Episode 288 - Travel Tips

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HostsMelissa Ellis Oliver Spake

Roving reportersMatthew Billington Melissa Ellis

Show notes

From the Facebook post

It's a rainbow podcast this week with Mel traversing snow-topped mountains while Olly celebrates dry conditions at home.

We've got

goodbyes,

celebrations,

bonus parkrun days and

new allegiances – plus

roving reports from Jindabyne Sport and Recreation (opens in a new tab) parkrun and Leeton Sport and Recreation Precinct (opens in a new tab) parkrun.

Plus

Dazza's,

Obi's and the

Consolidated Club report, as Olly disputes the greatest State

(PFFFFT!)

And….

There's a frond war a happenin…

From the podcast feed

It’s a rainbow podcast this week with Mel traversing snow-topped mountains while Olly celebrates dry conditions at home. We’ve got goodbyes, celebrations, bonus parkrun days and new allegiances – plus roving reports from Jindabyne (opens in a new tab) Sport & Recreation parkrun and Leeton Sport and Recreation Precinct (opens in a new tab) parkrun. Plus Dazza’s, Obi’s and the Consolidated Club report, as Olly disputes the greatest State (PFFFFT!) And…. There’s a frond war a happenin…

Roving reports

1Jindabyne2Leeton Sport and Recreation Precinct

In this episode

• Welcome starts at 0:23

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. Ollie is sore from a last-minute half marathon at the Wollongong Running Festival, which follows the North Wollongong parkrun course and recalls the first Palm; Shellharbour had 77 participants on a dry, freshly mowed course, Ollie and Ian invented the 'lead rake' role clearing dried grass off the path, and Alan, visiting from Clare Valley, set an age category record.

• Mel's tourism tips starts at 5:49

  Melissa Ellis's recurring travel-advice bit, and the source of the episode title. This week's tip: research the route Google Maps gives you before driving to a remote event, hers took her over a snow-topped mountain range in a 2011 Holden Barina with no snow chains, en route to Jindabyne. She signs off "Follow me for more travel tips", and Ollie echoes the format later "Follow us for more tips."

• parkrun news bulletin starts at 17:32

  News block: the June volunteer update and the new 100 Club wristband for junior parkrun; parkrun Australia's 31 May partnership with Invictus Australia to bring military veterans and their families to parkrun (quoting Invictus Australia CEO Michael Hartung, and the new Team Veteran parkrun Group), which Melissa Ellis notes applies to her as an ADF reservist; plus the weekend Australia/NZ stats, 447 events, over 35,000 walkers, joggers and runners, 4,620 volunteers, 1,463 first-timers.

• Launches and anniversaries starts at 18:36"Where is the cake?"

  Celebrations round-up: a 10th happy birthday to parkrun USA; Sweden's National Day on Monday 6 June giving a bonus parkrun week; and congratulations to Jim Collard, the show's second homegrown 500-club member, who ran at Kingscliff, spotted by the Informant rather than the hosts. Ollie also previews Shellharbour parkrun's eighth birthday (80s-themed) for the coming Saturday.

• Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 23:39

  Two roving reports this week. First, Melissa Ellis from Jindabyne Sport & Recreation parkrun (NSW), recorded at the Park Cafe with ED/RD Rosalie and volunteer Erin, the two-lap trail course, the "hill of death", the "coat room", the old course still emerging from a swollen Lake Jindabyne, and the confusion over which anniversary they are celebrating. Second, Matthew "Billo" Billington from Leeton Sport and Recreation Precinct parkrun (NSW), interviewing ED/RD Andrew Watson, Timekeeper Rachel, and locals Marie and Sylvia over post-run coffee.

• Emails starts at 31:47

  "We've got mail", a message from Tracey Wood flagging that the Longest Run Brisbane North is on 12 June and the Longest Run Sunshine Coast on 19 June, with links. Ollie adds the other Longest Runs on 12 June (Gippsland, Melbourne North, Melbourne West, Sydney, and the coast-to-country South Coast/Southern Highlands run), and Mel insists on adding "the Renee and Mel Rebel Tour longest run". Earlier, listener feedback from Johan and Hendo Stu answers Ollie's Dutch sign-translation question from episode 287.

• Dazza's starts at 33:42

  Pride Month edition, Dazza asks "Where did you parkrun today?" Contributors: Steve Spike (a cryptic Neil Diamond clue Ollie can't crack); Greg Garner at Golden Beach with a sunrise photo; Irene Bommakanti reporting Parth's 100th volunteer at Lewis Reserve; Chloe Bravos on Fibonacci 34 at Homestead; Richard tail walking at Galston for his 34th; Hannah Newton and James skipping parkrun for Vivid in Sydney; Leanne Reynolds at Seacliff Esplanade (a first-timer, fined $1 for a backwards flag); Helen Davis in Denmark with Danny Norman and the world tourist teddy bear; Chris Seymour at a frosty Queenstown; Luke Schroder's pirate-speak report on becoming pirates with Sam and Patrick; Helen Rutty at Amsterdamse Bos; and Calum Burrell at Jubilee parkrun in the UK for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

• the Obi Award — Matthew Billington starts at 42:42

  Ollie retrieves the envelope, Blu-Tacked to the wall next to his desk, and announces the winner. Awarded for the "very stellar" roving report filed from Leeton Sport and Recreation Precinct parkrun; the hosts note he wasn't read out at Dazza's, so the report itself is the stated reason. Congratulated again: "thank you, Matthew, for the roving report and congratulations once again on your Obi [Obi]."

• Consolidated Club Report starts at 55:07

  The adventurers Consolidated Club report for Saturday 4 June 2022: 212 members, 166 of whom took part at 102 different locations. Twelve UK events, two in Denmark, two in Sweden, one in Germany, one in the USA, one in South Africa, one in the Netherlands; locally 31 events in Victoria ("the greatest state"), 19 in NSW, 17 in Queensland, six in WA, three in SA, one in Tasmania, none in the ACT or NT; four on New Zealand's North Island and one on the South Island. Sets off the running Victoria-versus-NSW "greatest state" argument flagged in the show notes.

• the Frond — Lewis Park Reserve parkrun (Bram Cassidy, Irene and Parth Bomacanti, Dawn Branton, Cheryl Smit) starts at 57:49

  Largest frond of the week went to Lewis Park Reserve with five adventurers, Bram Cassidy, Irene and Parth Bommakanti, Dawn Branton and Cheryl Smit, "and there would have been six if Mark Smit would just come on board." The hosts then set up a "Battle of the Fronds" for the following week: Mel hosting Luke and Sam Schroder at Altona Beach parkrun (plus a junior frond at Aintree on the Sunday) against Ollie's Shellharbour 8th-birthday frond.

• Sign-off starts at 58:06

  Mel said she had visitors and was staying home, welcoming Luke and Sam Schroder and adventuring with them to Altona Beach parkrun on the Saturday, with the Schroders also volunteering at Eynesbury junior parkrun on the Sunday for a junior frond. Ollie said he would be home for Shellharbour parkrun's eighth birthday, joining the 80s bandwagon and expecting baked goods from resident baker Bec Bailey. Mel thanked Ollie, then put him on notice to sing in Finnish at the end of episode 299 - as Scotty had sung in German on episode 99 - and asked listeners to write in and show their support, before giving the Facebook and email contacts and closing for another week.