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Over the Easter weekend and a good bottle of wine, I was doing some research for Vicar regarding driving the Irani southern route in 1979, no doubt he will post my findings.
As I had everything out of the storage shed, I decided to jot down my trip history with Sundowners, so here goes (maybe a few others can try this.
AL157 left Kathmandu 24/3/1977 as a punter with Tom Broomfield as driver and Bruce Faraday as courier. Arrived London 70 days later
1977 Pamplona Trip as a punter left London 03/07/77 2 busloads my Drivers were Budgie and Silver. I ran with the Bulls on 07/07/77
March 1978 did a European training trip with a regular Europa group with Dave (Clap) Yearley as Courier and Trainer, cannot remember Driver. Two trainees were Chop and Chris Nicols (Graham Nicol's missus
EU33 First Trip as courier with Eric (Ecca) Black as Driver. Left London 15/06/78 returned 16/08/78
Munich Beerfest 1978 2 busloads with 50 pax on each and 2 drivers on each bus. We took a bus down earlier full of tents and camping equipment, I think Buddha and Rocky were the drivers, Vicar was campsite manager and he had as assistant Chop, Plough and Robin McLeod (Rocky and Vicar please confirm) We did two x 2 overnight trips to Club Habitat.
SU28 Maroccan Training trip left London 06/10/78 with Radar as Courier and Trainer, Budgie as Driver and Chop and Robin McLeod as trainees, didn't make it back to London as did an overnight train trip in Spain to Barcelona to catch up with next Sunseeker.
SU30 this trip left London 03/11/78 with Tom (Turbo) O'Shea as driver and Barry Deacon as Courier for first 4 days. Chop joined as Courier in Barcelona, arrived London07/12/78
2WH1 European Winter Hotel Tour left London 08/01/79 back 22/01/79 in Rodney the Volvo ROD 622N (Kit to confirm) with Rod (Barney) Butler as Driver
M49H Capricorn Trip to Morocco left London 03/02/79 arrived 26/02/79 in "The Slug" with Barney as Driver for most of the trip, but he did have a few days off due to a bad batch and Chop had to take over.
GY47 left London 11/05/79 arrived 07/06/79 on a hired Coach with an older pommie driver called George Barratt from Steve Stockdale Coaches. Had an interesting start to the trip when he told me he only drove half a day on Saturday's and had Sunday off. After much discussions and a couple of calls to London we sorted that out. We must have enjoyed each other's company
as we had a one week turnaround to do our next trip.
VA36 left London 16/07/79 arrived 15/08/79 same coach and driver
VA39 overnight turnaround left London 16/07/79 arrived 15/08/79 with Leo Fahey (R.I.P) as Driver.
QW27A 27 day Flyer to Kathmandu Left London 03/09/79 arrived Kathmandu 30/09/79. Driver was Vicar and we managed to have 3 nights at Club Habitat, went by the Southern route in Iran and still made Kackers in 27 Days.
AL217H Left Kathmandu 10/10/79 arrived London 20/12/79. Vicar as driver and we had 8 nights in Iran and took the Southern route
TK231 Left Kathmandu 03/04/80 arrived London 23/06/80 with Tom O'Shea as driver. We got turned around at the Paki/ Irani border on the Southern route and was the first trip to backtrack to Karachi and fly to Athens via Amman. Turbo drove the bus through Iran empty and meet us in Kavalla Greece. Another first on this trip, we were the only overland to my knowledge to have 3 nights on Mykonos. Captain Plough had a European tour on Mykonos and he stayed in Athens and drove us up to Kavalla to meet with Turbo Tom. I could tell you a lot more about this trip but would need Turbo Tom's permission.
CO68 Cossack trip in Moscow for Olympics left London 14/08/80 arrived back 28/09/80 Driver Bill Dedear in a new DAF. We made a few bucks on this trip, Bill said he had enough to retire.
P13H left London 12/10/80 arrived Kathmandu 04/01/81 John Peat as first leg driver, Flyover to Karachi Paul Pearce as Asian driver
TK248 Last ever Troika I'm told left Kathmandu 30/04/81 arrived London 18/07/81 Paul Pearce Driver on Asian leg, Peter (Fingers) Housego (R.I.P) on European/Russian side.
CO78 left London 10/08/81 arrived back 24/09/81 Bob Newton as driver. My last Sundowners trip, I saw the writing on the wall on this trip, funded a lot of it myself from profits, but eventually got refunded in London with various payments from different sources.
I also did various Sunday day trips out of London and 2/3 day trips to Edinburgh Tattoo and Scottish Hogmanay trips
Sent two to three months in the Greek Isles with Leo (Luigi) Daly after Sundowners retirement and then went to work at The Londoner in Kirchberg and Kitzbuhel for 4 years before returning to OZ in 1985
NOW SOMEBODY ELSE HAVE A GO
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Thank you Chop. Hopefully those who spoke some time ago about when the last trips went through Pakistan and Iran will read this.
I will post a picture from my passport that confirms a part of the dates you mentioned for our overland. That will be posted on the 'Your Pictures' page.
Perhaps I am not completely mad after all. I know that could be another debate for another time.
I'll have to research hard and long to get anywhere near your complete history of tours.
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Close to finalising my list which will be somewhat less extensive than Chops and many others. Its been an intriguing exercise deciphering the passports when the stamps are hardly in date order.
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Nice try Vicar ....but NO cigar! The previous conversation was about who was the last coach through Afghanistan and who shut the gate, at this stage I am still in the running.
I am unsure what light Grant's information will shine on the critical point of what happened short of Kathmandu, he was consulting family and friends about it when he left here a few days ago.
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Blast! Simon. I now need to call off having the pictures taken that were to be featured in "time" magazine article. I'll have to concede my supposed title. Oh! Oh! to be famous for something. Is there any supplementary prize?
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Vicar it looks like your "taking your bat & ball".
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Hi Guys,
Find this thread interesting & feel I can help with some dates of tours I led.
My first trip with Sundowners was P39, which Simon Arms had waved goodbye at Kabul Airport. I, with Merv Lapwood, driver met them at Istanbul Airport 5 June 1979. Incidentally this group is having a 35th Anniversary reunion in Sydney in June - unfortunately I can't be there.
Marrakesh Express M56 depart 18 August 1979 return to London 9 Sept driver Kenboy Webber
Kathmandu Express QW28 depart 10 November 1979 arr Kathmandu 8 December 1979. In CCT coach with drivers Perry Hildebrand & Colin Davidson
Caravan CA223 dep Kathmandu 31 January arr, London 20 March 1980 CCT coach driver John
Edgington
Pharaoh P48 dep. Kathmandu 26 May driver John 'Gopher' Peat. fly Karachi-Athens 28 June then to Egypt. met in Athens by Tom 'Turbo' O'Shea 9 July finally arriving London 27 August 1980. This trip after Athens beset with coach problems & Syrian visa problems. OMJ decided to pack several sads which, no doubt aged Tom prematurely. Ended up, at 94 days, being one of the longest Sundowners trips!
Cleopatra C4 dep. London 25 August return 28 September 1980. I left P48 in Heidelberg & met this trip there. Driver Grant Short
Pharaoh P14H dep London 14 November 1980 driver Bob Hughes - Coach MYY threw a gear box the European side of Canakkale, next day we were snowed in. Combined group with one led by Chris Patterson - both groups to spend Christmas in Jerusalem along with a Mr Dick special from Australia - I had to fly ahead to Amman to meet the people flying from Australia, then joined up with rest of group in Jerusalem. Flew Amman to Karachi, met by Peter Cheong arr Kathmandu 5 February 1981
Pharaoh P 54 dep Kathmandu 26 March driver Paul Pearce flew Karachi - Cairo met Athens by Colin Davidson arr London 18 June 1981
Balalaika BA 62 dep 2 July, return 25 July 1981 driver Tom O'Shea & cook Margie Hunter
Balalaika BA67 dep 6 August ret 30 August 1981 driver Chris 'Plough' McKay & cook Margie Hunt. This trip had major coach accident in Poland & burnt out.
Troika TKW254 dep. Kathmandu 8 April arr. London 26 June 1982 driver Syd McKinley to Karachi & Morrie Garton Athens to London. After 31 years I did another tour with Morrie just before Christmas. He drives for Pavlovich in Auckland & we had a half-day conference group to take to Piha on Auckland's West Coast!
Vagabond VAG54 dep London 19 July return 27 August 1982 driver Terry O'Brien that was my last tour with Sundowners.
Hope this helps with some dates.
Rolf
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This is what I have come up with in terms of trips
P19 as a Punter 26 March 77 (Gary Nutall, Bill Dedear)
Vikings Ski Trip Feb 78
Training Trip April May 78 (Mother)
Valkyrie 26 8 June 78 (Radar & Mike [Yorkshire])
TK187 (Athens- Kat) July 14 1978 - picked up in Athens after Magic Bus experience London to Athens - Bhudda & Greg Osborne - Various mechanical & window issues
AL 193 8 October 1978 - Bhudda - Lost left front wheel (on fire) with stub axle attached just after reaching the summit of Banihal - 10 days: run off road in Greece by petrol tanker
L31 10 March 1979 ?, Simon Arms/Shirley
TK210 3 May 1979 Shirley/Kees : Great trip, met wife
Cossack 55 30 July Peter Cheong ; Visa issue at Russian border made life interesting
September/Oct Private Octoberfest & Habitat
Feb 1980 PSV Training & Test
Driver Training combined with training trip & Fixed campsites 24/03/1980 - Kees
Karachi- Kavalla Express - 5 May 1980 - Turbo Tom
Gypsy 60 17 May 1980
Gypsy 62 22 June 1980
Special Nomad - Canadian School Kids - 5 Aug 1980 - Radar
Cleo 4 25 Aug 80 Rolf
Octoberfest???
South America (Encounter Overland) 29/11/80 - 10/04/1981
Gypsy 72 7 May 1981
Vagabond 33 18 June 1981
Val 60 01 August 1981
Explorer 39 1/09/1981
Octoberfest 24 Sept 1981-4 October 1981
Exit stage left for Australia/NZ
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Some of you guys have either a great memory or a great resource to recall all your trips and in order. I am hoping all the people I ever worked with write their memories here so I know what I did. While I await all their postings I will work my way through my old passports to piece some of my trips together.
It does make for interesting reading to see so many have worked with so many others over a period of years. The other thing is the number of trips many of you did. I will be suitably impressed if Clap can list all of his, I wonder if anyone did more than him.
Come on the rest of you help me out.
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If i might be so bold perhaps seeing I have the brochures here for the years 78-81 European & Overland that we list the trips and start dates and start filling in the known and then circulate to whom are interested to fill in what they know which may bring a degree of completeness and jog others memory.(eg see attached as a draft ) Perhaps put up at Coolangatta? Thoughts? eg Rolf helped me out by saying he was my courier on Cleo 4 (I couldn't remember) Tricia's diary was better than mine (like didn't have one) for the European trips ( keeping tabs on me for postage and when respective trips would cross so I had some help)
Grant Short
Consultants
From: Vicar [via sundownersadventures] <[hidden email]>
To: Grant Short <[hidden email]>
Sent: Thursday, 8 May 2014 9:57 PM
Subject: Re: History of trips
Some of you guys have either a great memory or a great resource to recall all your trips and in order. I am hoping all the people I ever worked with write their memories here so I know what I did. While I await all their postings I will work my way through my old passports to piece some of my trips together.
It does make for interesting reading to see so many have worked with so many others over a period of years. The other thing is the number of trips many of you did. I will be suitably impressed if Clap can list all of his, I wonder if anyone did more than him.
Come on the rest of you help me out.
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Grant I like your idea. I am just thinking what is the best way to go about this. If a list is posted for up-dating this could lead to many postings. The idea of spread sheet is good. Given what facilities the website allows for I will try to work out a good method to pursue this. My original thought is we all contribute what we can to fill in the blanks and then take that to the reunion for others to help out.
Next I wonder if others have a list of departure dates prior to the years you have copies of.
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I also have Sundowners 1977, Capricorn 76-77, 77-78, 78-79 and even Sundowners 82!
Its also the specials we need. There is a lot of info already in postings.
Perhaps those interested can request a copy of the base s/s from you, fill in what they can, add specials and email back to you when they have done their bit.
I know it may take some collating at your end but may be the simplest
With say 50-60 departures per year the total trips will be substantial
Grant Short
Consultants
From: Vicar [via sundownersadventures] <[hidden email]>
To: Grant Short <[hidden email]>
Sent: Friday, 9 May 2014 1:26 PM
Subject: Re: History of trips
Grant I like your idea. I am just thinking what is the best way to go about this. If a list is posted for up-dating this could lead to many postings. The idea of spread sheet is good. Given what facilities the website allows for I will try to work out a good method to pursue this. My original thought is we all contribute what we can to fill in the blanks and then take that to the reunion for others to help out.
Next I wonder if others have a list of departure dates prior to the years you have copies of.
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Interesting, both Rolf and Grant worked similar years to me but our paths didn't cross that much. Rolf you have refuted my claim to having done the last Troika, your last one left 12 months after mine Cheers Chop
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Hi Chop, I think there may have been another after me, driven by Syd. It was during the Falklands War & I had my Newsweeks confiscated at the Moldavian border by ‘Bill’ the friendly uniformed KGB agent. When I saw Syd after his trip he said to me, tongue in cheek, that he had met a friend of mine on the Moldavian border. When I said that would be ‘Bill’, the KGB agent, he laughed & said ‘that’s the guy.’ Syd had driven my Troika on the subcontinent & after dropping us of at Karachi Airport, I think he was driving through empty & meeting the next Troika in Athens = not sure who the tour leader was. Cheers, Rolf From: Chop [via sundownersadventures] [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Saturday, 10 May 2014 3:52 p.m.
To: Rolf
Subject: Re: History of trips Interesting, both Rolf and Grant worked similar years to me but our paths didn't cross that much. Rolf you have refuted my claim to having done the last Troika, your last one left 12 months after mine Cheers Chop
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I was on the last tour with fingers and Brian. Fingers had to return home with his bus in Athens.we then did Greece and turkey with Syd.flew to Karachi and the rest by train and Indian bus. Ken. ( London -Kathmandu 1982)
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Looking for anyone that was on that trip mid 1978
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Do you still have copy of sundowners 1977 brochure I did two trips co32 and 63 day Europa would love a copy
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Looking for a catch up with anyone on the bus camping holiday starting in August 1979. Driver Graham and tour guide Christine both were married and from Australia, I wonder if you have a brochure of the holiday. I also took the North Africa holiday after the Europe ten weeks. The North African holiday was for six weeks, both were great holidays many memories, great times the people i traveled with were fantastic !!!
I was from Australia, but living in England since 1984. I have lost all my photos most of all the photos of the two groups taken at the start of each holiday.
Here is hoping
Graeme
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a little rough, must redo.  Grant Short +64 274 423 490
On 23/05/2020, at 09:51, Graeme Laing [via sundownersadventures] <[hidden email]> wrote:
Looking for a catch up with anyone on the bus camping holiday starting in August 1979. Driver Graham and tour guide Christine both were married and from Australia, I wonder if you have a brochure of the holiday. I also took the North Africa holiday after the Europe ten weeks. The North African holiday was for six weeks, both were great holidays many memories, great times the people i traveled with were fantastic !!!
I was from Australia, but living in England since 1984. I have lost all my photos most of all the photos of the two groups taken at the start of each holiday.
Here is hoping
Graeme
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Grant,
Thank you for showing the brochure on this post that gave me a lot of memories just in the cover version of the brochure, the other trip i did was called the Sunseeker 6 weeks in North Africa. It's good to have contact with someone who has a load of knowledge of the Sundowners holidays. Graham and Christine Nichols were
Driver and courier, a great pair, they both made the trip thru Europe, never will I forget them, it would be out of this world if I met them again. I'm being cheeky now but I wonder if you could email me the brochure of the Wanderer and Sunseeker to me please. Great to have contact with you.
Kind Regards
Graeme Laing
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