Australasian Touring Caravan, Motorhome & Camping Club, Inc.

The Get-Together in Alice Springs was a great success.   Following is an extract of a report from Member Aus 025 of this Get-Together.

On the 2nd June we gathered on the Show Grounds at Alice Springs to get together with 76 members from all corners of Australia. A breakdown of vehicles from each state is as follows: N.S.W.  16   QLD.  17    VIC.  29   S.A.  3    W.A.  8    TAS.  2    N.T. 1           Many new members attended and were seen to be enjoying the company of new friends as they were all welcomed into our family of members.

Our President had organised many venues to visit such as the Desert Park, The Transport Hall of Fame, VKS737 Base, School of the Air and The Royal Flying Doctor Service - where the President presented a cheque to the manager on behalf of us all.  Many members took advantage of these trips and enjoyed being tourists in this lovely town.  Many of us also embarked on 4X4 Tag-along trips where members without 4X4s were gladly given the chance to come along as passengers to visit such places as Hermannsberg and Palm Valley, Redbank Gorge, Arltunga and many more to take in the beauty of the Red Centre.

An overnight camping trip to Chambers Pillar was arranged for those of us brave to test the elements with minus one overnight temperatures, but climbing to a lovely 17 days. However no one seemed to notice the cold down there and a great time was had by all members who joined the convey to this pillar of history.

The local Memorial Club catered a dinner for us  and with good food and drinks mixed with excellent company an enjoyable time was had by all present.  Some folk also fed the hungry poker machines and most came away with empty pockets.  Some members also took the chance to have their hair cut at the Club where young people are taught the art of hair cutting and also I believe that some members enjoyed their meals so much there that they went back on other nights and found it just as good.

Whilst some of the girls chatted and turned out crafty things, some of the boys played golf and did "male things" and we all generally had a marvelous time.  We definitely lifted the economy of the Alice for our two weeks stay with much fuel used as well as other esential items such as food, drink, washing machines and of course souvenirs which ranged from the good old fridge magnet to paintings. A tally of monies spent was taken by a member by receipts handed in and a grand total of $120.00 was spent by members at the ALice.

Our sundowner happy hours each day, our communal barbeques, card sharping Krazy Whist games, and brilliantly intelligent Trivia evenings, an infromative talk by a club member on his beloved Gippsland in Victoria, a concert night and of course the excellent company of members helped to make our stay in Alice Springs one we will recall with the fondest of memories.

As we break camp to continue our travels North & South & East & West of this wonderful country we are so lucky to live in, we do so with the knowledge that wherever we go we have old and new friends waiting to greet us as our family grows.

Thanks must go to all members who helped make this Get-Together run so smoothly.

Till next we meet.

Aus 025