It has been a pretty busy month or so, with the auctions, LMC’s (factory) stance and hitch issues to try and sort. In all though we are heading into Christmas with what seems to be a good supply of parts accross Australia. The UK have helped out our suppliers quite a bit. We are very close to announcing that March 19-22, 2010 will be the first official FREE GG(Geist Gathering) for our members. It will be in Eastern Victoria. Members attending will also be able to vote where they would like the next one later in 2010 with an offering of $1,000 to run it. We have had a good uptake of members since the auctions and we hope more will come on board. This is a letter from one new member.
Hi Peter
My wife and I purchased our van ( XK 660 ) from the Brisbane auction, we were the couple that had traveled up from Melbourne, your answering of our questions at the time were invaluable. Our planning to buy a Geist van started back in 2006 after seeing them at the Melbourne Caravan and Camping Show, we were both disappointed when Oakhurst went into Liquidation, but still determined to buy one we had been watching the second hand market for a XK 660 when we came across the auction in Brisbane.
So the plans were made, we drove to Ipswich on the Thursday before the auction, it was a long 18 hour drive, Friday morning 9 am we were at the auction yard viewing the vans, we were only there to purchase a XK 660 of which their were two, lot 21 was only missing the decorative curtains , lot 22 was missing the awning , DVD sound system, spare tyre, Gas bottles, mattress and microwave, so lot 21 had to be the one for us.
We took down the VIN number and all other details and headed off to the Queensland Transport office in Ipswich to obtain a 4 day unregistered vehicle permit thus allowing us to tow the van back to Melbourne, later Friday afternoon I purchased and installed the 12 pin connector needed as my original was only 7pin.
Saturday arrived we headed to the auction, spoke to yourself and met Alan from Toowomba who gave us a complete hands on question and answers session in the XK660 caravan, both yourself and Alan were very informative many thanks.
The bidding started for lot 21 at $**,*** and finished with our bid at $**,***, to say we were happy was an under statement, at the completion of the auction we hooked the van up and headed for Warrick ( stopping at the front gate to get an insurance cover note with aami ). Our second night saw us stopping at Gilgandra then on to Cobram for the third night , leaving a short trip on the final day to home.
We had no problems with the van traveling from Brisbane to Melbourne and have since had a weekend stay at Wilson’s Prom.
Many thanks again Jan and Peter.
It is great to receive these good stories, and to be fair 90% are good stories. It has started a terrible year for Geist and has finished with an upbeat that can hopefully continue us on to 2010.
I’ll leave you with a little poem that I wrote just yesterday, it talks about one babys reception that might of been, if born at Flaggy Creek (where we are now). It involves a little happy banter with the local council too over a bridge that has been closed on us for the next 12 months. It is also dedicated to my grandfather who died 6 December 1969. I hope you enjoy it.
Safe travels, Merry Christmas and Blessings on your family.
Catch you on the track
Geist Runner
A Flaggy Creek Christmas
What if baby Jesus was born at Flaggy Creek
By crikey mate, It’d be a great bo peep
All the locals, they’d gather in the hall
Of course they’d dress it up a bit, like, before a fancy ball
We wouldn’t fuss a lot, that’s just not in our local genes
As long as everyone’s comfy, that’s well within our means
Why not invite some friends around
Like Roo or Wombie and even Billy’s hound
But you know, I can’t begin to tell you, just how the Wise men would fair.
Roaming round the district, following detours that just aren’t there
“The bridge is out at Wuk Wuk”, a local cries, “you’ll have to go around”
“That’s not wise” says one of three, the King is born, just upon that mound
“Can’t we go a different way? That’ll be a solid haul”.
“Not unless you can walk on water mate, the council’s got the call”
After extra hours of travel time, the wise men would arrive
To bare gifts of loving gratitude, to the King just born alive
There wouldn’t be much more fuss than that
Maybe a barbie, then a passing of the hat
Yeah, I think God, he’d be happy too
No fuss, just a bunch of Aussies, fair dinkum through and through
By Peter Treasure – Flaggy Creek
In memory of Charles Langford Treasure who passed 6 December 1969 – A Flaggy Creek Pioneer, Wuk Wuk Resident, Bush Poet and Servant of Christ.
