April 30th - T Minus 1 week and counting...
Less than a week to go before the Desert Mums meet at Adelaide airport on Thursday morning to travel to Alice Springs and then by charter flight to Dalhousie to begin their adventure. Here is another update.
The journey has begun
Just over a week ago, last Friday 21 May The Desert Mums journey began on the road. Denis left the comforts of home, his wife Jeanne who has been a huge help to Denis and the Desert Mums in the organization and planning of this trip, for his second home – The Simpson Desert. After a quick meal and radio interview at a friends house in Toowoomba, he was back on the road and after driving around the floods arrived in Birdsville on Sunday.
 |
Denis being Denis, he immediately rearranged the load and took off into the desert for the first supply drop (he likes to get the job done). He phoned from Poeppel Corner on Monday about 5pm after just having buried the supplies and was about to turn to go back, camp overnight in the desert and tackle the big miles at sun up. He sounded pretty tired and hadn’t had a hot meal or wash since leaving on Friday! On Tuesday afternoon he phoned again from Birdsville after loading up the car for the second supply drop and had had a hot shower which he said “was better than s..” err … not having one. He got about three quarters of the way to the next drop site before he camped for the night. |
A phone call again on Wednesday night, he had made the second supply drop at Poeppel Corner and was currently west of the Knolls. He was tired but I guess covering all those miles over dunes and rough tracks and digging huge holes to bury supplies in will do that to a man.
He reported that he bumped into some people who had swum at Dalhousie Springs and had been bitten by something and suggested Jeanne contact everyone to make sure they pack some antihistamine cream or tablets. Mmmm that swim sounds enticing!
By Thursday Denis was back in Birdsville, resting and waiting for Andrew who was just about to leave Sydney after picking up Kathy’s camera equipment from Kathy at Sydney airport. Alas Denis’ new car is not so ‘new’ anymore. The back windscreen had smashed early in the week and Denis was waiting for a call from Toyota Gympie to see how to get some of the shattered glass that appears to have fallen into the locking mechanism in the back door. Sometimes it opens, sometimes it doesn’t.
Today (Saturday) Andrew arrived into Birdsville at about 1pm. The remaining load was distributed between the two cars and Denis was glad there was not any more! Tomorrow they will head out to Maree and then Oodnadatta after that. Andrew is like an excited and eager boy scout ready to learn from the desert master Denis.
Denis has said in the 30 plus years and his 80 odd trips, the desert is the driest he has ever seen it. It appears the Desert Mums arms may get as big a work out as their legs – the flies are REALLY bad. Prey for a cold snap that will knock them out.
Kathey Ritchey
Kathy is the Canadian documentary maker that is accompanying the crew to film the Desert Mums trek. Kathy arrived in Sydney Australia at 6.30am on Thursday, leaving her two young children and husband, who together with family will look after each other until she returns. She was met at the airport by Carolyn and Andrew McLean. Andrew dropped Carolyn and Kathy at their home and then left for Birdsville. Kathy is staying with Carolyn for a few days to film Carolyn training around some of the Sydney sights. Apparently she was in awe of Manly beach that turned on a stunning performance on the day of filming.
THE DESERT MUMS
Although it’s been 18months in the making the Desert Mums all wish they had one more week!
Susan left Canada yesterday and is currently in the air jetting her way to Australia thanks to Air Canada. Although she found it hard to leave Ian and her 4 year old Milli, she is really looking forward to seeing her mum and family in Adelaide and starting the walk. The last week was pretty tiring running around, she has pre prepared all of the meals for her family while she is away and the spare room apparently looks like a supermarket!
Debbie has also spent the last week running around attracting donations from some very generous companies (see below) and preparing for the big dinner on Thursday night, which was a huge success. She is sad to report that the spring cleaning has sprung a coil and she will be preparing the house again on Sunday ready for a busy week ahead.
Carolyn funnily enough has also spent the last week running around helping Andrew sort out the car, and the previous few days filming with Kathy and collecting last minute items for the trip.
Guess what Margo has been doing? Running around trying to get her family in a state that she is ready to leave.
THE LAST SUPPER
Last Thursday night the new restaurant Madeline’s @ Jells was opened and hosted ‘the Last Supper’ dinner to raise funds for the Desert Mums. What was going to be a small gathering of Debbie’s friends and family maybe 30 – 40 people, and ended up being booked out over a week in advance with over 100 people. The night was a huge success with a great time had by all. Attended by Sue Murray (GM, NBCF), Mayor Banerji, and Counselors Brown and Shiell (yes Debbie’s husband) it was a huge success. There were trivia questions about Breast Cancer and The Desert Mums on the table with prizes donated by Wizard Home Loans (Janet is taming the beast below), Spotlight donated the feather boas which added a bit of frivolity to the night, and Anthony from BASA decorated the room with the Desert Mums balloons. Raffle prizes were drawn, and fittingly the winner of the door prize was won by lovely lady who was diagnosed with breast cancer and currently fit, healthy and ready to enjoy the night for two at the Crown Promenade! The night raised $4007.05 and thanks must go to Michael Morgan and his wonderful staff.
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
THE NEW PARTNERS
It’s been a great week for donations and The Desert Mums are proud to Welcome Wizard Home Loans and Wizard Women to the team as a major partner with $10,000 donation. You will also be able to track the Mums progress on the Wizard Women web site. Generous donations were also made by Melita Dorn, G & R Reblocking and Underpinning, Pam Begbie and the Mulgrave Country Club who saw the article in the Herald Sun. Active Display Group have provided some banners for the Desert Mums and many wonderful people are also going online and donating through the Desert Mums webpage (www.desertmums.com). Oakley are fitting the girls out with eye wear while they walk across the desert and Notebooks r us are loaning the Desert Mums a laptop for their journey. Gloria Jeans Coffees have also partnered with the Desert Mums to make the trip possible by donating $5,000 and some coffee to get the mums going in the morning.
THE TALLY TOTAL
The Desert Mums aim to raise $105,000 to fund a three year research program through the National Breast Cancer Foundation. They are proud to report that their tally stands at, drum roll please ……. $99,000. Please join their journey tell your friends that The Desert Mums have millions of steps ahead of them, they have only one – log on to the website and make a donation or pledge. Alternatively log onto the NBCF website and have a guess how many steps it will take to walk across the Desert and win some fantastic prizes.