Episode 327 - Off Script
2023-03-16
— open the full-size coverHostsMelissa Ellis Oliver Spake
Roving reportersJohan Duvenhage Sarah Jefferson Tracey Wood
Show notes
From the Facebook post
This week, parkruns far and wide celebrated International Women's Day. We think that's pretty cool – but even cooler is a huge (not)parkrun milestone and an even bigger bucket list adventure!
Mel was riding high at Jerrabomberra Mountain Reserve (opens in a new tab) parkrun, while our roving reporters dropped in from Jurien Bay Foreshore (opens in a new tab) parkrun, Sirromet (opens in a new tab) parkrun and Grey Goose (opens in a new tab) parkrun.
Rachel is stuck on repeat, we have more Big Things and the Quizmaster drops us a lasso…er line!
From the podcast feed
This week, parkruns far and wide celebrated International Womens Day. We think that’s pretty cool – but even cooler is a huge (not)parkrun milestone and an even bigger bucket list adventure! Mel was riding high at Jerrabomberra Mountain Reserve (opens in a new tab) parkrun, while our roving reporters dropped in from Jurien Bay, Sirromet (opens in a new tab) and Grey Goose (opens in a new tab) parkruns. Rachel is stuck on repeat, we have more Big Things and the Quizmaster drops us a lasso…er line!
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Enhanced transcript
Speakers named, sound described and segments marked by the editing pass — not yet checked by a person.
Read the transcriptRoving reports
In this episode
Welcome starts at 0:24
Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country (with cicadas, even in his pantry) and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country; no singing this week, though Mel reports the tune of Ollie's Jerrabomberra song was debated on her trip and puts the question to Bill. Ollie was at home; Mel drove up the Hume to camp in Queanbeyan with Sam Schroder and Luke, ran Jerrabomberra Mountain Reserve's up-and-back fire-trail course, then finally attended Queanbeyan Rodeo, admitting the weekends are getting her through a hard time. News: Cornelius Rath is the first to 1,000 consecutiveparkruns, followed by Michael Webber, with TOC due on Tuesday and Lynn, Johan and Vilna later in the week; the hosts float a 1,000 nottie milestone shirt or badge, or failing that an office-lady sticker.
Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 15:25
Melissa Ellis throws to the week's roving reports "let's throw to this week's roving reports", and Ollie closes the block thanking "Sarah at Durian [Jurien] Bay, Tracy at Suramay [Sirromet] and Johan from Grey Goose". Three self-contained reports run back to back: Sarah Jefferson from Jurien Bay parkrun in WA, Tracey Wood from Sirromet parkrun in the Redlands, and Johan Duvenhage from Grey Goose parkrun near Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal.
Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 15:37
Sarah Jefferson signs on with the crew tag "It's Sarah here on the West Side checking in for the Channel 5 News crew", reporting from event number 18 at Jurien Bay parkrun, 220km north of Perth. She interviews Run Director and founder Carolyn Ashby about the event's start-up and its name change from Dobbin Park, then course-record setter John Penzey, and closes with a plug for the sea lion tours and "less than five weeks to Palm".
Dazza's starts at 38:17
Ollie opens "it's time for Dazza's. It's back after a week's break", the week's prompt was International Women's Day (theme #CrackTheCode). Contributors read out: Holly Pleasance (broken-down car, aparkrun instead), Greg Garner, Alison King from New Zealand at Puarenga, Jodie Maisie at Darwin, Val Warwick on a Hobart frond with Richard and Sally, Gary Holland on the Brightwater tunnel of love, Dave Allmark with a quokka on Rottnest, Linda Brown at Inverloch, Carolyn McRae in the snow in Norway, Helen Rotter at Stockley Country in the UK, Johan Duvenhage at Grey Goose, and Lee at Parramatta parkrun's 10th birthday.
the Obi Award — Carolyn McRae starts at 48:42
Ollie produces the envelope "I think it's time to go straight to the Obi" and announces "The Obi this week does not go to an ostrich. It goes to Carolyn... Carolyn in the cold snow joining us from Norway. So congratulations, Carolyn McRae." Awarded for her Dazza's photo from Løvstien parkrun in Bergen, shin-deep snow, sun breaking out mid-run and snowing again by the finish, with the selfie frame against the snow scene.
Club Corner starts at 49:50
Rachel continues the Pioneers Club theme with a twist, the first ten parkrun events in Australia (Main Beach, New Farm, Albert Melbourne, St Peters, Kirra, Ginninderra, Newy, Coomera, Claisebrook Cove, Balyang Sanctuary), then the "dirty dozen" (adding Wynnum and Kingscliff) and the "Baker's Dozen" (adding North Lakes, which launched the same day as Kingscliff). She notes the top-ten idea is replicable in every jurisdiction except the ACT and NT, and reminds listeners all non-milestone clubs are unofficial. Ollie throws straight back to her for a second, off-topic Rachel piece asking listeners to leave the podcast a five-star review, the same follow-on slot Reginald Yardley Pomphrey III occupies in other episodes.
Emails starts at 53:12
Melissa Ellis calls it "Ollie, it's time for some mail" and Ollie answers "You've got mail." Three letters: Steve Warwick with a Big Thing, the Big Coffee Pot at Deloraine, spotted en route to Queens Domain parkrun in Hobart; John Clements (A4663914) of Normanville, SA, on starting Myponga Reservoir parkrun and the big cherries near McLaren Vale; and Simon Mackley (A226803), the show's quizmaster, answering Alison's quiz question (Surfers Paradise) and warning that Palm questions will need WA parkrun knowledge. Melissa then publicly asks Tony O'Connell to step in as quizmaster at Palm in Lyndell Murray's absence.
Consolidated Club Report starts at 56:46
Melissa Ellis reads the adventurers' Consolidated Club Report for Saturday 11 March 2023: of 399 members, 314 took part at 171 locations. Overseas, UK 21 events, South Africa 3, USA 2, Germany and Norway 1 each. Locally Victoria and NSW tied on 40, Queensland 27, WA 10, South Australia 9, North Island 6, ACT and Tasmania 4, Northern Territory 2, South Island 1, which she calls "a bowling strike". She apologises for having omitted WA from the posted version and for the report going up late.
the Frond — Shellharbour parkrun (six adventurers) starts at 58:11
Straight off the club report, the week's biggest frond: several parkruns had five adventurers, but the winner was Shellharbour with six, housemate Lance, Patty Oshimo, Julie and Gordon Turner, Gaillyn Cooper and Michael Gentle, plus Oliver Spake and Bec Bailey volunteering and a brief appearance from Chris Fraser. Ollie adds that Lance hit his 50-parkrun milestone there.
Sign-off starts at 59:35
Mel asked where they would be next week: Ollie said he would be at Shellharbour again in a different colour vest, shadowing a new Run Director rather than directing himself, and Mel said she was catching a flight to North Sydney parkrun for what she understood was a Medibank event, hoping to meet some celebrities and keeping an eye out for David Crook, whose home parkrun it is. They remarked how quickly the episode had gone, gave the Facebook, email, Instagram and Twitter contacts, and signed off.