Sundowners Rejoyce

[Kathy Schlegel]

Delighted that we Sundowners now have our very own web site. Congrats!

[Colin Davidson-2]

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[Kathy Schlegel]

Hi Colin,
I was just a punter who, together with my husband Rom, travelled with Sundowners on TK159 from Kathmandu to London via Moscow in 1977, for 3 months. Our driver was Gary Petersen - it was his 13th overland trip - and the courier was Lindsay Cowan who, I believe, is currently involved in AAPT in Auckland.There were 33 of us on that trip including a couple from Tassie with their 13 year old son who grew up fast during the 3 months we were on the road. A Kiwi, Greg (Grug) Evans, also travelled with us as the official photographer for Sundowners for their 1978 overland brochure. Hence, there are several photos of some of us included in that brochure - a copy of which I still have.
That trip taught us the difference between tourists and travellers and set us up, experience wise, to undertake a further 9 months freelancing and free camping in a motorhome (purchased in London) from Tromso in Norway all the way through Europe to the Peloponnese in Greece.
On return to London, we sold the motorhome for the same amount as the purchase price, so it was a relatively cheap travel experience financially but the whole 12 months on the road was a never to be forgotten experience.
When our children were quite young we took the opportunity to educate them to be travellers by exposing them to motorhoming. After 3 months in the States (doing a National Park crawl up the west coast) and Canada (from Banff to Toronto)  we followed it up with a further 3 months motorhoming in the UK.That gave them the travel bug -so much so that currently, as adults, one is camping with her husband in France and Spain and her brother is working in Bejing. My daughter spent her gap year in the UK and my son , after undertaking the mandatory European Contiki, spent 2 years working in Edinburgh.
So they are also travellers, not tourists - all due to Sundowners!!
Rom and I have undertaken many other motorhoming trips o/s since that one with the kids and had intended to book with Sundowners for the Trans Mongolian from St Petersberg to Hong Kong last year. Sadly, that was not to be, having been precluded by his untimely death in 2009. However, I am still travelling, and recently returned from a month in Vietnam. Needless to say, my next few trips will be to China.
Through the Indiaoverland web site I have been able to make contact via Silver (Greg Read) and the internet with two others who travelled with us on TK159, which was great, but it makes one wonder where are all the others now?
When I get the chance, I'll post the names of the other punters on TK159 and also photos although there is a list on the Indiaoverland site already.
Thanks again for all the hard work in getting this site up and running. It is now in my list of "Favourites"!    

[Kathy Schlegel]

Still hoping to make contact with some of our fellow travellers:

Jim Thomas (NSW)
Jill Davidson (NSW)
Barb Dunn (VIC)
Sigga & Maron Williamson (WA)
Stan & Tenny Belsky (VIC)
Geoff Thomson (NSW)
Pat Donnelly (QLD)
Dave Des & Barb Taggett (TAS)
Barb & Peter Helsky (WA)
John Egbert (WA)
Mary Tudball (VIC)
Camilla Dorsch (SA)
Sue Donnelly (QLD)
Don Doyle (WA)
Barb Brittain (VIC)
Kevin Hill (VIC)
Susan & Lindsay Cannons (NSW)
Barry & Judy Lyons (NSW)
Judy Picot (NZ)
Greg Evans (NZ) official photographer for Sundowners 1978 Brochure
David Hicks (SA)
Lou Haslingden (NSW)
Trevor & Sue Delaine (SA or Qld)
Driver was Gary Petersen and courier Lindsay Cowan

Where are you all now?

[Graham Preiss - Vicar]

Kathy you are going to be disappointed to find out that I am not an old punter off of your trip.

Last night I sent the website address out to several of the old crew which included "Sundance' you remember him as Lindsay Cowen. Here is hoping he gets involved.

I don't know if you are aware that Gary Peterson died from cancer in the late 70's or early 80's.

With your in put I would like to think that other passengers utilize the site.

Cheers for now.

[Colin Davidson-2]

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[Kathy Schlegel]

Hi Col,
Made e-mail contact with Camilla a couple of months ago. Am hoping for a get together some time soon.
Re the 1978 brochure, there is also a photo of some of the group on the beach at Platamon contained therein.
Kathy

[PeteHels]

Hi Kathy

What a surprise to see the Sundowners site. You got the names wrong it was Barb and Pete Helsby (not Helsky). Yes time has flown and so have the travel miles. Barb and I went travelling in different directions about 20 years ago. Travelled quite a few places, and have just returned to Western Australia after living in the USA for about 6 years, another direction - well thats the easy way of putting it.

I always remember the Overland trip and it still gives me great feelings when I think of the things we saw and did. It would be a lot more difficult now to do the same trip, but I basically havent stopped travelling and still intend to hit the road when I get the chance.

I lost all my photographs/slides years ago when some of my possessions were stolen and destroyed, but still have the memories in my mind. So was great to see some of the photos of our trip on the website.

Well keep safe and I hope to see more on the site.

Back pack at  the ready.  Pete

[Kathy Schlegel]

Great that you have found the Sundowners web site Peter. Sorry about the spelling of your surname. You can blame it on Rom's poor writing on a bumpy bus. Also apologies that it has taken me a while to respond to your message. I am currently in China having just completed a cruise on the Yangtze where the wifi was very moody to say the least. Am now in Beijing (where my son is working) and won't return home till late in September. So I stil have the "bug" and blame it all on Sundowners TK159!!!
Cheers
Kathy

[PeteHels]

Hi Kathy

 

Thanks for the reply. I am sure you are having a good time in China, one place I havent been as yet, must get there before too long. Not sure what I am doing at the moment, or where I will be going, but hope to go to UK next year to visit friends and back to Spain, maybe walk the Camino de Santiago which I have always wanted to do, need to check out my knee first to see how it will go. Have been to Spain a couple of times in the last few years, part of which was spending time teaching Spaniards colloquial English they provide accommodation and food and you meet some nice people, and then wander around the countryside,

 

I have just spent 6 years living in the USA but had to get out, so back in WA and trying to gather up the pieces and find a place to live. Tent on the Trail sounds good at the moment. I havent seen any of the others from our Sundowners trip since it was finished, did hear from John Ebert? for a short while but nothing else. Spent quite a few trips in Indonesia, and even went to TAFE and learnt the language which came in handy in the remote areas, especially the Mentawi Islands which I visited twice.

 

Well plenty of places yet to visit, so always keeping a lookout for travel opportunities.

 

Enjoy the holiday in China (What does your son do there?) and thanks again for the reply. Take care and if you get in touch with anyone else please let me know.

 

Cheers Pete

On Mon, Sep 3, 2012 at 2:35 PM, Kathy Schlegel [via sundownersadventures] <[hidden email]> wrote:

Great that you have found the Sundowners web site Peter. Sorry about the spelling of your surname. You can blame it on Rom's poor writing on a bumpy bus. Also apologies that it has taken me a while to respond to your message. I am currently in China having just completed a cruise on the Yangtze where the wifi was very moody to say the least. Am now in Beijing (where my son is working) and won't return home till late in September. So I stil have the "bug" and blame it all on Sundowners TK159!!!
Cheers
Kathy

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