Publication:Navy Annual 2005/2004 Variety NSW Help Bash
BY LIEUTENANT COMMANDER GRAEME WONG, RAN
For the second time in two years a Navy team has participated in the NSW Variety Bash. The 2004 Variety NSW Help Bash - Burramatta to Bathers Beach began at Burramatta (an Aboriginal name for Parramatta) on Sunday 08 August and finished 5,794 km later at Bathers Beach in Fremantle on Wednesday 18 August. The eight man team from HMAS Albatross consisted of LCDR Graeme "Soozie" Wong, RAN,LEUT Nick "Bear" Kous, RAN, LS Shane "Shano" McMillan, LS Rob Ritchie, LS Phil "Hirsch" Hirschausen, LS Jimmy Vella, AB Richard "Dutchy" Van Huisstede and AB Nick "Hooley" Hoole.
About the Bash
The Bash is an annual event and is Australia's most successful charity motoring event. It is the focal point of fund raising efforts by many hundreds of supporters of Variety, with the money raised helping sick, disabled and disadvantaged children.
The Bash is not a race or a rally. The most important thing about the Bash is that speed is not important. What really matters is that everyone has an enjoyable time travelling in parts of Australia they would not otherwise see, at the same time raising money for special children.
Drivers and crews are anything but standard! Drawn from all walks of life, these enthusiasts come together on the Bash to drive along rough outback roads and bribe and cheat their way past the officials. There are no prizes of any value in the Bash. The aim of the event is to raise money.
The Bash was originated by businessman, explorer and philanthropist Dick Smith in June 1985 when he organised a group of people to travel from Sydney to Bourke in far west New South Wales, and from there to Burketown in Northern Queensland. Dick wanted to take a few mates for a drive in the outback, in old cars, and at the same time raise money for charity. So he charged everyone to enter, and entrants were able to bribe the officials or be fined. This event, known as the Bourke to Burketown Bash, raised $250,000 for Variety and was the first of the "B to B" Bashes.
The B to B Bash has raised over $70 million since its inception to help sick, disabled and disadvantaged children throughout Australia.
The 2004 Burramatta to Bathers Beach Variety Bash
The 2004 Bash was the 20th B to B Bash and the longest ever. 115 Bash cars supported by 22 official vehicles and five aircraft started the event. Of those, five Bash cars and one official vehicle did not make the end however all 400 bashers and 50 officials managed to get to the finish line. The two Navy cars, HR 817 and EH 805, both made it although not without some mechanical problems along the way.
The 5794 km route took in some of the more remote areas of Australia such as Docker River and Warburton WA. The Bash also visited, amongst other places, Broken Hill, Coober Pedy, Yulara and Kalgoorlie, driving along some very desolate outback dirt roads.
Among the many Bash highlights for the Navy team were:
- Broken Hill - where after repairing the uni joints in the HR on the road and changing the head gasket on the EH the team finally got to enjoy staying at the Palace Hotel where parts of the film "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" were filmed.
- Armed Services Day - where having been joined by the Navy Systems Commander, CDRE Geoff Geraghty, AM, RAN, in Yulara, they led the start for the drive to Giles Meteorological Station where all Bashers and officials were treated to a ration pack meal.
- Driving along the Gun Barrel Highway.
- Kicking a football in the middle of nowhere with no other person or car to be seen.
- Sunset at Uluru.
There were a number of party stops, some planned with activities and some ad hoc. There were also the usual vehicle breakdowns and, of course, any number of outback pubs where the opportunity to partake of a refreshment or two and exchange a bash story could not be passed up.
At the final function, the Navy team was awarded a "Half Cup", which is presented to teams raising in excess of $33,000 and it was declared that the 2004 Variety NSW Help Bash had raised approximately $2.4 million. After his experience with the Bash, CDRE Geraghty stated that all team members had shown themselves to be excellent ambassadors for the Navy and that the experience gained, through having to deal with the unexpected and interacting with the local Australian community and other bashers and Bash officials, could not be underestimated
The Navy team would like to thank all their supporters for their generosity, in particular the major sponsor L3 Communications and the other sponsors, Thales Underwater Systems, Kaman, Tenix LADS Corporation, Boeing Australia, Planit, Sikorsky, Westlands, Wardroom HMAS Kuttabul, ADCU, Serco Sodexho, Welfare Committee HMAS Albatross and Wardroom HMAS Albatross. They also thank Navy Marketing, BAE and Kurrajong Kitchens for their assistance and support, and they acknowledge the assistance of the combined Bash teams of the Shoalhaven.
