Outback Getaway 2025 has come and gone, and what a trip it was. Over a week on the road, 24 vehicles and more than 50 participants wound their way through the outback, enjoying country hospitality, spectacular scenery, and the occasional corrugated road that rattled more than a few suspensions. It was Rotary at its best – raising funds while having plenty of fun along the way.
OBG doesn’t just appear on the calendar. It is built from the ground up by a small committee of club members who are not tour operators, travel agents, or logistics professionals. They are volunteers, plain and simple, who gave up many evenings and weekends to plan routes, secure bookings, arrange catering, sort accommodation, organise entertainment, and run the nightly raffles and auctions. They even dealt with the small dramas that travel inevitably brings, making sure we could enjoy the outback without worrying about the details. Without that commitment, there is no OBG.
Our deep gratitude goes to the OBG committee of:
Russell Manns – Route
Henry Campey – Co-ordinator
Mark Redmond – Logistics
Cameron Ashmore – Logistics Assistant
Gav Roberts – Entertainment
Dave Birrell – Finance
Ron Bowden – Administration
Generosity is another hallmark of the event. Our sponsors dig deep, year after year, to keep the wheels turning. Participants also contribute significantly – not only with entry fees, but through Sargeant’s fines, raffles and auctions that on a few occasions led to good-natured bidding wars that raise serious money. That generosity allows the club to direct funds to causes that matter, supporting those less fortunate than ourselves.
And then there’s fellowship – the secret ingredient. OBG is not just about kilometres travelled or dollars raised; it’s about the people, including those we meet along the way. It’s the laughter around the camp fire, the tall tales swapped after dark, the friendships forged on dusty roads. That sense of camaraderie is what keeps people coming back. You can’t buy it, you can’t fake it, and you certainly can’t download it on an app.
So, thank you to the committee, our sponsors, and every participant. OBG25 was another success because of three words at its core: volunteers, generosity, fellowship.
Lastly, I received a lovely note from Viola Psaros which I have asked the Editor to add as a separate clickable link in the Easterly.
A fee will apply to any member late with an apology regardless of whether the number attending on the meeting day of the meeting is over, under or equal to what the Club Secretary submitted to the Downs Club. This fee will only apply to meetings at the Downs Club or any other club meeting where attendance numbers have to be stipulated prior to the meeting.
A Club member will be charged a meal fee of $20 if they
fail to submit any apology before 11am on Tuesday for the meeting the following Thursday (48 hrs later)
need to submit a late apology due to changed circumstance.
Fail to show up after indicating they would be present.
The members owing a fee of $20 will notified by the Club Secretary and Club Treasurer via an emailed
Late apology fee notice.
The fee can be paid by direct credit into the RCTE Club account or by adding $20 to the $35 meal fee at the next club meeting
Apologies 25.09.2025
Cam Ashmore, Wayne Barnett, Dave Birrell, Adrian Bonica, Ron Bowden, Rod Brilliant, Rod Brown, Andy Burke, Alex Burrell, Peter Burrows, Gary Campbell, Henry Campey, Phillip Charles, Jim Charlton, Roger Klaassen, Bob Cheesman, John Creedon, Shane Fisher, Phil Gillam, Dave Groves, Peter Hardwick, Geoff Kapernick, Andrew Kratzmann, Russell Manns, Craig Mathieson, Peter McLoughlin, Mark Redmond, Gav Roberts, Toby Sandell, Allan Schefe, Doc Smith, Paul Stephenson, Ross Watt, Matt Wentzel, Mark Winter
Apologies 02.10.2025
Adrian Bonica, Rod Brilliant, Rod Brown, Andy Burke, Phillip Charles, Jim Charlton, Bob Cheesman, John Creedon, Col Davidson, Shane Fisher, Ian Humphrey, Geoff Kapernick, John Liley, Russell Manns, Roger Klaassen, Peter McLoughlin, Toby Sandell, Doc Smith, Ross Watt.
