TRAX 2022 Christmas Gathering
Crosslands Reserve Hornsby ‘Heights’(?)
Saturday 26th November 2022
Wow! What a day!
• As regards weather: perfect. Just right. Just enough cloud to stop the sun from being too hot, yet enough sun continually breaking through to make it pleasant.
• As regards to shelter: Thanks to President Matt Smith we had the advantage of a brand new 6 metre X 3 metre Gazebo. (Brand new and really good.)
• As regards to a great time: Couldn’t have enjoyed it more.
Now, read on…. (as ‘they’ say!)
- Neil arrived first at 7:30am to hold a decent spot, but unlike most years there were almost no people there and by 9:00am there were still only a few groups there meaning that we had a very ‘uncrowded’ reserve.
By 8:30am other TRAX members began to drift in, firstly Matt followed by Alex Levshin which meant enough people to quickly erect the gazebo.
That done (all the hard work and setting out of chairs etc!) others began to arrive!
Who came?
Altogether 21 people… being:
Matt & Alison Smith
Phillip & Linda Favaloro
Shane & Kylie Beetson, Olivia, Joel & Isabel
Neil & Jane Flower
Jane & Sally Parfitt
Ron Paton
Ron Owen
Alex Levshin
Danny Lee
Roger Riley
Richard Thompson, with Maud & Reggie
Also, a fair swag of apologies from those not able to make it.
But what did we do? Well, what do you think? Remember, this is/was the easiest trip of the year! Lovely bush, great water for canoeing or just watching, Lyre birds, (Alex and some others saw 3, Scrub turkeys, (ugh) too many to count, and…. Wait for it… (drum roll please Mr. Editor),
no flies or Mozzies!!! Yep, didn’t count 1 fly all day.
Then of course was the ‘catch-up’ chatter, exchange of 4WD details, tech. things, the places-to-go-and-where- we’ve been topics, and of course, personal and family news.
Then came Lunch! Now there was a variety of goodies and all things delectable and edible, followed by the Chaplain’s annual Christmas message.
After this we had one special job to do. At our last General Meeting our speaker from Polaris Instruments had donated a beautiful and quite expensive dash cam and committee decided to have ‘draw’ of those who were present to see who would take it home. Ron Paton’s (corrected by Webmaster) name ‘came out of the hat’ as the winner.
But then came the sounds of whirring, buzzing, and grinding – like an army of gnats or blowflies as the owners of radio-controlled cars wormed their vehicles up for the TRAX 3rd Annual Radio-Controlled Car Races. Only 3 competitors this year (Francois couldn’t make it back from Perth on time, and a couple of other hopeful entrants were still recovering from the dreaded Covid.
But what a sight, and what breath-holding excitement as the competitors tested their vehicles before the races! Two types of races were being contested, namely the straight sprint race to see whose vehicle was the fastest over the measured course, followed by the off road, slalom and obstacle course. That was a test not only of the car but also of the driver’s skill.
Results:
Sprint course – Phillip Favaloro’s ‘Subaru Special.’
Off road, slalom & obstacle course – Joel Beetson’s ‘Land Rover Defender’.
(Special mention must be made here of Shane Beetson’s ‘Off road-Bitza-Wollargorang-‘thing’, which although fast, seemed to have a mind of its own. It did however manage to finish 2nd in this event! We believe that the ‘Subaru Special’ is still out there somewhere in the bush, bravely trying to find its way home.
After the races it was ‘skill time,’ when our valiant Trip Leader produced his wooden ‘cup & ball’ game and offered a prize to anyone who could get the ball into the cup. Everyone, including all the children, had about 3 tries but only one person succeeded, and he fervently claimed that it was ‘just a fluke’. But a lot of fun and laughter was enjoyed. We’ll try it again next year!
But then it was the turn of the culinary experts. This was the 3rd Annual Afternoon Tea Bush Bake-Orf!
Things were grim this year – only 2 entrants, but what a competition! On one side Kylie Beetson and
Daughters, versus Linda Favaloro. The Beetsons with their crumbed biscuit pancakes and Linda with her
Chocolate crackle Pikelets. What a competition!
The judges were equally divided. What to do? It was a dead heat! No worries mates, your intrepid trip leader had one prize left but could it be divided into two? The prize was two pens in a cardboard box. Problem easily solved. Cut the box into halves (longways of course) and hey presto, 1 pen to each of the two contestants. (Next year I think that I will bring a slight surplus of prizes!
Well, that was just about it. The day was drawing on and members began to make ‘going home’ noises. So, with a farewell prayer from the Chaplain we concluded another TRAX Christmas Gathering.
You missed out? Pity, but never mind, wait another year (if the Lord has not returned by then), and it will be on again.
May you all have a very blessed Christmas, and a joyful new year.
Neil Flower
Trip Leader