Episode 289 - Lorikeets are Metal

— open the full-size cover

HostsMelissa Ellis Oliver Spake

Roving reporterAdrian Hillyer

Show notes

This week, the parkrun Adventurers reflect on ‘fronding’ adventures home and away. While Mel tells listeners about joining several adventurers at Altona Beach (opens in a new tab) parkrun, Olly shares stories of festivities and visiting adventurers at Shellharbour (opens in a new tab) parkrun’s 8th birthday. And he also reacts to THAT happy birthday video. We hear from Adrian, who catches up with a couple of visitors to Peppertree (opens in a new tab) parkrun, while, after another big Dazza’s, we decide it’s time to despatch a challenge to Sarah. Trigger warning: this episode may contain excessive references to Shellharbour (opens in a new tab) parkrun.

From the podcast feed. No Facebook post text is recorded for this episode.

Roving reports

In this episode

• Welcome starts at 0:04

  Sam opens with a public service announcement declaring a fine amnesty while Mel and Ollie resolve the Frond Wars; then Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, both worn out after big weekends of running and partying.

• Fines starts at 1:10

  The show's running fines system, dollar penalties for offences such as capitalising parkrun, backwards flags and (for Ollie) mentioning Shellharbour. This week the office announces a full fine amnesty so that Mel and Ollie can 'resolve the Frond Wars', which drives the whole episode's comedy; Mel also reports that physical fine jars in small, medium and large have arrived at Ellis Palace.

• Launches and anniversaries starts at 2:36"Where is the cake?"

  Ollie's report on Shellharbour parkrun's 8th birthday, celebrated on parkrun day with an 80s dress-up theme: founding EDs Brendan and Carl acknowledged, Baileys-shot biscuits and doughnuts, 101 attendees, a 250 milestone, several 100s, a junior 10 and a volunteer 50 for event team member Ralph in an 1880s outfit. Newy parkrun's 10th birthday (via Bernadette Bennett) is also marked later at 00:27:39.

• Emails starts at 19:45

  Listener mail: Bruce sends a spiked-hair-and-eyeliner dad joke prompted by Ollie's 80s costume photo, plus a separate suggestion that Ollie sing 'Ya Ya Ding Dong' for episode 299 (rejected by Mel for being in English and a duet). Earlier feedback is also read at 00:09:12, Louise Minty on sorting Podbean episode order, Michael Gentle on app settings, and Johan recommending Overcast.

• Dad joke starts at 22:57

  Bruce's joke, read by Mel with the usual sound-effect sting: an old man on a mall bench tells a spiked-haired, made-up young man that he once got drunk with a parrot and wonders if the young man is his son. Tied to Ollie's rainbow-mohawk costume and to Darwin the lorikeet.

• Dazza's starts at 24:09

  A big week for Dazza's, themed on National Sausage Roll Day (5 June). Contributors: Steve Spike (parkrun near a former PM's home, Teletubbies turnaround), Karen Hamilton (marshalling with Darwin the rainbow lorikeet at Shellharbour's 80s birthday, playing Iron Maiden, 'lorikeets are metal'), Michael Charlton (NSW Statesman completed at Newy, with partner Tanya), Barbara Luther (sister Gemma's 300th at Gatton), Jeff (Bixby parkrun, Palo Alto, with wife Sarah), Bernadette Bennett (Newy's 10th), Val Warwick (Port Sorell, Super Steve's volunteer 100, Leonie Butler tree-climbing), Natalie (Karkarook, push-up challenge, first-time poster), Johan (Kleinplaas/South Africa with Bruce Fordyce and Gill Fordyce), Karen Hurrell (Roberts Park, West Yorkshire, Yorkshire scoundrel), Graham Wilkinson (Rising Sun, Fibonacci challenge), Sarah Jefferson (Jarrahdale Heritage, WA), Vicky Smith 'Nana' (Port Fairy, first-time poster) and Helen Davis (Zuiderpark, Netherlands).

• the Obi Award — Darwin (a rainbow lorikeet) starts at 35:21

  Ollie opens the envelope and awards the Obi to Darwin the rainbow lorikeet, for encouraging everyone up one of Shellharbour's heartbreak hills while marshalling with Karen Hamilton. Ollie denies it has anything to do with Bruce's parrot joke, then insists Darwin is a lorikeet and not a parrot, and issues an on-air retraction once Mel points out lorikeets are parrots.

• Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 36:55

  Mel and Ollie finally issue Sarah Jefferson her long-promised challenge to join the Channel 5 News Crew: prompted by her Dazza's mention of treasure hunts, she must file a roving report (or two) dressed as a pirate, with the instructions to be sent to her as a message in a bottle. Mel also recalls at 00:15:15 being knocked back for the Channel 5 News Crew by Scott and Mel after interviewing Brendan Peel, Margie Olsen and Cathy Ray, and being set her own challenge instead.

• Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 38:27

  The week's only roving report: Adrian at Peppertree parkrun, hosting visitors Greg and Shirley from Inverloch parkrun who are on the last leg of a motorhome trip home to Wonthaggi via South Australia, including a long detour to Yeldulknie parkrun at Cleve so Shirley could get her Y. Peppertree's fairy garden and its non-appearing platypus feature.

• Consolidated Club Report starts at 41:35

  For Saturday 11 June: 218 members total, 175 taking part at 87 locations. 15 UK events (Hackney Marshes, Lloyd, Riddlesdown, Mile End(?), Southampton, Edenbrook Country, Prudhoe Riverside, Rising Sun, Newport, Eastville, Cirencester, Burnidge(?), Oakwell Hall, Roberts Park, South Oxhey), one in the USA (Bixby), one in South Africa, one in the Netherlands (Zuiderpark); locally 28 in Victoria, 14 Queensland, 13 NSW, 7 WA, 2 Tasmania, 2 ACT, none in SA or NT; 2 North Island and 1 South Island. The UK finished second only to Victoria.

• the Frond starts at 43:08

  The largest frond of the week. On the Consolidated Club Report numbers it was Altona Beach with seven (Russell Johnson, Craig and Rebecca Ryan, Melissa Ellis, Sam and Luke Schroder, Jodie Maisie); Ollie counters with six Adventurers Club members plus as many volunteers at Shellharbour, arguing volunteers should count, and Mel then trumps both with eight adventurers volunteering at Aintree Heritage Trail junior parkrun. Fronds are also discussed at 00:05:54 (Mel's Altona Beach weekend) and referenced as the 'Frond Wars' in the cold open.

• Sign-off starts at 46:21

  Ollie said his plans were in motion and he hoped to be at Doll's Point this weekend, revisiting a parkrun he had enjoyed because more lovely parkrun people were going; Mel said she was going nowhere, with a work training weekend keeping her from parkrun and off social media. They aired Bruce's suggestion that Ollie sing 'Ya Ya Ding Dong' for episode 299 (Mel objecting that it is in English and a duet), noted a tip from G-Train that former co-host Mel Erbacher was sitting on 249 volunteers, and flagged New Zealand's National Volunteer Week starting 19 June. Ollie thanked Sam for the amnesty, thanked Mel and everyone for indulging him, gave the Facebook and email contacts and signed off with 'no more Shell Harbour mentions'.