Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

Sunday 26th December - 2021

Reporting live from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Rushcutters Bay in Sydney on Boxing Day 2021. I suggested to my partner in crime Steve Core that we should make the effort & venture into Rushcutters Bay to check out the crews preparing for this year's Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht race.

We arrived at the Cruising Yacht Club at 7:00am, lucky to jag a parking spot for the ‘81 Ford Bronco a short stroll away from the club. We walked down to the Marina only to be informed by Event Security that there was no public access onto the jetties until 10:00am. That meant we had 3-hours to kill, so I put my thinking cap on & came up with this wild idea to attempt to wriggle our way into the exclusive press & media area.

Being ex-Qantas Trolly Dollies with the gift of the gab, we wangled our way into the sacred echelon of the press overlooking the multi million dollar yachts & marina right in front of the Club House.

Me and the always comical and mirthful Channel 9 News Reporter
Mike Dalton. Mike confirmed he'll be covering our Car Show in March.
Photo: Steve Core 

There was plenty of action in this area due to the numerous National News networks from around the world doing their pre-race interviews to their respective outlets. 

We needed to keep a very low profile because neither of us had Security passes & did not want to be evicted from our ring side seats where all the pre-race action was happening.

Steve noticed our friend Mike Dalton from the Channel 9 network interviewing various high-profile sailors about their tactics for the run down the east coast to their final destination in Hobart in a couple of hours time.

The race attracts entries & competitors from around
the world for this international classic

In between interviews I decided it was time for me to get off my butt, bite the bullet & approach him & re-acquaint myself with Mike.

I first met Mike in July 2020 when I organised a farewell to the Qantas “Queen of the Skies” Jumbo 747. I was interviewed by him on the Northern Concourse of the Sydney Opera House. Click here to see that story.

On that day I mentioned our up & coming Pre-WWII Vintage Car Show & asked him if Channel 9 would be interested to do a segment on our big day, at that time he showed a great deal of interest, however that was 18-months ago.

Anyway to cut a long story short I grabbed my opportunity to remind him of our conversation 18-months ago. To my delight he told me that he did remember our conversation. Mike also mentioned that he had received a Media Release from me last week & would definitely be at our show in Sutherland with a camera crew on Sunday 20th March 2020.

The main silverware up for grabs in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart
blue water classic.

Never to let a chance pass me bye I also managed to take photos of the precious silverware on display for the world' s media. The Trophy on the left is the Captain J.H. Illingworth Challenge Cup that is awarded to the first yacht to finish the Rolex Sydney to Hobart race with line honours, on the right is the George Adams Tattersall’s Cup awarded to the Handicap winner. 

This is the most significant & historic perpetual trophy awarded in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht race. Now recognised as one of the great ocean races in the world, despite there being no prize money for winners, just some impressive silverware & monumental prestige. Magnificent silverware to say the least.

In this 2021 event there were 88 yachts that started the race from Sydney Harbour. The fleet was battered by strong southerly winds, and due to these arduous conditions, more that a quarter of the fleet has withdrawn from the race with broken rigging & torn sails.

Entry fee to compete in this race is $9,500.00. Maluku (built in 1932) is the oldest & smallest (31ft or 9.5mtrs) yacht, compared to the Super-Maxi’s that are at least (100ft or 30.48mtrs).

The Cruising Yacht Club's Commodore Mr Noel Cornish

during pre-race media engagements

The Super-Maxi’s, Blackjack, Scallywag, Law Connect are predicted to take line honours in this year's blue ribbon classic event.

As the small hand on the clock pointed to 10 & the large hand struck 12 we put on our running shoes & headed straight towards the dock. The security guard was no longer stopping spectators from entering the jettys, we were now permitted to enter the earlier restricted areas.

Steve was in his element with his camera, we took full advantage to get up close & personal with these magnificent offshore racing yachts, we even took the advantage to have a good old chat with some of the competing crews.

We spent the following couple of hours drooling over these multi-million dollar, high-tech craft until the time it was for the competitors to depart their safe moorings & head out onto the Sydney Harbour to prepare themselves for the start of the challenging race to Tassie at 1:00pm.

Steve suggested that we hit the road & head for home back in the Shire, not before a quick detour via Bondi Beach for another photo shoot.

Me and my '81 Ford Bronco at North Bondi Beach
Photo: Steve Core

I took the opportunity to give one of my classic vehicles a trip into the city today. Due to this wretched Corona Virus my 1981 Ford Bronco needed the cobwebs blown out of her. The big 351 Cleveland V/8 engine had been in bed asleep for almost the last 12-months, so believe me I sure enjoyed pushing the pedal to the metal. You can keep your electric cars.

When we arrived at Steve’s special photographic spot at the world famous Bondi Beach he was relieved to know that there was no one parked in the perfect spot on Campbell Parade that overlooks the beach where he wanted me to park the Bronco.

As you can see by the photo my classic ‘81 351 Ford Bronco looks pure gold with the world famous Bondi Beach in the background, doesn’t come any better than this, & that my friends is all she wrote.

Remember my motto: ‘Adventure before dementia’.

Cheers for now.
Warbo

Seasons Greetings for 2021

Thursday 23rd December - 2021

As 2021 draws to a close, we'd like to reassure you that the 2022 Sylvanvale Pre-WWII Vintage Car Show is still all go. We will continue to work through the numerous challenges that Covid throws up at us.

This does mean that some parts of our event next year will look a bit different, but our end goal is to continue our legacy and produce another memorable and exciting event.

Seasons Greetings to one and all...

To all our loyal supporters, volunteers, sponsors and vehicle exhibitors, we would just like to take this opportunity to wish every single one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy & Safe New Year.

With many other events being cancelled or postponed, please feel assured that we do not intend to be one of them. Our team is working incredibly hard to make it work and our only vision is to create a bigger & more unique Show.

Enjoy your time with your family and friends and keep safe so that we can see each and every one of you in Sutherland on Sunday 20th March, 2022.

Ken Warburton

& the Event Volunteer Team

New 2022 Car Show Date Announced

Thursday 02 December - 2021

Breaking News: 2022 Sylvanvale Foundation Pre-WWII Vintage Car Show

We are excited to be able to finally announce the confirmed date for the 6th Annual 2022 Sylvanvale Pre-WWII Vintage Car Show.

The new date will be: Sunday 20th March, 2022

Show Hours will be: 9:00am until 3:00pm

In addition to our new date we also have a new upgraded venue. We will be moving from the Cronulla Mall to the Sutherland Council Car Park in Flora Street Sutherland.

The move to a larger venue is to accommodate our growing Show. Our new venue has the capacity to display up to 188 vehicles.

Our Show will feature Australia's finest collection of rare & valuable Classic & Vintage motor vehicles, not seen anywhere else in Sydney.

Sporting its original 'Barn Find' condition this 1924 Graham Brothers 4-door sedan was built in the US by the Graham Brothers, who were once known for building rugged truck haulers and high-quality automobiles alike. Expect to see this 'Survivor' at our Show.

Sporting its original 'Barn Find' condition this 1924 Graham Brothers
4-door sedan was built in the US by the Graham Brothers, who were
once known for building rugged truck haulers and high-quality
automobiles alike. Expect to see this 'Survivor' at our Show.

Additionally, on display will be various unique and distinctive examples of 'Survivors', which of course are everyone's favourite.

Our expanded venue will allow us to include on-site food and coffee vendors. Wandering minstrals, musicians and Steampunk performers dressed in period costumes.

Admission is $5.00 per adult and children under 12-years-old are free.

Any further inquiries please contact me:

Ken Warburton, Event Curator, on 0438 692 737 

or warbo47@gmail.com

All Ford Day at Sydney Dragway, Eastern Creek.

Sunday 14th November - 2021

All Ford Day NSW, was held at the Sydney Dragway at Eastern Creek.

The family friendly All Ford Day is normally held on the last Sunday of July each year. But due to Covid restrictions over our Winter period it was re-scheduled to the 14th November in 2021.

On the day you can see some of the best examples of original Ford vehicles in the country, alongside some amazingly restored and modified examples. On this day we had an impressive 1,130 Ford vehicles out on display.

Yours truly showing off the the ‘Silver Ware’ with
my winning 4-door Town Sedan.

With a chance to exhibit their pride and joys, the All Ford Day is one of the highlights of the year and is enjoyed by our members of the Model A Ford Club of NSW Inc.

The weekend kicks off with a Swap Meet on the Saturday and then the All Ford exhibition Day on the Sunday.

Twelve Model A Fords Club members showed up with their Classic Cars, so I thought our club was very well represented, we were blessed with good weather for the day.

You can see the two trophy winners. Marie’s ‘28 Ford
Pick-up and on the far right is my ‘31 4-door Town Sedan.

Winners are grinners… on the day it was Club members, Marie Hyland with her 1928 Roadster Pick-up & yours truly with my 1931 4-door Town Sedan that picked up the first place trophies.

Happy bunch of happy Chappie's posing at this year's All Ford Day.

Proud Club Member, Phil Dalton, has gone to much creative effort to produce our new Tear Drop sign, plus other various signs he has organised in the past. You sure can’t miss us at any car event now. Many thanks Phil, excellent work and you are a champion

Here you can see Phil's excellent work with our Club's signage.

The photo above shows another angle of the clubs array of signs. Proudly lined up behind the signs are Model A Ford Club Member's vehicles. 

There would be hundreds of years of experience between
these five Club members and their years tied up playing with
Model A Fords. What a fine bunch of lads.

For this year with certain Covid restrictions and lockdowns having a lingering effect on the entire community, the attendance numbers were down, spectator numbers were down, however enthusiasm was high. 

It was just great to get out and about and mingle with fellow motoring aficionados again after so many months in lock down. Certainly living 'the Classic Life'.

Part of the Ford Collector's merchandise available on the day

A good day was had by all. A vast celebration of Ford cars on display along with 'blue oval' proud owners to chat to, so plenty a 'car talk' and photos taken.

It is currently planned that All Ford Day will revert to it's usual 'last Sunday in July' date for 2022. 

Cheers from the ‘Squire’

Warbo.

2021 Chrysler Restorer's Club Spring Tour - Part III

Friday 26th November - 2021

Part III of the 2021 Chrysler Restorer's Club Spring Tour

Unfortunately everything must end & today is one of those days.

Our group departed Uralla, NSW this morning for the final leg of our tour south to Taree. (288kms or 180 miles). The current east coast 'El Nina' weather turned nasty as we were about to leave the Bushranger Motel in Uralla.

Depicting a turn of the century sawmiller's village,

Timbertown also operates a 2.4km long Heritage Railway

Faced with heavily saturated roads, I decided to make a quick F1-style change to my tyres from slicks to wet weather tyres on the ‘64 Plymouth, 2-door, that’s how bad it was.

Approximately one & a half hours into our journey we arrived at the Ginger's Creek Roadhouse and Bush Resort for a well-earned pitstop and morning tea break.

There were twenty-one of us sitting on the verandah chatting to one another when I asked the owner “how’s the weather been?", he said that you are not going to believe this.

Our entire group relaxing on the verandah of the the Ginger's Creek

Roadhouse - halfway between Wauhope and Walcha, NSW.

On Saturday & Sunday this week we had 280ml or 11" inches of rain in that 48-hour period, now that is serious rain bomb in anyone’s language.

We then pushed a little further on to Wauchope to pay a visit to Timbertown for lunch & a look around the park. Timbertown is a re-created Sawmiller's village from the turn of the century and is set among 87-acres of natural forest.

(Below) I decided to become Casey Jones & stoke the fire for a while on ‘Ruby’ the vintage steam locomotive that operates on Timbertown's Heritage narrow gauge Railway. 

Me getting ready to do my best 'Casey Jones' impersonation

and stoke the firebox onboard the Heritage Steam Locomotive 'Ruby'.

After lunch it was a short one hour's drive south to Taree. I checked into the Highway Motel for a quick Nanny nap before heading off to our ‘Last Supper’ at the Taree Aquatic Club overlooking the tranquil Manning River.

After dinner we more or less exchanged our goodbyes to one & all in the group, because tomorrow we would all be heading off in different directions for our homes.

We made a great little roadside stop at the

Ginger's Creek Bush Resort in Mount Seaview, NSW

Another magnificent Spring Tour organised by our Chrysler club's event director Brian Kelleher. If Brian cannot organise a magnificent tour than nobody can. 

In another lifetime Brian & I worked together at Qantas Airlines, only he was up the pointy end as a skipper on the Boeing 747 Jumbos & I was the ‘Trolly Dolly’ down on the main deck, in cattle-class, say no more.

A popular stop on the Oxley Highway for all motoring

enthusiast's is the Ginger's Creek Roadhouse & Bush Resort

That my friends is all she wrote, so until the next ‘adventure before dementia’ stay tuned.

Cheers for now from the ‘Squire’ from the Shire.

Warbo

2021 Chrysler Restorer's Club Spring Tour - Part II

25th November - 2021

Part II of the 2021 Chrysler Restorer's Club Spring Tour

Last night in Ballina we encountered torrential rain all night, however the rain ceased just before our planned departure, thank heavens. As a team, we left Ballina around 0900 this morning for our (400kms or 240 mile) drive through famous country towns like Lismore, Casino, Tenterfield (where Entertainer Peter Allen was born), Armidale and finally into Uralla. 

Our first driving stint was approximately one & a half-hours to the Mallanganee Pub where we all enjoyed a cuppa & morning refreshments. After morning tea we pushed on travelling the New England Hwy south. I really enjoyed this next part of the journey, especially now that there was no rain.

Uralla, is town that holds the final resting place of Australian

Bushranger Captain Thunderbolt

Our journey led us to the Great Dividing Range (all 888m in height of it, or for my overseas friends only 3,000ft). It was much cooler now & hardly any humidity, the further you move inland away from the coast - the less humidity there is.

A lunch break at a little town called Deepwater. We ordered bakery items & sandwiches at the local bakery & roadhouse.

By now we had really broken the back of today's journey, we would be arriving in Uralla real 'Bushranger' territory within an hour. I have never been to this part of the world, so I was very excited to see what was ahead of me.

I drove my 1964 2-door Plymouth (with 3 on the tree) sedan into Uralla at 1500 this afternoon, checked into the Bushranger Motor Inn for the night that still left me plenty of time to check out this town.

Captain Thunderbolt's 151-year-old gravesite

My main objective this afternoon was to check out the infamous Bushranger 'Captain Thunderbolt' who roamed this part of the world creating havoc 151-years ago.

'Thunderbolt’s' real name was Fred Ward, he committed many robberies, bailing up mail coaches & private homes in the Liverpool Rangers & New England district in 1870 & is buried here in Uralla.

His life was cut short at the tender age of only 36 years. The law finally caught up with him when Constable Walker shot him dead on May 25th, 1870. I wanted to see where he was buried in the local cemetery, as you can see by my photos I managed that accomplishment.

The Gothic-style chapel of the All Saints Anglican Church
is in Gostwyck in the Parish of Uralla

I spent time cruising the cemetery checking out the Tombstones, while walking around the cemetery I met a local lady & asked her what else there was to see in the local area.

She mentioned that I should drive out of town for 10 klms (6.2 mls) to visit the All Saints Anglican Church, Gostwyck. What a pleasant surprise when I arrived at the Church.

As you can see by the photos, this delightful Church is built in a perfect country setting very tranquil & peaceful, unfortunately the doors of the church were locked & if I wanted to witness the interior I would have to hang around until the Church Service on Sunday.

The Church was constructed in 1921 with an oaken hammer beam roof
covered by oaken shingles and all the fittings were completed in oak.

By now the big hand on the clock was pointing to 12 & the small hand was pointing to the 6, it was now time to head back into town to hook up with my other travelling friends for dinner.

I am looking forward to a good night's sleep this evening, tomorrow morning I will have the pedal to the metal of the ‘64 Plymouth as we head south towards Taree for another adventure.

Stay safe, cheers for now from the ‘Squire’.

Warbo.

2021 Chrysler Restorer's Club Spring Tour

Wednesday 24th November - 2021

Hello from the NSW far North Coast.

I am on the road with Chrysler Restorer's Club on their annual Spring Tour. I am driving my 57-year-old, 1964 Plymouth/Valiant 2-door, 3-speed, manual sedan.

This year's tour takes us up to the northern tip of the State of NSW. With the current Covid Border restrictions, we will not be able to cross the borders into the Sunshine State; Queensland as we had originally planned to do.

We left Sydney and our Day 1, first leg, was an uneventful 8-hour (615km) haul from Sydney to Grafton up the super smooth Pacific Highway, the A1.

My 1964 Plymouth/Valiant 2-door sedan, as I stop to check out the
ruins of some of the oldest of the original settler's homes around Grafton.

(Above) On my way towards Ballina, I stop to check out the crumpling remains of one of the oldest houses in Northern Rivers NSW town of Grafton, just north of the township. The locals tell me that this house or what is left of it - was built by the first settlers last century, in 1890 or thereabouts.

It rained all the way to Coffs Harbour, but as we got north of the Banana Coast, the skies began to dry up. November is an ideal time to visit the city of Grafton, as all its Jacaranda trees are in full and glorious purple bloom.

Scrumptious mixed grill at the local Club in Grafton on my arrival.

Once settled into our first night's accommodation on Day 1 in Grafton, we headed out to the Clock Tower Hotel for our evening meal.

Day 2: We crossed the Richmond River to West Ballina
aboard the Burns Point Ferry

(Above) On our second day, we drove aboard the vehicular cable ferry, the Burns Point Ferry to cross the mighty Richmond River. 

For a fee of $6.50 it would carry us on a 4-minute ride across the Richmond River to West Ballina.

Breakfast this morning was at the Macadamia Castle's Restaurant

(Above) Special treat for breakfast this morning at the Macadamia Castle & Animal Park Restaurant located in Knockrow, NSW (between Byron Bay and Ballina). 

In the photo Brian, Bob & yours truly just about to attack a stack of pancakes.

A sensational breakfast on Day 2 at the

Macadamia Castle Restaurant

(Above) The ‘Squire’ enjoying his pancakes loaded with ice cream, fruit, berries, nuts (Macadamia nuts of course), butter, maple syrup & washed down with a large Mango smoothie. Truly a Breakfast of Champions.

We depart Ballina on Thursday morning with our next destination being the township of Uralla. Uralla is nestled in the New England High Country and has a rich Colonial period Gold Rush history.

I'm looking forward to exploring Uralla's natural beauty and pilot the '64 Plymouth along Thunderbolt's Way who's surrounding natural bushland reserves contain Aboriginal art that is over 500-years old. 

Stay tuned for more adventure before dementia.

Cheers from the road

Warbo

RELATED: I imported this 1964 Plymouth/Valiant 2-door, 3-speed, manual sedan 3-years ago in November 2018 - to read more about it CLICK HERE

RELATED: My 1964 Plymouth/Valiant lands in Australia from the US - to read more about it CLICK HERE

Celebrating 15-years in retirement...

Today I celebrate 15-years since I hung up my wings traveling the world as an International Flight Attendant for Qantas Airways. 

My flying career spanned the era of the B707, B747 Jumbo (Queen of the skies), & B767 aircraft.

Before I placed my head on the pillow last night, my mind drifted back to the start of my flying days working for the iconic International Qantas Airways. I was blessed to have a 32-year flying career with them.

I realised that I have now been retired for almost half of the time that I flew. On the 1/10/2006 the curtain finally came down on the most wonderful time & experience of my life.

This is the crew sign-on sheet for my

final trip, the column on the far right

indicates the crew's seniority numbers

I can remember just like it was yesterday morning that Qantas let me loose to go flying. My 1st trip was a 1-day Melbourne trip on a B707 aircraft, sign on was 0700. I was back home in the 'Shire' just after lunch, I couldn't believe it. In less than 7-hours I had flown from Sydney to Melbourne return, I thought all my Christmases had come at once.

My final trip's Crew worksheet
The work sheet denotes work positions on the aircraft

All I can remember is that I must have won the lottery. My life had completely changed from being a Garbo & motor mechanic to this life as a globetrotter, staying in 5 star hotels, living the life of the rich & famous, visiting overseas countries, having the time of my life & what's more they actually paid me for my time.

My final Certificate of Service.

By no means did I ever take my employment with Qantas for granted, I appreciate every moment that I was on their books, they afforded me the lifestyle that I enjoy today.

Thank you Qantas.

Cheers from the 'Squire' from the Shire.

Warbo

More of my Blog reading...

Related: Farewell to our Queen of the Skies

Related: If it ain't Boeing... I ain't goin' 

Visions of the Isle of Man TT Races

Isle of Man TT - 2018

Greetings to all my fellow 4-wheel & 2-wheel racing enthusiast fans, and for any Isle of Man TT Motorcycle racing fans. Well yes indeed everyone, this is indeed real... and it actually happens every year & I might add, has done so since 28th May 1907. 

On some sections of the road course, fans can literally be within

inches of riders doing in excess of 100mph.

For many years the Isle of Man TT races are regarded as the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world & also considered the 'Most Dangerous Race in the World'.

Rising dramatically out of the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland the Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom or European Union, but has the status of 'crown dependency', similar to Jersey and Guernsey, with an independent administration. Its inhabitants are British citizens.

Me outside my Isle of Man B&B-style accommodation, the

Strathmore on Clifton Terrace in Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man

Photo: John Cannon

The Isle of Man will enchant first-time visitors with its craggy coastline dotted with medieval forts, towers, and castles. You can fly there, but the best views are aboard ferries arriving from Ireland or the UK. Its waterfront capital of Douglas is a great place to explore the island’s proud seafaring past. Heading inland you’ll find mysterious glens and forests and a single mountain that are perfect for hiking, mountain biking, and rock climbing. 

The most adrenaline-fueled activity is the Isle of Man TT, it's a death defying, hair-raising motorcycle race. The length of one lap around the open road racing circuit is 37.73 miles or 60.72 kilometres. The course passes over the summit of Snaefell, the islands only mountain, towering more than 2,000 feet above sea level.

Here I am in Dan Kneen's Tyco garage. Dan Kneen performed so

 well as a stand-in rider for Tyco BMW at the Ulster Grand Prix that
he was signed up to ride for the team full-time in 2018.

Photo: John Cannon

When I attended the 2018 Isle of Man races, I witnessed Peter Hickman record the lap record at 16 minutes & 42 seconds, a phenomenal 135mph or 217km/h.

Since the inaugural race in 1907 there have been over 255 deaths on the race course. In 2016 alone, five riders died during practice & race week.

If all goes well & to plan & this wretched Covid Virus is somewhat under control I have already booked for the 2022 TT races on the Isle of Man.

Once you have experienced this TT motorcycle racing it gets into your blood & you can't get enough of it. 

At the beginning of this video the young American man comments about the spectator sitting on the hedge next to the track on the main straight with the bikes flashing by him only inches away at over 200mph or 321km/h. Yes, that is what the thrill is all about for me. 

Standing beside Champion TT racer Joey Dunlop's sculpture. Joey Dunlop

was the "King of the Mountain" by winning the TT race on 26 occasions

Photo: John Cannon

How did the "King of the Mountain" die? Joey Dunlop. 1952-2000. Joey Dunlop died in Tallin, Estonia in 2000 while leading a 125cc race. (He had already won the 750cc & 600cc events). He appeared to lose control of his bike in the wet conditions & died instantly on impact with trees. Northern Island Television carried live coverage of his funeral. 50,000 mourners attended the funeral procession.

I have been to the Indianapolis 500 (6-times), Daytona 500, NASCAR, Bathurst V8 supercars and Formula 1 races throughout the world, dirt track speedway racing & trust me there is nothing like the TT motorcycle racing on the Isle of Man and that is precisely why I am going back for more in 2022.

Me, perched among the foliage on the hedgerow and closely watching
the bikes power back up to 'straight speed' after negotiating the
nearby Creg-ny-Baa corner. Here you really get the sensation of speed.
Photo: John Cannon

During lockdown when you are looking for something to do, you may want to go back in my blog & check out my coverage of when I attended the 2018 Isle of Man TT races. 

At the very bottom of this page, I have posted the links to all those 2018 stories. Click on each individual one to travel back through time and look at the track-side adventures that I wrote about and some great accompanying photographs that suit.

Okay, I have got a bit carried away with this story, however if you ever have the chance to attend the TT races on the Isle of Man make certain you do it, it is a 'must do item' for your automotive bucket list.

Cheers from the 'Squire' from the locked down Shire.

Warbo

MORE READING: To view any of my nine Warbo's Blog posts from the 2018 Isle of Man TT races, click on any of the individual links below...

Memories of the Isle of Man - 2018

Thursday 7th June - 2018

Isle of Man TT - 2018 - Day #7 

Isle of Man TT - 2018 - Day #6

Isle of Man TT - 2018 - Day #5

Isle of Man TT - 2018 - Day #4

Isle of Man TT - 2018 - Day #3

Isle of Man TT - 2018 - Day #2

Isle of Man TT - 2018 - Day of Arrival

Above & Beyond in Alaskan Wilderness

20th July - 2021

Now this is a blog that you do not want to miss.

Rolling the clock back 8-years to 2013, almost to the day, my son Nathaniel & I had the experience of a lifetime on a 10-day rafting expedition down the mighty Tatshenshini River which winds its way through the tenth most remote wilderness area in the world.

One of our fellow adventurers for the next 
10-days of our rafting expedition was
super model, Tiffany Richards

Our adventure started with a 45-minute ferry ride from Skagway, Alaska down to Haines, Alaska. In Haines, we hooked up with Colorado River & Trail Expeditions tour group for our 10-day rafting journey starting out inside the Tatshenshini-Alesk Provincial Park in the Yukon Territory of Canada. 

The Tatshenshini-Alesk Provincial Park contains almost one million hectares of glacier-cloaked peaks, wild river systems, grizzly bears and a large diversity of wildlife & plant communities. It has been designated a World Heritage site.

Father & son all frocked up and ready for departure
on our 10-day river rafting adventure

We headed due north out of Haines, deep into the remote wilderness, where after a 3-hour coach ride we reached our embarkation point. Our raft trip will launch from a small place just north of the British Columbia border near Dalton’s Post in the Yukon Territory. We arrived into the Aspen and Alder forests of the Yukon. This is where the Tatshenshini River threads its way through the river valleys of the Tatshenshini-Alesk Provincial Park down into the very north-west corner of British Columbia.

Sitting on the river’s gravel bar edge at Dalton’s Post, our five fully provisioned rafts were waiting for us. Not a house or a human in sight. Upon arrival at the Tatshenshini River we were introduced to our five guides that would be totally responsible for us for the next 10-days, including our safety from wild animals & the dangers of the raging, white-water rapids of the Tatshenshini River.

Tiffany Richards' brush with fame...
myself on the left, Tiffany, John Nash

Our party consisted of ten adventure seeking participants from various walks of life. We gathered around the water's edge getting to know each other while we prepared our kit bags & personal belongings for the journey ahead.

John Toner, our Team Leader briefed us all on what we had ahead of us, most importantly the safety requirements, if we were confronted with any wild animals such as moose, black bear, grizzly bear, bison, etc. In our pack we were all issued with bear spray & a pressure pack horn to hopefully scare away a grizzly bear should it decide to attack.

 Our fearless leader John Toner armed 
with his non-lethal deterrent can of Bear spray

If we were confronted by any of these wild animals while on any of our hikes to the various glaciers, or even in our camp at night it was imperative that we follow John's instructions. John also carried a big hunting rifle that hopefully would stop a moose or a grizzly in its tracks. 

Moose are twice as dangerous as grizzly bears, I didn't know that previously, I thought that the grizzly bear would be the worst. Out here, you certainly learn something new every day.

An inquisitive grizzly bear approaching our camp
as he patrols along the edge of the gravel bar

Let's get started conquering the mighty Tatshenshini River.

Day 1: There were five rafts in our entourage, two adventurers per raft & overseen by one raft commander, very cozy, we definitely were not overcrowded. Once we departed Dalton’s Post we enjoyed a gentle introduction to the river & the running rapids.

Our first introduction to the gentle rapids on
Day 1 of our adventure.

Our raft commander Greg Williams from Moab, Utah, is a 65-year old River Rat that spent most of his life as a guide working expeditions on the Colorado River with countless years of experience, so I felt very comfortable with him in charge of my life. Today we only spent 3-hours on the river making camp around 5:00pm to erect our tents beside the river.

Dewey gives us the heads up for our first night's
camp set up on the banks of the Tatshenshini River

During the afternoon rafting down the river we were fortunate enough to spot numerous magnificent bald eagles. This bird is the National symbol of the United States. It was wonderful to be able to see the bald eagle soaring high above the trees & mountains in the wild. The bald eagle was on the verge of extinction when the US Federal Government declared it an endangered species in 1978 under the Endangered Species Act. Today, there are more than 9,800 nesting male & female pairs across the USA. We also spotted three sets of white swans on the river.

While dinner was being prepared by our Guides, there was another most important chore to do. As you can see in the photograph below. Due to very strict environmental concerns, whatever you take into the Tatshenshini-Alesk Provincial Park must also come out of the Park. Check out the community 'Dunny' with hand deodoriser & wipes (below). When the ammunition cases were full, they were then sealed with their lids & loaded onto the rafts for disposal at the end of the trip. Our guides enforced this rule as they really genuinely cared for this majestic piece of planet earth.

Our makeshift loo that we carried with us.
All contents have to be carried to the end of our journey

Day 2: Waking up early to enjoy the magnificent weather & scenery, breakfast was prepared & served by our guides (pancakes, sausages with all the trimmings, fresh fruit tea & coffee). John briefed us on today's events. We would be spending 6-hours rafting on the river today before making our next camp where we would be spending a 2-day slip. 

Camped by the river’s edge, the evening dinner included hamburgers, bratwurst sausage & salad. After dinner, we would all sit around the warm campfire under a chandelier of stars discussing the day's events before we retired to our tents around midnight.

Day 3: Brekko, bacon & eggs (cooked to order mind you; scrambled, poached, fried, boiled, even eggs benedict). John’s briefing included the day’s activities, we had a choice to climb a nearby mountain or pan for gold. I have to tell you that I chose the far less strenuous option of panning for gold. Nathaniel chose to climb a nearby 4,000ft mountain, his group left camp at 11:00am. I hung around camp & watched through binoculars as they reached their first ascent marker around the 2,000ft level.

We were continually marveled at the spectacular
scenery at every turn of the river.

One of the other more senior members of our group decided to come panning for gold with me. We had some good fortune & managed to retrieve some minuscule pieces of gold from the river. However, I decided that I was not going to strike the mother lode like the gold rush days around these parts in the late 1800s. I called it quits after about an hour of panning.

Nathaniel, Tiffany, Mark, & Mike along with their guides Bill & Dewey carrying their rifles & food supplies eventually climbed to the summit of this towering and steep mountain above us. They did not return to camp until 6:00pm, completely exhausted. They were gone for a total of 7-hours. I was so proud of Nathaniel's effort, the comments I received from the guides of his determination & behaviour were exemplary.

Later that evening while reminiscing around the campfire Nathaniel told me that it was the hardest thing that he had ever attempted in his life. This evening's dinner menu was spaghetti bolognese & salad, followed by after dinner a chat around the campfire before retiring to our tent at 10:00pm.

Nathaniel & the others preparing to climb the 4,000ft
mountain with mountain in background

Day 4: Today was more or less a rest day because of the events of the previous day (climbing a mountains & panning for gold took it toll on us). We packed up camp after lunch and proceeded down river. We were only on the river for a very short time today until we made camp around 4:00pm. We were continually marveled at the spectacular scenery at every turn of the river.

The weather was superb, today the temp was 70°f/21°c. Shorts & t-shirt weather. Once we had set up camp & erected our tent Nathaniel sat beside the river catching up writing his journal. I enjoyed my first real wash in a side stream from the main river. Let me tell you the river water was very piccadilly, but so refreshing. 

Picturesque mountains, sculptured icebergs, & our very
own glacial mermaid Tiffany, making even the permafrost melt

Our gourmet bush dinner was served, steak & vegetables, not too shabby. After dinner around the campfire I realised that I had not worn my thermal underwear on the whole journey, we also have experienced no rain, almost unheard of in this part of the world.

Day 5: We had a very challenging 7-hour day on the river today. On the way down the river today John warned us that we would experience the most turbulent and roughest rapids so far on our journey. Sure enough our raft took a very large wave over the bow that engulfed the whole raft, resulting in a complete soaking of us & everything else in its wake.

Eventually we made camp just north of the Alsek River. Our campsite position was by far the most beautiful campsite we have stayed in on the Tatshenshini River to this point. We camped on a river delta with 360° views from our tent. Let me try & explain our uninterrupted views of, glaciers, snow capped mountains with valleys and peaks all around us, and among these geological masterpieces, we had peace & tranquility. This is where the Alsek River & the mighty Tatshenshini River join together. After an enormous day on the river it was a quick bite to eat & jump into the cot.

The river varied in widths, here as we get closer to the delta
and with tributaries flowing in, it grows bigger in volume and wider

Day 6: Was our biggest day for spotting wild animals. During the peace & quiet of night while laying in my sleeping bag I could hear the growls of the Grizzly bears & also the high-pitched scream of the Moose. I would think to myself, I wonder how far these wild animals were from visiting our camp & what on earth I would do if I was actually fronted by one of these wild beasts. Didn't happen, so I rolled over & went to sleep with my fingers crossed.

Whitney spotted a mighty-sized Moose that morning crossing the river not all that far from camp. Later on in the morning we all went for a walk along the foreshore of the river with our Grizzly Bear spray, our pressure pack horn & the Guides were armed with their hunting rifles just in case we would meet up with adversity.

Nathaniel spotted a Black Bear 200m behind us, he was only a little fella so there was no need for any serious panic, more Bald Eagles & their large nests. After our walk along the river we went back to camp & enjoyed lunch. After lunch I decided that it was time for me to have a Nanny nap so I strolled back to our tent & fell asleep immediately.

Breaking camp and loading up the rafts was
a regular chore after our overnight riverside stops

Then all hell broke loose, Nathaniel interrupted my sleep, he burst into the tent & yelled at me “Dad get out of here because there is a monstrous Grizzly Bear heading our way towards the camp”. I jumped out of my sleeping bag with my heart thumping furiously in my chest & ran down to where everyone else had gathered. It’s far safer to be gathered in a larger group. All our guides had their hunting rifles in their hands, at the ready, just in case our inquisitive friend wanted to have a piece of us for lunch. At this moment, Mr Grizzly Bear had our full attention, trust me.

When he was around 75mtrs from our group he stopped walking towards us, he stood up on his hind legs (all 8ft of him & I would say weighing up to 360 kg (800 lbs). He was such a beautiful specimen of an animal not to mention the gorgeous reddy colour of his beautiful coat. What a moment for all of us, this is exactly what we had come here to experience. He just looked at us all to check us out then decided that it was OK for all of us to come play in his backyard.

One of our rafts approaching the
terminus of the Walker Glacier 

He went back down onto all fours then wandered off into the wild. What an experience, by far the most exciting & dangerous day we have enjoyed all trip. I know that sounds strange, however how many people have experienced that exhilarating moment in their life with a real live close encounter with a hulking Grizzly Bear breathing down your neck?

I know this tale is becoming bigger than Ben Hur, however this blog is not only written for whoever wants to read it, it is also a recollection of our trip to Alaska for my son & I. If I am boring you, you can always opt out by clicking out of this adventure.

Day 7: Before departure from this wonderful campsite our Team Leader John wanted to show us all a very, very special rock carving. This is called a Petroglyph. They are rock carvings made by pecking directly on the rock surface using a stone chisel & a hammerstone. I realise that my photograph of this Petroglyph is not very clear.

Hard to make out the details, but this is the petroglyph
or rock carving that pre-dates modern explorers to this region 

However what you are looking at is between 100-2,000-years-old, the experts can’t agree on an exact age. I found this to be truly amazing because I have never seen anything like this in all my travels around the world.

Another huge day on the river today, travelling time to our next camp at Walker Glacier 6-hours where we made our campsite in the foreground of the Walker Glacier.

Our entire team prior to our challenging walk
on the slopes of the Walker Glacier

Day 8: Today, the entire team went for a hike on the ice-age landscapes of the Walker Glacier. We hiked up onto the glacier & took photos of the Crevasses. Along the hike we passed rushing glacial streams and spotted signs of bear & moose scat. We also saw evidence of where the bears had been digging for roots & food. The glaciers come right down to the river’s edge.

So far the weather has been exceptional, apart from a little rain on day six & a little drizzle on the morning of day seven we have been blessed. Tonight’s camp fire and clear skies is filled with a full moon.

The view from our campsite of a full moon rising
over the nearby mountain peaks was just so spectacular

Day 9: This definitely has turned out to be a bigger adventure than any of us could ever have imagined. We departed from Walker Glacier this morning to spend another 3-hours drifting down the Tatshenshini River towards Alsek Lake. 

Setting off on our trek across the accessible edges
along the sprawling face of the Walker Glacier

We drifted past the spectacular Mt.Kennedy far off in the distance. Mount Kennedy (17,400ft) is a peak within the Kluane National Park in the Yukon, the summit lies within 10kms of the Alaskan panhandle.

The Canadian Government named the peak in honor of the 35th US President John F Kennedy nearly a year following his assassination on 22nd November 1963, at that time it was the highest peak in North America that had not yet been climbed.

Mount Kennedy in the far distance, this aerial shot gives you
a perspective of the kind of extreme and remote territory we were in

We also witnessed Mount Fairweather (15,500ft) way off in the distance. This mountain is in the Saint Elias Mountains on the border between Alaska & British Columbia which is the highest mountain in Canada. When we finally arrived at Alsek Lake where we had to navigate our way through all the icebergs that break off from the hundred of glaciers & then flow down the Tatshenshini River towards Dry Bay, Alaska & finally find their way out into the Pacific Ocean.

Alsek Lake was teeming with icebergs including this little
cluster that I named 'The Three Sisters'

Tonight was our last night of camping, we made our final night's camp on an island overlooking three imposing Glaciers. In one of the photos you can see where our tent was situated with thousands of icebergs flowing down the river in the background, some of these icebergs were as large as a small building. All night you could hear these icebergs breaking up & moving down the river, very eerie indeed. We are now on our last night in the wilds of Alaska.

The weather is still perfect, our team leader John made a comment that evening after dinner when we were being serenaded by Sabrina & her guitar with a good old sing song gathered around our last campfire, that in the seventeen trips that he has made down the Tatshenshini & Alsek rivers that this trip has been the best trip weather-wise that he has experienced so far, so how lucky were we?

Nathaniel mans the oars, carefully sculling, while navigating
the raft through the narrow field of icebergs

These photographs are pure gold, where else on the planet can you navigate your way through icebergs in a rubber raft. Where else can you paddle a raft in between icebergs, in the distance you can hear sounds like thunder, that noise is coming from the icebergs breaking away from the huge glaciers and the tumbling rocks falling down the glacial streams. Tonight is our very last night on the Tatshenshini River before we drift on down to Dry Bay tomorrow to conclude an experience of a lifetime.

Day 10: Today being our last day on the river. We’d had so much beauty and excitement wrapped into the last 10-days. I was touched with pangs of sadness that it had all come to an end, besides the clouds are very low today over the majestic mountain ranges, with only a 3-hour journey on the river before we entered the small fishing community of Dry Bay, it really didn't matter if it rained.

Packing up all our equipment and deflating the rafts
everything has to be loaded back onto the aircraft for departure

Dry Bay is located inside Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park. We moored our rafts near the bush air strip’s runway where there were three aircraft waiting for us. Our final job was to deflate all the rafts so that they would fit inside the aircraft’s baggage holds, pack up all of the equipment & load everything into the aircraft.

Once everything had been cleaned up & packed away it was now time to say our good-byes to everyone, board the aircraft for the 1-hour flight back to Haines International Airport.

Our aircraft on finals for a safe return to 
Haines International Airport in Alaska

Here's my summary of our sensational 10-day adventure on the Tatshenshini River in Alaska. July 15th - 25th July 2013.

* We covered a distance of 132 miles (212kms) in the 10-days on the Tatshenshini River.

* We didn't see another person in those 10-days other than the people in our group.

* We saw an abundance of wildlife in their natural habitat. Grizzly bears, black bears, moose, deer, caribou, bison, mountain goat, foxes, bald eagles, salmon, trout. Countless types of bird life that call Alaska their home especially in the summertime.

*Observation of most of these wild animals we witnessed from our rafts as we floated down the river.

* 4x2 day camps, 2x1 day camps.

Nathaniel and I under the wing of our fully loaded Cessna 206
preparing to depart Dry Bay for Haines, Alaska

*Gourmet, delicious, quality and unique meals delivered by an engaging crew of helpful, caring and accommodating people.

* Nothing was ever too much trouble for our guides to deliver the best time possible to each & every one of us 24/7.* The camping equipment, wet & cold weather gear & rafts supplied by Colorado River & Trail Expeditions from (Salt Lake City) were First Class. Absolutely no expense spared.

The amazing success of our trip was due to all of our guide’s hard work and truly professional and caring outlook to the journey makers and our safe passage through this pristine environment.

Nathaniel & myself loved the extreme remoteness of this part of the world, how often could you go 10-days without seeing another person, anywhere in the world. The Tatshenshini River is real wilderness, natural beauty personified. It does not come any better than this.

Our Tatshenshini River journey map.
With the 'put in' at Dalton Post and the 'take out' at Dry Bay

We have experienced as father & son something very unique together & absolutely loved & adored every minute of this real life adventure that has left us both with everlasting memories that we will take to our graves.

In closing, I can highly recommend our expedition company to you; Colorado River & Trail Expeditions - who are celebrating their 50th year of operations this year.

Thanks for letting us share our story with you, I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog & enjoy looking at the phenomenal photographs that we captured along the way.

Warbo