IBA Australian Memorial Site - Netallie Hill

Look forward to this.
I'm not doing an IBA ride this time., as I have a postponed challenge a fortnight later to attempt.
I missed an opportunity to attempt the double crossing last year, with a 'roo strike, putting the bike out of action for 2 months.
I'm not going to risk losing the bike at night just yet.
Wishing all riders they achieve their plan.

Now I'm off to fit rooTED.
 
Hi All,

Sad to have abandoned our trip mid stream but I had to limp back to Sydney. Long story short, a few weeks ago I badly pulled my left quad muscle (up near the hip) and while I thought I was sufficiently recovered to ride two up to Wilcannia from Sydney it was not to be. We had to stop last night in Dubbo and at 4:00am this morning I could hardly stand on two legs let alone ride two up.

Will get back to Netallie Hill once fit again. I have a few more weeks of rehab & recovery ahead of me.

See you all next time
 
@Nico and Russell.
When the stars and LD gods are not in accord, that's just the way it goes. Rest assured your absence, and those of other members, was sorely missed.
Gatey said:
So you would think the time would have appeared in this thread.
Oh well.
We got there. we got home.
Click to expand...

...and glad that you and Pancho aka TK did get there and we had a natter too, that's always special, bonus is that you got home as well. :D
 
Well what a fantastic weekend. Thank you all. It was delightful to spend Saturday eveing with the crew in Wilcannia. But most importantly, I love the new Memorial. I was particulary and personally concerned that the location would not compare at all with Gerlach, which is a shrine to me, given many Americans who have ridden on. However, Netallie Hill is perfect. The place, the history and the location are exceptional. I will visit on my own one day and just sit there at the Rock in peace to think about what has been achieved, and what great LDR friends I have. In time, I will take some American visitors there too. Congratulations to the committee who designed it and did the hard work. Now we wait to see how each name will be recorded? My suggestion is on individual stones or plaques surrounding the Rock like a small henge. Anyway - your call! Well done team.
 
Thanks Olaf. On a personal level, your thumbs up means a lot to me.

I also agree that The Rock should remain as is and that the individual plaques be placed around and radiating out from it remembering, we have a 100 x 100 metre square to work with and The Rock is the centrepiece.

Thank you to all attendees. Your presence there has made the journey to establish the Memorial Site so much the more rewarding and now, we really do have a very special place we can call our own.
 
Everyone, one of the special events that happened at the Rock Memorial, was that two birds flew around and above us constantly. They just hovered there, poised in the wind about 100' above. To me, they were sentinels looking out for us at all times, so I tried to find out what they are. At first I thought they were black kites, but in checking Caley's I think they are wedge tailed kites, N. Migrans. Look out for them when you visit!
 
Olaf Moon said:
Everyone, one of the special events that happened at the Rock Memorial, was that two birds flew around and above us constantly. They just hovered there, poised in the wind about 100' above. To me, they were sentinels looking out for us at all times, so I tried to find out what they are. At first I thought they were black kites, but in checking Caley's I think they are wedge tailed kites, N. Migrans. Look out for them when you visit!
Click to expand...

Those birds are often referred to in the western division as Kite Hawks. I think it comes from their minimal wing movement just like a kite.
I have heard some very old people call this "smoke hawks"
In my time as a boundary rider I got to know and like these guys very much. My work was in extreme isolation. No-one for months at a time.
It gave me a special opportunity to observe wildlife with no human interference.
These guys are very inquisitive. Ride thermals like nothing else and if there is the slightest hint of smoke they will attend and scupe up lizards and snakes and so on flushed out by the smallest fire.
Up close they have the most matter of fact sweet face. For bird of prey they are deceptive in appearance.
My guys along 300km of fence had a well organised routine as I passed along the route.

Interestingly the Eagles suffered badly once the rabbit virus went though. Those guys turned on the cats then then just reduced in numbers hugely.
Kite Hawks did not. Their feeding habit was at a smaller scale to the Eagles.

You can have a total clear sky with not one winged creature. Make a group or better still make some smoke and within minutes you might have 50 or 60 or more Kite Hawks.
Thats cool stuff in my mind.
Good of you to have made thta observation Olaf
 
I'm so sorry that I missed the unveiling. It's been a bastard of a year for me since my Mansfield roo encounter and my bronchial infection just topped that off at exactly the wrong time. I will get there. I feel that I've missed something really important and have to make amends somehow in the coming months.

I LOVE the wording on the plaque. Very well-chosen and considered. It's a wonderful summary of what the Australian LD community is all about. With apologies to Mike Kneebone, I think it has far more meaning here, given the lack of towns, shitty roads, wildlife, weather extremes and so on.
It doesn't diminish the IBA ride efforts around the world, but seems to have generated a huge respect and friendship amongst a small band of Aussie riders who are still out there doing it. Being in one spot on sacred land makes it all the more meaningful. Well done Bazz and crew.

With regard to other plaques being added, I originally thought they could be added to the main rock. That seemed to be the early thought processes. Having seen the pics and read the earlier posts, I'm now against that too. The rock is perfect in it's own isolation and for me, it reflects the solitude of the longer solo rides I've done. Don't tamper with that.

Perhaps, the option to place other plaques could be in the form of large flat stones, or fence post style stones, or simple concrete ones like the Davo memorial that can be partially buried to prevent theft or vandalism. Up to you guys to determine, but simple 'DAVO' and 'TOURA' (etc) plaques would be great to see radiating out from the centre-piece. Ok, I'm rambling now.

Cheers Team. Well done.
Mick
 
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