori tongue , I suppose that makes me a ' cunning linguist ' ?  







Ron, with Peter's kind permission, I thought I would copy you in on a nice coincidence that occurred recently and maybe you would like to include a mention in your newsletter. Just a bit of human interest.

My wife, Dianne and I have just returned home after a two week cruise on MS Volendam, around New Zealand with Holland America Line. As it turned out, on the first formal evening (tux and gongs), I got talking to Peter Pagett and we very quickly discovered we had both been at Leeuwin together in the 7th intake. Not only that, he was pals with my 'squarie' at the time, WROT Dianne Bennett who later became my wife. Dianne was with me on the voyage of course, and as you can imagine, we had plenty to talk about. What a small world!

Peter didn't make it to Freo' for this year's reunion but this chance meeting did fill in a gap for him. We were able to answer a lot of questions of each other about long lost buddies and I have some nice photos from back in '63 that I will forward separately to Peter. Anyways, in the mean time, here is a couple of happy snaps from on board MS Volendam for the record.

I thought I might mention that wearing the gongs was the trigger for us to start up a conversation on the Volendam, otherwise we wouldn't probably have gotten to know each other. I mention this because it does prove the old saying that folks shouldn't be shy to wear their gongs when going formal - not just on ANZAC Day. "Wear them, 'cause you earned them".


Peter Pagett & Neville Thomas. MS Volendam, Dec 2008.


L-R Dianna & Peter Pagett, Neville & Dianne Thomas. On board MS Volendam, Dec 2008.


Smooth sailing in 2009

Nifty Nev Thomas
R94130



Weekly News 19 April 2009


G'day All,





We had the dedication ceremony today for Mumbles and Gary Devlin. All Gary's living relations bar one who is in the States attended the ceremony. Mike Hogan and Phil Narramore spoke on his behalf, with Phil donating the money to pay for the dedication plaque. Mumbles wife Gail and daughter Jakelin were in Queensland representing NSW in Dragon Boating. Gail has indicated she intends to visit the Chapel. Magoo spoke on behalf of Mumbles and paid for the dedication plaque. The three speakers did themselves proud.



A mistake on the service programme indicated Gary died in 1986 aged 77. Mike Hogan was looking for him under the pews. Julie, his wife reckons he is still around and arranged the typo.



Apologies were given for Schubes who is in the Middle East working and Derby Munroe who was a shipmate of both Gary and Mumbles.



Besides Mike, Phil and Magoo, other 63er's who attended were Brissles Lassau, Spook Cairns, Mick Gallagher and myself. Mick as you know has recently had a hip replacement. He is recovering rapidly, is no longer using crutches but is using a cane. Photos of the event will be included in the Dedications page of the website when Mick and Mike forward their photos.







SUBJECT TWITCH HAWKINS







Kev Uttley sent the following email containing the attached photo




Hi Ron --- we were represented at Twitch's funeral -- see attached photo -- yours truly plus Ken (Smoo) Smith, ex PO Bill Pearce (Derwent and Brisbane) and Bill? Crouch --- photo taken at Gaythorne RSL where the family had a wake -- the old Padre did an excellent job, told us all a few stories about Twitch we didn't know and what a great bloke he was even more than we already knew -- Ken Smith also did a great job as main speaker and also filled us in on a few good yarns -- Twitch would have been pretty happy with the event and no doubt would have enjoyed the few beers with us at the RSL afterwards if he hadn't been booked prior to catch up with a few others in Heavens Ex Sailors Mess. --- kev


SUBJECT TANK EVANS TRAVELLING THE GREAT SOUTH LAND


Tank Evans has forwarded the following email on his travels:

G'day Folks,

Well Phyllis and I are on another journey exploring our great country. We have been on the road for over 3 weeks already and have so far only travelled in so called civilised and populated areas. Still, we have had an interesting and enjoyable time. Although it's disappointing that Phyllis is not so keen at caravaning as I am. She does of course enjoy the happy hour(s) involved later in the day. Myself, I am overdosing on caffiene via Pepsi Max, have to look after the figure of course. I feel left out sometimes now being a non drinker for over 2 years (sob). Buy I still seem to loud and crude without the grog still.

We left Bellmere and headed inland down towards Echuca on the Murray via Goondiwinda and to stay at Dubbo with Dolly and Lil Gray and forgot they were in F 1 J 1 on holidays. We do however hope to meet up with them on our trip along the way at somewhere yet to be determined. So got to Echuca earlier and met up with an ex sparker Kerry Heffernan and his wife Margaret. They shot my diet to bits with great food and company.

Then went down to Melbourne for a few days to catch up with Family, Our son and wife, Hywel and Nadine and visited Aunties and cousins who also destroyed my diet which is only temporary whilst on this trip by the look of things. We had not been to Melbourne for over 17 years so a lot of changes especially in the road system. It was fantastic to catch up with the families again.

We then returned to Echuca and met up with our travelling partners for the next 3-4 months Derek and Marilyn Whyte, whom I joined up with in '63. They are great company and have a sense of humour to match the best. They then took us on to Robinvale on the Murray where they grew up and met some of the family who were marvellous and very friendly to us. They also showed us around the area and also visited a vineyard and saw the workings of picking and packing the grapes and they gave us a box of red crimson seedless grapes to go away with. We ate and shared them before we crossed the fruit fly borders too.

From there went to Mildura for a couple of days once again only a couple of metres away from the banks of the Murray at the 'van park. Beautiful area and we had a nice relaxing time during the days and an invigorating time during happy hour ( or sundowners).

From there we stayed at Wellington and Normanville prior to arriving at Moana Beach about 40 kms south of Adelaide to stay 6 days over the Easter period. Here we met up with Bob Stupple and his wife Pat.Derek will have his vehicle serviced and get new tyres here and I hope to get the 'van rear vision camera fixed and the indicators on the van have also been disrupted by lack of LED lights.

We move on then to visit the Fleurieu Peninsular and then head up north to Woomera and Roxby downs before travelling the Oodnadatta track and on to Ayers Rock. This of course will be the subject of my next travelogue.

We trust everybody is in good health and would love to hear from any of you.

Best regards

Gareth (Tank) and Phyllis

PS Annette & Peter got your travelogue this morning from UK Keep enjoying yourself and love to Alicia and wish her a Happy 30th
(this has been copied to the web site in the 'travel stories'.


SUBJECT JIM BUSH'S PHOTOS - NOSTALAGIA


Jim Bush forwarded the following email

Hi Rugby



I was going through some old photos and came across 2 photos that were taken on the Vung Tau Ferry ( Sydney) during one of my trips to Vietnam. I can’t remember which trip it was but it would have been between 1965 – 1966 or 1969 – 1970.



They were taken on the F’Castle of Sydney whilst anchored in Vung Tau when a couple of the local dancing girls were brought onboard to put on a show for the troops. The first photo shows the girls doing a traditional dance in traditional dress and the second photo shows the girls doing a Go-Go dance in western sixties dress.



I thought I would share these with you and you may wish to put them on the web site for others to reminisce.



Cheers



Jim



The photos have been inserted in 'photos' on the website. Those were the days.



SUBJECT NAVY POEM


And another poem to go on the same page







Let There Be No Moaning at the Bar

Old sailors sit
And chew the fat
About things that used to be,
Of the things they've seen'
The places they've been,
When they ventured out to sea.

They remembered friends
From long ago,
The times they had back then,
The money they spent,
The beer they drank,
In their days as sailing men.

Their lives are lived
In the days gone by
With the thoughts that forever last.
Of the bell bottom blues,
Round white hats,
And good times in their past.

They recall long nights
With the moon so bright
Far out into the lonely sea.
The thoughts they had
As youthful lads,
When their lives were wild and free.

They know so well
How their hearts would swell
When the flag fluttered proud and free.
The underway pennant
Such a beautiful sight
As they plowed through an angry sea.

They talked of the scran
the chefs would make
And the shrill of the bosuns pipe.
How salt spray would fall
Like sparks from hell
When a storm struck in the night.

They remember old shipmates
Already gone
Who forever hold a spot in their heart,
When sailors were bold,
And friendships would hold,
Until death ripped them apart.

They speak of nights
Spent in bawdy houses
On many foreign shore,
Of the beer they'd down
As gathering around,
Telling jokes with a busty whore.

Their sailing days
Are gone away,
Never again will they cross the brow.
They have no regrets,
They know they are blessed,
For honoring the sacred vow.

Their numbers grow less
With each passing day
As the final muster begins,
There's nothing to lose,
All have paid their dues,
And they'll sail with shipmates again.

I've heard them say
Before getting underway
That there's still some sailing to do,
They'll say with a grin that their ship has come in,

And the Good Lord is commanding the crew.













Have a good week



cheers



Ron



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------








To read further details of the the Avey's trip around OZClick here to download this file


To read details of the Avey's overland Aussie trip click here

 
Russel and Joy Dale were pleased to spend an hour or two with Dave "Larry" Kent at Leeuwin in April. Though they grew up together in Ballarat, joined the Navy together, spent the year at LEEUWIN, then rarely crossed paths until the 63 reunions. The Dales reside in Grovedale Victoria and Dave lives in Bundaberg.