Another Christmas Party Done and Dusted
One trip I really look forward to each year is the annual Bayside Off-Roaders Christmas party. This year’s trip was again another complete success, with many people telling me that they really enjoyed it. I think that I speak for the club when I congratulate the Christmas Party committee on a job well done.
The weekend trip started for us on Friday morning when Chris, Barb and Bec Vane arrived at Gordon Country. Julie-Anne and I had been there since Wednesday, as we both decided earlier that we needed to get away from work for longer than a weekend. We spent a few peaceful days on our own, touring around the district, having a Coffee in Allora and lunch in Warwick as we gathered the last of the supplies needed for the Christmas party. It was relaxing. Until…………….
Tranquillity shattered!!!!! Baysiders started showing up at the campsite on early Friday morning. The soundtrack for the rest of the day was the rumble of 4WD engines and the crack of tent pegs being driven into the ground. Those of us already set up assisted where we could, but as we all know when someone tries to ‘help’ you set up camp it seems to take you even longer. After a while it we decided to stop ‘helping’ and just leave people alone to get set up while we went back to organising the weekend’s activities (it was Julie-Anne doing the organising, I just got in the way). We may have stopped trying to help, but Chris Vane spent the afternoon buzzing around like a blowfly puling stuff out of the back of his Hilux to help people that had problems (including Rhiannon).
Eventually the early arrivals were complete, leaving about seven or eight campsites to arrive on Saturday Morning. The evening was spent sitting around the campfire, relaxing until dinner time. The Second Annual Baysiders Trivia Challenge was organised for 7.00 pm and most members attended what was to be a hotly contested competition, with no quarter given between the five teams. Luckily, the adjudication by Barb and Bec Vane made for a fair and enjoyable battle, with much fun and laughter. The answer sheets were collected by Barb after this epic battle, the overall winner to be announced the next morning. Now, I’m not one to brag but to be in the winning team two years in a row must mean something!
Saturday morning saw club members looking for a drive around some of the 4WD tracks that Gordon Country offers. Like most club members, I have camped many times at Gordon Country but never considered driving the 4WD tracks. There had been no plan for a drive, so after a quick discussion it was decided that Stu and John would lead a ‘full club recce trip’ around the tracks on the northern side of Inverramsay Road. With absolutely no idea what they were driving into the group of about 15 or so vehicles left camp, assuring the Christmas committee members that ‘we’ll be back by 1.30 for the Kids Christmas Party, we promise’!
After some initial confusion over where the track actually started, we formed up and engaged 4WD. Stu and John were Trip Leaders, Lee was looking after Karen in the middle and I was Tail End Charlie. Gordon Country has some really great tracks! The entire time I was driving I kept seeing tracks branching off that had so much potential. We need to organise a few more trips to Gordon Country to explore, the promise of tracks that we haven’t driven before is exactly what the club needs. There were a few steeper climbs and descents that I’m sure caused a few ‘heart-in-mouth’ moments for some drivers, but on the whole there was nothing that a trained competent driver could not tackle. The final descent from the ridgeline to the valley floor was…………let’s say it was interesting. It wasn’t exceedingly difficult, just three downhill pitches that were steep and loose under your tyres. We took each of the three pitches one at a time, much to the disgust of the group of 4WDs behind me. When one of this group asked me why we were slowing everyone by going down one at a time, all I got was a blank stare when I replied ‘so we don’t kill anyone’. Unfortunately, you can’t fix stupid, even using duct tape. After everyone had successfully descended the ridge we only needed to go out to the road and turn left to drive back to camp. I arrived back in camp at 1.26 pm, so for a change we got back exactly when we promised we would (probably more by good luck that good management).
Now it was time for the kids’ Christmas party. The party was initially held at the far end of the campsite to give the parents some ‘me’ time. Rob The Nest and Duck-Duck-Goose were played, a scavenger hunt to find all those lollies proved to be popular. The scavenger hunt continued until a gentleman in a red suit came down the hill in the back of a ute. At this point the scavenger hunt was abandoned, as all the kids raced over to see Santa. I’m still finding lollies that were hidden on my caravan – they are delicious!
Well, typical of Bayside Off-Roader Club this is an aspect of Santa Claus that I never knew existed. I suppose you could call it ‘Adult Santa’. Most of what he said was PG but watching Santa proposition Michelle on the way down the hill was one side of Santa I have never really considered before. Along with everyone else on the planet, I had assumed that he was happily married. Trouble in paradise perhaps? The rest of his visit went off without a hitch, with all the kids getting a present from the old boy. The one bit that will scar me for life was at the end of his visit, overhearing something involving Santa, kids and a public toilet………..…..?
Free time for a while, where Baysiders do what Baysiders do best…….visit each other’s camp, sit around the fire and talk heaps of rubbish to each other. After a good chat, the compulsory afternoon nibblies around the campfire magically appeared. There were enough snacks to sink a battleship! Julie-Anne’s cheesy cob loaf appeared and was systematically demolished in no time (sorry Lee). The other snacks didn’t last too long either, I think that the day’s activities had given everyone a huge appetite. There was an official side to this event, as Lee announced the winner of the 2020 Club Member of the Year award. The award was given to Chris Vane, and I can’t think of anyone better suited to get the award. And who was completely astounded by the award? Congratulations from the club, Chris.
I also thanked the Christmas committee on behalf of the members, whereby I was awarded a podium, a cape and a staff. It’s wonderful to see the reverence that this club has for the elected president.
More social time until dinner, allowing members to cook up their contribution to the communal dinner. The tables were set, the food was organised and the Christmas committee donned their battle armour to serve both mains and desert, as staying within COVID-19 guidelines made the serving of food a necessary part of the weekend. And the food! There was SO much food that anyone wanting seconds (or thirds) had plenty to choose from. The biodegradable plates and cutlery were also a nice change, as no-one had to leave the fire to do their washing up. The rest of the night was passed with the usual banter around the campfire until everyone eventually went to bed.
Sunday morning. I slept in (hey, I’m the President). When I emerged like a butterfly from a chrysalis the club bacon and egg breakfast was on in the camp kitchen. What a great idea, breakfast the morning after the night before.
After breakfast club members started disappearing bit by bit for home. By around lunchtime there were only those of us staying an extra night in camp left. We had more afternoon nibblies, including another cheesy cob loaf (again, sorry Lee) and a long chat around the fire until bedtime. Then nothing more than get up in the morning, pack up and go home.
Thanks to all the club members whose hard work made the weekend come together. It just shows what we can achieve when all we work together.