Maaaaaaate! There s just on a month to go before our fat tyre pilgrimage to conquer the Kimberley Super Highway.

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1 Gravel Rush Campaign Newsletter # 8 Maaaaaaate There s just on a month to go before our fat tyre pilgrimage to conquer the Kimberley Super Highway. Like Big Kev..but in a not dead way..i M EXCITED. I got entirely into the spirit last week when Anna and I dusted off the camper trailer with the early preparations. We d already had the brakes and bearings done but it s hellish more exciting when you pull it all apart and tidy it up. Everything out. Everything cleaned. Everything back in again. What the hell was I thinking? It s going to be covered in dust again the moment the wheels touch the Promised Land s gravel corrugations. The fund-raising has gone absolutely gang busters with over $157,000 raised to date through the on-line collection portal of Everyday Hero. Freakin Awesome. There s actually even more going on through support from people like Ray McDermott of the Shire of Roebourne and Team Roebourne Renegades. He convinced the Local Government Managers Australia Finance Professionals Conference to donate $2500 to RFDS through his staunch advocacy of the event and RFDS. It might be technically outside the scope of our event s fund-raising claim but I m paying homage Ray well done. Congratulations to everyone that has met their fund-raising targets and good luck to those still toiling away. I know there s a host of fresh ideas about to hit the ground and totally shred the pockets of your mates and anyone foolish enough to fall within the path of your headlong pursuit of excellence in the field of raising Hell funds. Grab a dollar, beg a coin. There s nothing more noble than helping others so get out there and have a red hot crack at it and keep up the great work. There s another cunning plan being formed..more cunning than a fox that s been appointed Professor of cunning at Oxford University to take full advantage of some very generous community sharing arrangements. It s an entirely appropriate scheme to.err.funnel your money that doubles it s benefit for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Relax, I ain t talking about anything that involves a large rotating bowl with red and black numbers or a long odds bet offered by Tom Waterhouse. More details to follow. Yes, very cunning.

2 Mega Heroes Page Principal Sponsor Diamond Sponsors Pearl Sponsors

3 Pearl Level Sponsors Mate, I ve been wanting to gob off about Australian MTB Adventure Tours the moment they joined us as valued Pearl Level Sponsors at the very beginning of the 2013 campaign. Australian MTB Adventure Tours has derived from their passion for all things mountain biking, the wilderness, bush camping, and for the great possibilities of cycle touring as a great way to explore Australia s great outdoors. The idea of providing mountain bike tours was a dream that came about 12 years ago when Brendan and Wendy embarked on an unassisted bike ride around Australia raising thousands of dollars for the Leukaemia Foundation. It was on this ride they were inspired with the idea that they could one day take people on cycle tours so they could share the wonderful experience of seeing the great Australian landscape just the way they were; on bikes & bush camping. The ride around Australia was followed by many more cycling holidays including trips to the Remote East Kimberley s in Western Australia, Cobourg Peninsula in the Northern Territory, The Tanami Track, Tasmania, the Snowy Mountains in NSW and Victoria, and many trips to Canada and USA with Brendan representing Australia at the World 24hr MTB Championships. Their decision that it was time to bring their long-time dream to fruition came while paddling a canoe at Home Valley Station last May after participating in the 2012 Gibb Challenge this was their moment of realization that they could do it Australian MTB Adventure Tours was born.

4 Where the bloody hell are we? Our location profile this month is the majestic El Questro Wilderness Park, our final rest stop in this amazing journey. Developed in 1991 on one million acres, it s become an iconic Australian outback holiday destination; thrilling local, interstate and international visitors alike with its raw timeless beauty. El Questro Wilderness Park has been our attentive and gracious hosts right from the very beginning. It would be inconceivable to imagine our event without this valued venue partnership. Each year our riders, supporters and volunteers enjoy impeccable East Kimberley hospitality that not only draws our memorable event to a fitting conclusion, it does it with unsurpassed natural splendour. Our enchanting time at El Questro will prove to be the highlight of The Gibb Challenge for many of our participants. Our format allows for an additional day (or two..or three.) of rest and exploration, leaving plenty of time to soak a little longer in Zebedee Springs, trek the incredible gorges or chase that elusive big hitting wild barramundi. This is quintessential East Kimberley eco tourism so take in every priceless moment this place has to offer. There really is nothing else like it in the World. Your registration fee includes a sumptuous barbeque banquet at the Swinging Arm Bar on Thursday night, overnight camping on Thursday and Friday night and a Wilderness Park Pass for your day of Rest and Exploration on Friday. We ll even host a cooked breakfast on Friday morning and for the Bloody Heroic Volunteers, a special celebration luncheon at Emma Gorge. If you re looking for a feed on Friday night, ELQ will offer a discounted rate for another sensational BBQ feast or you can opt for finer dining options at the Steakhouse Restaurant with your crusty team mates or a few of your new life time friends.

5 Prologue Stage All the great cycling events around the World have a Prologue Stage; a showcase demonstration of individual strength, speed and stamina. The Gibb Challenge will re-establish our own unique take on the concept with a 10 kilometre individual time trial on the hard packed sands of Cable Beach. Red Dirt Riders are hosting the most incredible time you can have north of the rocks with your pants on yeah dude, pants are absolutely compulsory. Friday 17 th May, Registrations at Broome Cycles

6 Safety Matters To ensure the safety of riders and support personnel, the following safety requirements have been identified. Each team MUST have the following; 1) A UHF radio (CB radio) located in the support vehicle travelling behind the rider to enable communications between teams trying to manoeuvre pass one another. 2) A flashing amber light fitted and clearly visible on the support vehicle. 3) 20 litres of potable water or hydrating fluids BEER is a freakin diuretic fool and ain t no hydrating fluid. 4) A first aid kit see the guys from Broome Pharmacy. Safety Matters II Taser International have Taser swine, Customs employ butt sniffing beagles, paragliders in Nepal use raptors and the WA Health Department use Sentinel Chickens.WTF? The WA Health Department have issued a warning to residents and visitors to the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoigne that Kunjin Virus and Murray Valley Encephalitis has been detected in their broods of sentinel chickens. It s a mosquito borne disease that causes severe illness and even death but it can be prevented with simple measures; 1) Restrict outdoor activity around dusk and through the evening. Yeah right we re camping 2) Cover up - wear clothing that protects against the pricks..and their proboscis..or is that proboscii?

7 Bloody Heroic Cause Kudos first and foremost to teams smashing their way through the leader board at Everyday Heroes portal for The Gibb Challenge. The tally is sitting at a very tidy $157K at the moment SHUT UP I couldn t do all the teams justice by mentioning the top few, or even the top ten because they re all performing at incredible levels. I know too that that there are teams collecting tidy little (and large) sums that will stun their chosen charity. Great work guys and gals. Great work. Most of you have had a chance to touch base with Sonia at the Royal Flying Doctor Service. If not, be sure to contact her on for fundraising support materials for the RFDS. If you have not yet created your online fundraising page, now is the time to do it Click on the link below to get started today

8 Raising (Hell) Funds Feature'Movie The%Dish It#was# Movies#in#The#Forest #last#year##this%year%it s% Movies(on(the(Green (at(the(den s.. Brendan'&'Wendy'Den'would'like'to'invite'you'along'to'a'Night'of'Fun'to'help'them'raise' money&for$charity.$$an$evening$not$to$be$missed$$brenan,$wendy,$&$their$team$mates$will$ be#participating#in#the#gibb#river#mtb#challenge#in#may#2013# asociallycompe,,ve 700+$kilometre$team$relay$event$raising$community$awareness$and$money$for$charity.$ Eachteammustraise$2000forCharity(RFDS)toqualify.Allmoneyraisedgoesdirectto the$chosen$charity$royal&flying&doctor&service.&&visit&the&following&link&for&more& informa(on)re)the)gibb)river#mtb#challengehp:// Come%along%and%enjoy%the%beau1ful%eveningsunsetonthelushgreenlawnatthe$Den s$ Wingello(property,(then(sit(back(and(enjoy(the(movies(under(the(vibrant(Wingello(stars.(( The$feature$movie$will$be$the$all$Australian$family$favourite$ The$Dish. WHEN: Saturday(27thApril WHERE: On$the$Green $at$the$den s$house 580$Murrimba$Rd$Wingello$ (corner'of'school'&'murrimba'road) TIME: COST: 5pm$ 8.30pm or# (Thisincludes)Movie&ticket,& sausage&sandwich,&soft&drink,%&%lucky%dip%for%kids). Popcorn,(ice(cream(cones,(&(extra(sausage(sandwiches(will$be$available$for$sale$on$the$ night.all#proceeds#go#to#the#rfds WHAT%TO%BRING:Bring&your&chair&&&warm&clothes& WHY$NOT$CAMP$THE$NIGHT$&$RIDE$ON$SUNDAY? PLEASE&RSVP&Wendy&via&txt&MB&0459&037&443&by&Wednesday&25th&April You$are$welcome$to$camp$in$the$top$paddock$&$join$us$on$the$ Community)ride)on)Sunday)morning)at)8.30am.))Just)bring)your) Campinggear%&%your%bike,%helmet%etc.(Toiletintheshed).

9 The Gibb Challenge for Virgins (FAQs) Which meals are included? During the Registration and Safety Briefing we will distribute lunches for the first day. No breakfast provided on Sunday 19 th May though Continental or Full Breakfast available from Spinifex Hotel contact Spini for details. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (including vegetarian options) each day thereafter. Yeah, I know that s insane value. Should we bring some food ourselves? Absolutely. If you want energy/protein bars, lollies, treats, crackers and chips to tie you over in the afternoon or you re sharing a couple of frothy ones in camp you might want to add these essentials to your shopping list. What s for dinner? Sunday night beef ravioli / fresh mushroom & sundried tomato ravioli * + desert Monday night beef casserole / tempeh casserole ** + desert Tuesday night chicken tortellini / vegetarian tortellini * + desert Wednesday night barbeque banquet hosted by Home Valley Station Thursday night barbeque banquet hosted by El Questro * served with garden, potato & bean salads, par boiled cauliflower and broccoli ** served with mashed potato How much water should we bring with us? Your support vehicle ought to carry at least a 20-litre container of water. There are places to refill your water during the event at several of the overnight camping locations. We ll let you which sites have potable water each day and where to replenish your supplies. Is the event insured? Karunjie Event Management has $20M Public Liability Insurance cover for The Gibb Challenge. It covers losses & damages a third party suffers (or claims to have suffered) as a result of the Event. It provides protection against legal and court costs in case someone is injured or their property damaged. You ought to consider your own insurance needs for events outside of the control the Event including Travel Insurance and Motor Vehicle Insurance: You drive like a dick and crash your car it won t be my insurance covering your silly arse. If the weather gets crappy and The Gibb River Road gets closed you ll need Travel Insurance to get you home or recoup the airfares.

10 Muster News The 2013 Argyle Diamonds Ord Valley Muster is an incredible East Kimberley community celebration with a host of events presented throughout the ten-day festival. The Gibb Challenge is just one of over thirty events looking to promote and celebrate the remarkable beauty and lifestyle opportunities of The Last Frontier. The premier event is without question the Airnorth Kimberley Moon Experience. Staged on the banks of the majestic Ord River at the Jim Hughes Amphitheatre, the pinnacle event of the Argyle Diamonds Ord Valley Muster, the Airnorth Kimberley Moon Experience returns for its thirteenth year in 2013 on Saturday 25 th May. Bring your rug, picnic hamper, esky and dancing shoes to enjoy the landscape, the people and the party under a dazzling Kimberley moon. It will be a full night of entertainment featuring: Guy Sebastian (Australian Idol) Mark Seymore (Hunters and Collectors) James Rayne (Australian Crawl) Gurrumul (Australia s Most Important Voice Rolling Stones Magazine)