Hey Folks,
I have just got back home from what will no doubt be the BEST drive I will EVER have. I'm still buzzing with excitement as I write this.
A couple of folks had been telling me about a CMP seen from the highway, at a place called Tiaro, which is about 30km north of where I am. This afternoon, after I got home from taking Mum shopping in town, I decided to jump in ole Gandalph...(the grey), and go take a look. I would be surprised if anyone in Australia doesn't know of the large scale military exercises which have been in progress, way up in North Queensland etc. As im driving north, there was a lot of the Army vehicles heading back south from those exercises that ended in past days. I have been seeing them driving south since Monday, because I do a lot of driving for work, and some of that driving is on the highway. So, moving on, I drive up to Tiaro, and find the aforementioned CMP sitting in a fenced off area out front of a business. It was a Chevrolet, and had an invasion star on the doors. It would be quite restorable, I think, and although it appears to be there as an advertisement for the business, looks to be fairly complete. It was obvious that the crane jib on the back wouldn't pull a greasy sausage off a plate, because it was far too lightweight, and very crudely applied.
While in Tiaro, I drove on a little further, to take a measurement from the shield of a 25pdr which is standing outside the local memorial hall. Now that I'm back home, I realise there was an additional measurement I had forgotten to take. Ah, the wonders of an aging mind, and case in point for always writing down a 'to do' list. Lesson learnt.
Having finished what I travelled there to do (memory lapse excepted), I head for home again. I do enjoy my drives in the truck, but highway driving would normally be my LEAST favourite travelling, because although my truck CAN do 90 to 95km/h, it would rather not. In fact, to achieve that sort of speed, you really to be going downhill on a slope akin to.......say,.....a water slide! Assuming that speed has been attained, it quickly decays once the road levels off again. God forbid, the road should start going uphill, then you
really lose momentum quickly. And there's the reason I don't have a love of highway driving. Some motorists are happy to sit behind, as I toddle along at anywhere between 70 and 85. Most are definately NOT a fan of vintage military vehicles, at least not while one is holding them back from achieving their land speed record breaking attempts. I make the assumption that those impatient sods probably weren't even BORN when these vehicles were in service, either military or civilian. Philistines!
Back to the story, now that I have set the scene for what was to follow. I'm on the way home, heading south. Same direction as the large number of present day military vehicles, and their ADF crews. I come to a halt at a stretch of roadworks, and when finally waived through, naturally there's a loooooong procession of vehicles moving off at the same time......Most of em BEHIND ME! I find a suitable place to pull over and let them all go past. Achieving that, I set off again, but within a mile an Army truck starts to close in on me. I don't mean that in a manner like the movie Duel, where a psychotic truck driver stalks some poor boob who he feels disgruntled about. The Army truck keeps a respectful distance back, and we both beetle along at 80km/h, because I'm now going up hill. Damn, the rear view mirrors now show me a scene like a congo-line building up behind again. I was enjoying the drive so much that I decide to take the southern most highway exit home, giving me another few kilometres of driving pleasure. That decision single handedly was responsible for my best experience in years. To get to my exit I first go up and over the 'Gunalda Range'. Sounds impressive, but it's not. It is little more than a steady incline through a moderate size cutting, and it's two lanes, so I'm planning to stay in the slow lane and let everyone go past. As the road starts to climb, the big military truck goes past.....slowly, and I see it is carrying a shipping container on it's back. It goes past, and I hear the driver honk his horn in approval. What happened next, brought a lump to my throat. All the civilian vehicles go streaking past at the speed of sound. A Bushmaster, another Army vehicle begins to overtake, THEN SLOWS BACK DOWN. I watch in bewilderment as it indicates for the left lane, then pulls in behind me! Then another. Then another, and another. By the time I get to the top of the cutting, I have somewhere between 10 and 14 Army vehicles sitting behind me, in the left lane, where there was ample room to overtake safely. I spend far too much time staring into my side mirrors, amazed at what I am seeing. I notice the passenger in the vehicle immediately behind me is gesticulating something. It takes me a few moments before I realise the action of opening and closing his hands means 'put your lights on'. I do as directed, and the hand movements cease, replaced by a gentle wave from the owner of said appendages.
So, here I am, driving at the lead of a small convoy of my own. If ever there was a time I wish someone had a camera, it was that moment! By pure good fortune, my Wife, on her way home from work, drives past in the opposite direction. My day is now complete. But there was one more moment to savor. Because I was having such a wonderful time, I keep driving right past my chosen turnoff. If it were up to me, I would have kept driving all the way to whatever barracks the Trucks, Bushmasters, Land Rovers, and Mercedes vehicles were retuning to. Even of they were from NSW, it wouldn't have bothered me greatly, except I would have run out of fuel well before I get there. With tremendous reluctancy, I pick a stretch of highway with a short piece of truck lay-away and indicate to pull off the road. As i start to slow down, the lead Army vehicle (real Army, that is) comes up alongside. The horn blows as they pass, and I wave in recognition. I turn my head to look at them as they overtake, and I see the passenger, a serving member of the Australian Army. My eyes grow to the size of saucers as I see him salute. I almost burst into tears, I was that moved. In fact it was the most moving thing I have experienced in a very long time (with exception of ANZAC day, naturally).
From now on, all my journeys will seem mundane, no matter what the circumstances! I do have but one regret. I wish my CMP had been a suitable green, not the grey that it currently is. Should the day come that I acquire alzheimers disease, please God, let me keep memory of today!
