Day 11 - Moranbah - Dysart

Day 11: Admin, GYRV visit moved to Monday, got new flags in the mail, heading down to Dysart to catch up with Schuler and prepare for Day At The Park. Updated blog entries, which appear to be getting shorter and shorter…….

Day 10 - Moranbah Peak Downs

PEAK DOWNS

Day 11 found us out at Peak Downs - Mango's most recent stomping ground working for BMA. Peak turned it on for us with a feeding frenzy at the lunchtime BBQ organised by Bev. Brittany lent a vital hand with the cooking and ensured that everyone got a good feed. Another Moranbah Rams old boy Dave Crawford then presented us with a cheque on behalf of the company for $1000 - great stuff, and the Peak people generously opened their wallets to the tune of $585.05 including a great effort from Istvan Torok from CQO, who collected $134.85 from penalties at a business improvment course - thanks mate.

Peak Downs Feeding Frenzy

After the BMA Matched Giving this will net us a total $2032.85 - an excellent day that will do a lot to keep the RFDS in the air.

The Whole Day Was a Blur.... But That Is Crawf with a Cheque For $1000

PD Stacker

Day 9 - North Goonyella Moranbah

Day 9 was a steady day for us – we made our way out along the Red Hill road, around the back side of Goonyella Riverside, to the underground operations at North Goonyella. We blew in on a staff meeting there, and had a quick yap about what exactly brought us to site. One of the guys (Tim Gersbach) piped up with a testimonial for us, which we have put on the main site. Stories like this are exactly what we are chasing, so thanks Tim for your time.
We then spent the rest of the day doing admin – calling mines, arranging visits, all of the really exciting stuff.

We Found Another Great Story From Tim Gersbach At North Goonyella Coal

Day 8 - Capcoal-Moranbah

CAPCOAL

Boxy sorted us out very nicely indeed in Middlemount. After cooking us a feast the night before we arrived on site to another great turnout for a BBQ lunch. Everyone opened their wallets and a few snags later we had $405 for the kitty. Thanks to James for his efforts in organising the BBQ and getting people to turn out for us. The Capcoal Crew Dig For The Doctors

With no hurry to get to Moranbah we then had a sticky beak around the German Creek and Lake Lindsay operations, including the tub of another dragline being constructed – Bucyrus must be doing good business these days.

Geerbox Hands Over The Cash

Thanks to all at Capcoal who turned out for the BBQ, and thanks for the stickers for the bikes!
We then headed off to Moranbah and it was déjà vu all over again for me, riding past Dysart, Saraji and into Moranbah – I spent a year in Dysart at Saraji and a year in Moranbah, and haven’t been back for years. We also took the opportunity to take a few more photos and vids – we are still working on getting the vids uploaded onto YouTube. We ended the evening at Ben ‘Bearded Wildman’ Spencer’s place, where as Mango put it, ‘We will stay until we have worn out our welcome’.

Mang's Dakar

Uuuurgh! How it work?

.............

Day 7 - Ensham-Middlemount

Monday found us at Ensham for lunch, having attempted drying out our gear at Jolliffe’s place overnight. We had a great reception at Ensham – Ian Neilsen (another BMA veteran) lined us up with the GM Peter, who was keen to check out the bikes having done round Australia bike trips himself. There was a good turnout at the BBQ, including Neil’s brother Ian, who works for Jolliffe on site and was able to take the time to come and wolf down a burger at the BBQ that was put on by ESS.

The Ensham Crew

All told the lads at Ensham forked out $420 for the RFDS, which Peter vowed to match on behalf of the company, and ESS also offered to match the value of the BBQ with a cash donation – we were stoked by the generosity of all on site, and the keen reception we got on site – thanks Ensham.
We then packed up and headed off to Middlemount to stay the night with James Geer, aka Geerbox, another Moranbah Rams front row lurker.

Charlie Joins The DFTD Ride - Her Bike Looks Like Beau's

Day 5/6 - Blackwater-Emerald-Hawthorne-Emerald

Day 5 saw us lurking in Emerald at the Rotary Park, with the DFTD flag out. We had had it announced on 4HI, but ended up having a very steady morning – coffe, papers, and two visitors. One was Peter who we had met on the dragline at Callide, who saw the flag and stopped to say gday, and the other was a bloke on a poker run, who was less interested in drinking bourbons at the pub at 10am than the rest of the riders.
We packed up at lunch time and headed to my parents place west of Springsure. Though the road has a lot more bitumen we had a slightly nasty stretch of 30-40km to negotiate, a nice step up from the roads we had been on so far. We then parked up for the evening with my parents, and it started raining.

Loading up after the mud

The next day it was still raining, and we debated waiting around, but in the end decided we should push on to Emerald. We ended up loading the Prado with the panniers, no need to make things harder with the extra weight, then set off onto the greasy road. Getting rid of the weight was a good idea, we would have dropped the bikes for sure with the extra load on, instead we just got filthy.
We then headed to Emerald, with the rain still coming down, and crashed out at Jolliffe’s place for the evening.

Day 4 - Baralaba-Blackwater

Yarrabee

Day 4 saw us up at dawn to do the run from Baralaba to Blackwater, past Woorabinda. It was one of those mornings you actually don't mind loosing sleep for, check out the photos.

Baralaba Sunrise

Mango on the Dirt

Once we passed through Bluff we turned off onto the coal haulage route, and made our way to Yarrabee mine. We were met by Adrian 'Bear' Restell, Harley rider and Blackwater Basilisks enforcer. Adrian had tee'd up for us to meet with Chris Wells, who kindly provided us with his RFDS story, which you can see on our main website - just a bit more proof for us of what the RFDS do for mining communities, thanks Chris.

Chris Wells, Adrian Restell and Tom at Yarrabee

Blackwater

We then headed back along the haulroad, using our UHF radios provided by Philcomm for the first time to make positive radio contact with the road trains before passing. A quick stop to fuel up in Blackwater was all we had time for before we headed out to BMA Blackwater mine, where a BBQ had been arranged by Karen Desira and Julie McNaughton. Everyone came out of the woodwork it seems and as Tom and I caught up with current (for Tom, former for me) colleagues, the donation box filled with $534, which will be matched through the BMA matched giving scheme, for a grand total of $1068 raised for the RFDS - another great effort.

Tom catches up with Doug McGibbon at Blackwater

Jellinbah
We couldn't linger though so we quickly made our way back to town, and back along the haul road north to Jellinbah mine, where we caught up with Paddy Kearney and the staff at Jellinbah for an afternoon tea, kindly put on by Jellinbah Coal Pty Ltd. We chatted for a bit about the RFDS's role in mining communities, and then were presented with a cheque on behalf of Jellinbah Mining by Paddy for $500... sweeeeet!

Paddy Presents Tom With a $500 Cheque

It was getting on so we headed back to Julie McNaughton's place to doss for the night, and checked out the battle scars on her silver F650GS..... which would be the perfect bike to take around Australia for instance.....

A long day for us, and a fruitful one, thanks to all who made it happen for us.

DFTD and John Eales

To be fair, I don't think he had a clue who these two clowns were.


We were packing up in the car park at Dawson mine, when Andrew Lau pointed out John Eales arriving at the mine. He is in Moura doing something for Anglo Coal Dawson, and so was kitted out with a Dawson shirt etc, but still unmistakeable to anyone who follows rugby.


So, JE is trying to get to work as you do when he gets bailed up by these two units in motorcycle kit - being rugby nuts the both of us this was an opportunity not to be missed. Before you know it, he was holding our flag, getting his photo snapped, while Andrew gave him a rapid fire explanation (...blah blah motor cycles... visiting australian mines..... flying doctors).

Years at the helm of the Wallabies meant having his morning waylaid by bikers didn't phase him at all... he just took a deep breath, three big steps, and kicked Mango over the crib hut (dramatisation, may not have actually occurred).

Anyway, we were stoked with the photo, and many thanks go to John for putting up with us.

Day 3 - Dawson Mine-Baralaba Mine

DAWSON

Thursday saw us up early for a BBQ breakfast put on by Anglo Coal Dawson Mine. Val and Verity did a fantastic job arranging it all for us, and Andrew Lau and others pitched in to cook up a storm for the incoming shift. We then had a chance to address the lads and ladies to explain our caper to them, and answer a few questions etc.

Tom and Neil with a Dawson Dragline

We then did a lap out the the 4100XPB shovel, to see this monster bit of gear 3 pass loading the equally huge Cat 797 trucks. Big toys for a big mine. We then had a ride on these goliath's around the prestrip circuit, before heading back to the offices to collect the bikes and make our way off. Whilst in the carpark we saw an ex-Wallabies captain, looking strangely at home in a Dawson Mine uniform.... more on that below.


Dawson's efforts netted $553.35 for the RFDS, including a $250 donation from Tim and Jolene Day, in recognition of the RFDS efforts when their son Beau arrived early - you can read their testimonial on our main site.

Beau Day has decided to join the DFTD ride on his F650GS

BARALABA

We then made tracks for Baralaba, with another sniff of dirt providing us with a bit more confidence in the bike's behaviour whilst heavily loaded. We met Chris Bourke in Baralaba and he escorted us to site. Chris is the Downer EDI Mining project manager, and operates the mine for their client Baralaba Coal Pty Ltd – Peabody Pacific.

Baralaba Trucks

Baralaba Coal provided the snags for a barbie, and Chris showed us his culinary skills, cooking a feast for the outgoing and incoming shifts. Baralaba is a site of 35 people, and they put in a huge effort for us, raising $435.50, which was supplemented with $60 by Downer EDI Mining, for a grand total of $495.50.

Chef Bourkey

THIS WAS A FANTASTIC EFFORT FROM A SMALL SITE AND WE TAKE OUR HELMETS OFF TO ALL AT BARALABA. They have set a standard for donations collected per worker at a site, and we challenge all of our upcoming sites to beat this effort.

Day 2 - Kingaroy-Callide Mine-Moura

CALLIDE

Day two and our trip started in earnest with the first sniff of dirt for the bikes, travelling from Rogers' house to his parents station. We were then escorted to Durong via the back roads, where the return to bitumen meant we could get a wriggle on and head for Callide Mine near Biloela for an afternoon visit.


Our man on the ground at Callide was former Moranbah Rams stalwart Craig Lowe, whose efforts ensured our first mine visit of many went without a hitch. We were treated to a stickybeak around their pits, including a visit to their 8750 dragline, currently digging with an impressive 'Boxcut Around The Side Of A Hill" technique, which is perhaps unique in these parts, and certainly an eye opener.

8750 Dragline at Callide

We then wheeled the bikes into the muster area, and met with the oncoming shift, who opened their wallets to support our cause, and quickly filled our collection tin with more plastic than coin. Rhonda Stubbins then presented us with a cheque on behalf of Anglo Coal Callide in recognition of the importance of the RFDS to their ongoing community wellbeing. In total $533.50 was collected, a great effort from Callide and a great start for us.

Mick, Tom, Neil and Craig Raise the DFTD Flag and Callide

We then set off into the setting sun to Moura, where we stayed with Tim and Jolene Day, whose story appears on our website.

Day 1 - Brisbane to Kingaroy

Day one began as all trips do with a stuff up – ten minutes before departure we discovered we would not be able to visit the mine we had planned for the first day. Unperturbed we cleared Brisbane traffic, and contemplated our next move over breakfast at a quaint Scottish restaurant on the road to Gatton.


We decided to use the day to get familiar with the bikes, which are now loaded to the gunnels with gear, and ride quite differently to normal. We made our way north as far as Kingaroy, and pulled up for the night at the farm of a fellow mining engineer. Along the way we started taking video’s, which was great until Neil almost dropped his bike whilst setting up for a shot of Tom riding past...

Tom Tries To Find The Seat of His Bike Under All His Gear

Roger and Briony’s house at Aron Park was then treated to the site of Tom repacking his whole kit. By the looks of it Tom has paid extra for ‘Tardis’ panniers, because there is no way he should be able to fit that much stuff in such a small space.

Day 0 - Media Day

Monday saw the Dig For The Doctors appeal kick off with a trip up to Kippa Ring to collect the team shirts... which weren’t ready. Undeterred we headed back to the RFDS base at Brisbane airport, where we met with Katrina Garvin, Nino (QLD RFDS CEO) and many others who work hard to keep the RFDS in the air.


Whilst at the base we were shown around the hanger, and learnt of the ever increasing demands on RFDS services in rural and remote areas of Queensland, much of which can be attributed to the greater population working in mining or associated industries.

Cosy Conditions Inside the New RFDS Beechcraft King Air B200

We then made our way to the offices of the Courier Mail for a brief interview, before heading south to the offices of Philcomm, where we were presented with their contribution to our appeal – two Icom UHF/VHF handheld radio’s, and a satellite phone for emergencies. Many thanks to Fred and his team, we sincerely hope we don’t have to use the sat phone.

Neil, Tom and Katrina in the Brisbane RFDS Hangar

The rest of the day passed in a flurry of pre trip packing, arranging, unpacking and rearranging. Neil collected the shirts, then proceeded to wash them with a pocketful of stickers. Many thanks go to K and T who worked on the shirts until late that night to clean up the resulting mess.