My Ride to Conquer Cancer effort came to a sudden stop at around the 75 km mark, some 25 kms from Canungra. On Saturday, just prior to mid-day, I was negotiating a downhill stretch at a speed that, perhaps, was beyond me. There was a significant depression in the surface of the bitumen and I was thrown over the handle bars. There was no call for stitches and, so far, we have found no broken bones. However I will not be returning to the dance floor any time soon.
I have had an opportunity to view, at close quarters, an extremely professional organization. I was just starting to get to know the event staff and some of the other participants. Event Director, Kat Coppins, was nearby when I fell. She gathered myself and my bike and ferried me to the Canungra camp-site. There I was placed into the hands of Tim and his medical group. In late afternoon one of Kat`s staff, Bianca Swapshire transported me back to St Lucia. Bianca, I apologise for my bad manners in nodding off on the trip home. Also at the accident scene was a participant, Justin, who is a Surgeon. He also checked me over for any broken bones. Thanks Justin, I was very much in need of your reassurance.
Thank you, one and all, you run an excellent operation. I look forward to the 2016 ride.
This is the third time that I have spent time in Canungra. It is difficult for me to think of this place without feel some twinges of pain. In November, 1966 I was traveling to Canungra in a train that was a troop train with some carriages reserved for civilians. Prior to boarding the train, in Sydney we stocked up on beer for the journey. It was my 21st Birthday. The pain commenced several kms north of Gloucester, around midnight, when I recovered consciousness next to the track. The train was speeding North, through the NSW countryside. By the look of my uniform I realised that I had lost significant blood. I could hear poultry in the distance and I set off in this direction. I had second thoughts around this plan and returned to the track. In due course I found that I was walking towards Gloucester. To reach town from the North I was obliged to negotiate several large gullies. I eventually knocked on the door of a house on the outskirts of the town. It was early morning and the lady who came to door was the local hairdresser. By the look on her face I must have been a frightful sight. She immediately screamed out to her husband to call the ambulance. There were twin nursing sisters on duty and I recall the name, Knox. They completed their night shift and then stayed on to pick all the gravel and other foreign objects from my face and forehead. I was in Gloucester for 5 days and at midnight, on the same train, I departed for Queensland and Canungra. The doctor gathered me to the train. Conversation was minimal but I do remember him saying that I should, “drop in again sometime”. This undeserving little wretch, that I was, received 2 lovely birthday cakes, one from the staff at the hairdressers and the other from the hospital staff. The story pf my little mishap (including a photo of my very bruised face) filled the front page of the Sydney Daily Herald. Many years later, with my wife and infant children, i returned to Gloucester to seek out and thank people for their kindness. The only person that I could locate was the Hospital Matron, from those times, Sister Casson. We stopped by for a cuppa and a chat.
Our Army unit, 7 RAR were not aware that I was missing until breakfast was being served at South Grafton. I then was obliged to take a phone call from our Adjutant, Captain Peter Leeson. I can only say that I have participated in more enjoyable calls. Peter was also dealing with another 3 from our Company who went AWOL, in Sydney. When I reached Canungra my mates were mid-way through their Jungle Training Courses. I was bedded down in the RAP until they figured out what they should do with me. I had sustained a knee injury that was slow to heal. I was shipped by train back to Puckapunyal, Victoria. I was sent back to Canungra about 3 months later. On the 20 April, 1967 I boarded HMAS, Sydney for Vietnam.
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