Day 9 for Double Trouble in the Outback Air Race 2001

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Charleville to Longreach

Today's race leg took us from Charleville to Longreach, the original home of Qantas airlines.
Here you can see the Robinson R22 helicopter of Making It Happen parked in front of Qantas' original maintenance hangar.
The night's festivities took place in The Stockman's Hall of Fame a tribute to the bushmen and cattle rustlers of the old outback. The Saratoga Saracens (Barry and Judy), Whitsunday Wookies (Ross and Belinda) can be seen posing with Double Trouble and a half (Jens is the one with his arms around Heather):
We were surprised to see a mention of Double Trouble in the exhibition inside:

Rest assured that, unlike our namesakes, we generally face the same direction in the aeroplane and that, unless Dirk is flying, the plane does not buck.


Tonight was Bush Poet's night and teams were asked to contribute a ditty or two. Heather gave a recital of a quickly penned tribute to various participants and Barry from the Saratoga Saracens came across an original poem in the library at the Stockman's hall of fame titled Double Trouble which he adapted slightly to suit the occasion:
Double Trouble

The old Bush Nursing sister beamed broadly
At the pram with the two boys inside -
Though the clinic was bursting with infants
The identical twins were here pride

In her years spent with Mothers and Babies
Such a likeness she never had seen,
Every feature was mirrored exactly
Like a trick double double take on the screen

As the studied them, one then the other,
She said, "They're a pair Mrs Meinecke,
How on earth do tell one from the other?
They're alikes as two peas in a pod."

The reply brought a hush to the clinic
As it echoed itself round the walls,
When the mum, sort of matter-of-factly
Said, "I tells 'em apart by their balls."

Stunned, the sister stood still without breathing
With her stethoscope froze in mid air.
This was stuff never taught her at Med School
And she slumped in a heap in a chair.

Other mums stalled in mid conversation
Contemplating the novel technique
Of this means of identification
By that part of the baby's physique.

But the mum never batted and eyelid
Saying, "Yes, since the day they woz born,
Without Fail Dirk bawls daylight till night time,
While young Jens bawls from sundown to dawn."


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