Episode 331 - Quokka Quest
2023-04-25
— open the full-size coverHostsMelissa Ellis Oliver Spake
Roving reportersCameron Drake Lyndell Murray Sarah Jefferson
Show notes
From the Facebook post
Mel & Olly are back at Level 2 and resume normal programming, with Mel giving us a recap of her WA trip.
We catch up on some roving reports from previous weeks, with Lyndell checking in from Western Springs (opens in a new tab), NZ and Cam dashing in from Claisebrook Cove (opens in a new tab) parkrun. We also get to hear a more recent report, with Sarah marvelling at the beauty of Margaret River (opens in a new tab) parkrun.
Plus, we have emails from the travelling Jacksons and a run down of all of our favourite palm23 things, wrapped up in a whole lot of laughter.
From the podcast feed
Mel & Olly are back at Level 2 and resume normal programming, with Mel giving us a recap of her WA trip. We catch up on some roving reports from previous weeks, with Lyndell checking in from Western Springs (opens in a new tab) parkrun, NZ and Cam dashing in from Claisebrook Cove (opens in a new tab) parkrun. We also get to here a more recent report, with Sarah marvelling at the beauty of Margaret River (opens in a new tab) parkrun. Plus, we have emails from the travelling Jacksons and a run down of all of our favourite palm23 things, wrapped up in a whole lot of laughter.
Listen
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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 0:01
Mel dedicates the episode to her dogs Chico and Bambi, Chico having died on 6 April, two months after Bambi. Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis back on Wurundjeri Country, still on WA time the day before Anzac Day; the palm23 live recording worked and roving reports will be caught up this episode. Ollie was back at Shellharbour with his daughter Ava barcode scanning; Mel recaps two weeks in WA: Freedom Runs at Heirisson Island, Garvey Park, Cottesloe, South Beach, Applecross, Lake Claremont, Mundy Regional and Bunbury, official runs at Claisebrook Cove, UWA and Margaret River, hosting by Sarah Jefferson and Matt Stephens, Rottnest quokkas, the eclipse and Margaret River sights, and thanks to David Messenger, Dave Allmark, Johan (a Bruce Fordyce-inscribed book) and Sam Schroder. The pair then relive palm highlights: favourite Freedom Runs, Winthrop Hall and Glossop Green at UWA, and the Western costume party won by the Pet Shop Boys, with Bec Bailey's Greater Western Sydney Zoo shirt.
Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 26:37
Mel hands over "so now, after that very long intro, we are going to throw to the roving reports that we're bringing you this week, so let's have a listen". Three reports run back to back with no studio break: Lyndell at Western Springs (Auckland, NZ) on April Fool's Day, Sarah Jefferson at Margaret River (WA), and Cam at Claisebrook Cove (Perth). Ollie closes the block "thank you very much to our roving reporters from, well, parkrun Day just gone, but also our earlier April parkrun Days" and names all three. The hosts explain that they are catching up on a backlog built during the two-week podcast pause for palm23, and that "at least a handful of roving reports" are still held over for episode 332.
Launches and anniversaries starts at 55:51"Where is the cake?"
Mel hands over "it is now time for us to hear from the birthday boy", and the birthday boy delivers the May 2023 rundown: eight parkrun days (four regular, four country-specific - Norway 1st, Japan 4th, Finland 18th, Netherlands 29th), no 11th anniversaries, 10ths at Cleveland, Curl Curl, Varsity Lakes and Highlands, first anniversaries at Elliott Heads Beach (QLD, week one) and Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens (NSW, week two), plus a newly requested Junior parkrun list (Westerfolds Junior turning 5 on the 28th, and three more turning 3 across the following year). Closes with the standard anniversary caveat and a plug for the parkrun cancellations page.
Emails starts at 1:00:03
Ollie opens "we've got some other people having special days and sharing their news of their travels. Mel, we have some mail." Two installments from Stephen and Jen Jackson ("the Bathurst Jacksons") on their world tour: week two at Amsterdamse Bos parkrun (a three-hour train from Paris, parkrun being suspended in France), then week three at Lovsteen [Lovstien] in Norway meeting Zwift friend Hilda, either side of the Paris Marathon. Then an email from "Sarah from the West Side" passing on Hampton Oval parkrun's 100th-event stats (one crocodile, two weddings, 819 icy poles, 1,566 finishes), which the hosts read out alternately. Mel notes they have "ample mail" and are drip-feeding it.
Consolidated Club Report starts at 1:06:55
Mel opens "But do you want to hear about the Consolidated Club Report?" For Saturday 22 April 2023: of 415 members, 336 took part at 181 locations, including 25 in the UK, three in South Africa, two in the USA and one each in Ireland and Japan; five in Tasmania, four in the ACT, three in the North Island, one each in the Northern Territory and South Island - "another bowling strike". Mel also thanks roving reporter David Messenger for compiling and posting the stats himself during her two weeks away in WA, with extra stats added.
the Frond — Shellharbour parkrun starts at 1:08:12
Awarded inside the Consolidated Club Report. Mel asks "do you want to know the largest frond" and announces "We're giving it to Schlaba [Shellharbour]. They had 10 adventurers with housemate Lance, Oliver Spake, Karen Hamilton, Chris Fraser, Gordon and Julie Turner, Louise Aitkin, Kristen and Devleen McKenzie and Gaillyn Cooper." Mel then asks whether any of them were actually adventuring; they were all at home, which Ollie defends "there are few better places to adventure than right here in Shell Harbour [Shellharbour]."
Sign-off starts at 1:09:49
After thanking David Messenger for stepping in with the Consolidated Club Report while Mel was away, Ollie turned to the horizon: Mel said she was heading out to country Victoria to the newly launched Yackandandah Rail Trail parkrun to see what had happened while her back was turned, and Ollie said he was travelling a much shorter distance, on Run Director duty at home at Shellharbour in forecast pouring rain. They chatted about the aurora and the mild Melbourne weather, Mel called the end of episode 331, and Ollie thanked her for sharing her time on the West Side and passed on his own appreciation to the gift givers before the contacts and sign-off.