Let's get the funicular (6 March 2025)

You're listening to the Marcus Lush Nights podcast from News Talks.

I'd be.

First and foremost. Greetings and good evening. My name is Marcus. Welcome here till twelve o'clock tonight. I hope it's good where you arerish also too, I can tell you tonight that the Broncos will be playing against the Roosters. That's not in Queensland, so that will be in city that will be fine with the weather. So that's the situation. I'll bring you updates. That's the first of the NRAL matches. That's not part of the Vegas openings. That's good to see,

Well?

This is like a strange question. Has anyone done an online cooking course? You know how people used to go Tonight's school and do cooking and stuff like that. Apparently those sorts of things have now moved online. I don't know about this. So has anyone done a course with a live instructor and that is online. I've got no interest in doing it. I'm just free curious. It wasn't something I've known about. So is anyone in an online cooking course? I've got no idea how that would work,

Hi Marcus. I'm mainly calling in regards to something you were talking about last night but picked up on today on the podcast. Anyone had been Pakistan? Yes, and I haven't met a lot of whore. But I went to Karachi two years ago to watch the Black Cats.

Was it a pleasant experience for you?

Oh it was fantastic.

It must have been.

Yeah, it was.

I mean it's not I mean possibly other places in Pakistan, but Karachi is not someone that gets any sort of tourism whatsoever, the like. I was there for four days and I didn't see another white person the side of the Black Cats.

Because I would have imagine, just just just hang on this case. I'll come back to you just hold your horses. We'll get to you. Scott. Did you just speak to others that had been before to go to games in Karachi?

No, I don't know anyone that's ever been to Pakistan. I mean except a couple of immigrants I know here from the country, but I don't know any Western people that have gone.

So what were the challenges.

There?

There wasn't really any challenges. I mean, you had to apply for a visa, but that's the same everywhere. I just had a couple of funny incidents. When I first arrived at the airport there, the guy said, oh, are you playing? And I said no, I'm just going to watch. And he can't believe it because he was kind of looking through my passport, like's your sports visa? And I said, no, I'm not playing. He said he you're sure, and I

Wow.

I have no idea how he got I don't know if it was sent over by a relative or it was just the most Because I saw it the first morning, I thought, maybe maybe I'm going to see a lot of this kind of thing. But I basically I didn't even see anyone else wearing a T shirt the whole time. Let Aloner in New Zealand, Ruggy Juicy.

Was it hard to get to the venue?

No?

No, I mean they've got there's plenty of transport there. I got like a ritual kind of thing that it was about. I mean, that part was easy, but getting into the venue because I'm sure you're wear but I believe in about two thousand and nine when the black Cats were last year and there was the bombing, so I guess everything was on high alert, like kind of around the stadium was surrounded by I don't know if

And just with the timing, this was one of the first games that started playing back in Pakistan. Is that right?

Yeah, basically I always thought this sounds like an you know, like I'd always just thought it would be awesome. I've been to I've been to IPL game, and I've been to a T twenty World Cup game in India and that was cool. But I thought it would be cool to go some it would be I don't know. I guess I'd always wanted to check out other places and South Asia. I don't know if you I don't know

And I did it great, okay, and all in all a should you successful time?

Yeah, I had a great time. And the second game I went, so I got mobs for about the minutes, just if people wanted to shake my hand and take selfies, and you know, they never had a chance.

Cold and Auckland this morning.

Yeah, well actually that was the other thing that kind of I wake up this morning and I thought, well, this is freezing and I've had it. You know, I've seen a few people discuss it, and apparently it's related to the cyclone.

And sucked the cold air up or.

Something exactly that's pulling the southern cold air up and so and so it wasn't like you know that we're slightly going into autumn and every day changing incrementally, like this morning it felt like a good five or so degrees colder than yesterday morning in the morning before.

So nice dear for Scott, thanks so much, Marcus. I'm in Hamilton today I can't wait for those vape shops to start going broke, disgusting. Do you look in places be far better off without them, you know, I remeb there must be reboring shops to work in a vape shop. They always looked disinterested the times I went to. They went't much help for me either. Awklan at midnight quite warm before I am very chili. That's from Sarah Marcus. I believe that our great and grandmother's were the best

Believe me, Marcus. I'll be watching the channel eighty five Sky News and I just couldn't believe what I was watching on that news about the storm. There are people surfing from the Gold Coast and they were worn not to go down there. And I just thought absolutely maddening. And I said to myself, if they get caught in a rip, get sucked out, expect to come come back again.

And have you Peter, Peter question, what are you going to say? I, personally just hold that phrase when you start with eye personally remember your thought. Okay, yep, you've a serfed.

I have served, Yes, you do?

You know many surfers? None where have you said?

Seventy two? So I serve when I was in my teens and twenty he is, you know, brighton beat break?

Because I think I know about the thing I know about surfers. They're always looking for the ultimate wave and if that comes with a cyclone and then good on them.

And if anything went wrong, they expect to be picked up.

But no, they don't. I don't think. I think so I think surfers always risky themselves.

Oh well enough, that's good, but when you're told not to go, you just don't do it. And I I think that the storm they say it's going to come, and they've even got a time down for it too. I heard three fifty six pm their time, Brisbane time tomorrow said day.

He said day.

Oh okay, that's that's right. I just said he three fifty six pm. I thought, well, how the hell can they tell a time is going to come? Come with? It gets you, But it's going, as you said, four K and a whatever it is. But my second thing I want to talk about too, Western Springs Speedway. A lot of people in that suburb there want it closed down. And my answer to that is you knew it was there when you when you bought your property. It's been there for ninety plus years. Just get on with it

I think it's more complicated than that. I don't think it's the residents that are opposed, is it.

I saw on seven sharp tonight, Oh yeah, okay.

And sort the day to a story on it.

Yeah they did.

Yeah, it was the last it was the last.

I'd be excited to live next to something like that happening that I mean to me, that would be a bonus.

Well, yeah, if you follow speedway, it's good, but follow anything.

You know, you've got people walking past your house. We're willing that you feel like you're part of something.

Well, they said, I agree with you last speedway. Yeah, yep, we're off for the speedway. And my answer the letters that was there ninety years ago, your house. You bought the property, you knew it was there, so don't complain.

You can say a lot of things. You can say that a giant old cold station was there ninety years ago and things aren't what they once were were they? Or the night the you know, what's the night storm? You know the nightman. What's the guy that came around and get the syerage called dump h the nightment. Yeah, he could be next door or there could be you know. I think people's attitudes do change, though, don't they. But we'll talk more about speed Yeah, we'll talk more about speedway.

But thank you.

Just trying to work out whether the train in the Blue Mountains as a fornicular someone will know. Mark Marcus, welcome.

With a conversation. Do we want to talk about speedway or do we want to talk about the weather.

Look, I've sat here for forty years and people have always talked about speedway. And it's always a lot more confusing than you'd think, isn't it. Do you know that? Do you know the whys and wherefors?

Yeah, I've lived near it, been in there, lived a little bit away from it. It's look, my, it's boiled down under this spectator sport. Oh man, it's fantastic watching it, being at the back, even being involved. Oh, it's fantastic, very exciting. The thing is summer is only twelve weeks long. Really, it's only twelve or thirteen weeks long. And these guys rise every Saturday night when you're sitting back chilling with the family, the barbecues that set. It's summer Brown. I

Are you Parmiston North, Because I don't think parmis the North and ismus.

Sorry, well, no, it's not. Sorry, the what would you call it? The flat plane?

Okay? Haang on now back.

I like this.

I like the sound you make. Do you think it's a good thing or a bad thing?

It should just been in an appropriate location that is not urban or suburban.

Is it enjoyable? Is it enjoyable sound?

Oh?

Man, when you're in there and you're locked it. Yeah, it's great fun.

Look it is exast.

I say, if you're in there and part of it. But if it's happening putting the kids to sleep, it's not so good.

If you are anywhere near where it's happening and you're not involved in it is absolutely it's like chainsaws.

Yeah, it's not a nice sound.

Seven pm to nine thirty pm on a Saturday night in the middle of summer.

Would you rather go to the speedway or going to fornicula?

Oh?

Vernicular? Man of dark? Call? Aren't they aren't? Isn't raal? It's something cool and if romantic about rail and trams and verniculas and de.

Mark. I think it's funicular with a with an if not with a V. Funicular funicular. That's all right. I appreciate you radio.

I'm trying phonics and all that. No, look it is there's a lot more fat, isn't there. There's a lot more value in a chatter about transport.

Did you see seven sharp tonight with them talking about Western Springs? No, okay, we'll seeven. Get someone to let us know what the actual vibe was of the story that they are moving to waka a park where the story has gone on forever. And I presume it's a sport that's waning slightly. We at home playing grand theft auto, aren't they. I mean, I don't know this, but gosh, I'm looking at the Wikipedia page of nic is Gee there's a lot. There must be abound a thousand around

Hey.

I just I love your shows. It's a bit out there, but I love it. And this morning I woke up cold. It's like, what the hell is the greatest summer we've ever had?

And it was cold?

Right now I'm in the Albany gas stations and I'm cold hell and.

That must be to do with the storm and things coming in, right, I.

Don't know that's Australian.

This is New Zealand.

I think I think it draws stuff across.

Well, no, because our cold comes up from the fantastic.

We get a fundy if you look hang on, if you look at it, what's it called cycle? If you look at a picture of cyclone Albert right, is it Albert or alt Alfred? If you look at cycloning Alfred right, it's messing.

Yeah, that's it's a biggie And you know and and you know one of what I tell you what changes und totally one of the most amazing things I found. I'm a demolition contract. I found a suitcase full of Cyclone Tracy album from photos.

Wow, blew me away?

Wow, what's what's that work?

Now?

What's that about you?

At the end of the day?

Do you know about Cyclone Tracy apart from what's on your suitcase?

Well, it was done in Sidney four, wasn't it.

Right?

And no one died because they're all drunk, that's the no.

A lot of a lot of people got killed by corry and iron. You know, it was an amazing times. But getting back to the original conversation, I just left the Albany Dull service station and I.

Don't know what the best one because it ever had Yes, that would be right, Yeah, I reckon, it's you're not got a puffer jacket.

No no, I just had this blurro and the short the work boots and all the boring stuff.

What are you demolishing?

We've just done what's we called the the Island walls or the Tottenham walls are falling over because they did every foundations. Just drop one of those done half a villa and ponstanby.

What sort of walls are or falling apart?

Okay, so the infamous Poland walls and no disrespect to Sotland's got to love the islanders, that's amazing. I was brought up in CT, so I love the Islanders. But they built these stone walls and they didn't put the foundations.

That you're talking about stone walls, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, so the old volcanic and bluestone walls. They didn't put the foundations that they didn't even go down the met so a lot of those walls are giving ways.

So we're just abolished one and take a part.

Okay, so I know a bit about stone walls.

Yep.

So does it even have a stone foundation?

Well not really, no, doesn't even have to see it.

So I mean, if you're if you're building a stone wall these days, you'd put a cot, you'd build a concrete foundation with rebar, and that rebar would go up through the wall.

Right, absolutely, well done, well done, bang on, But you're what you want what's called your rises or so the steel comes up through the wall.

So they haven't got it. But if it's dry stone walling, you wouldn't you. Didn't you just do an old school wouldn't you. That's what these walls are.

Well, you've got to put steelers, you've got to put deep foundations.

You got.

Sixty six diyed cycling Tracy. People are watching the surfing and saying it's amazing some of those surf shots of people surfing. I've got a lot of texts. I'll get to those in the next hour. There was a patchy hour, but I think it's upward from here. You've seen those walls collapse. I wonder what it's about, and I guess two stone walls only don't have an infinite life. I think probably fifty years. You going alright, of those ones in England, I'll think about that lighter rock maybe greetings

I want to be cold.

Know the answer to that? Marcaus. I see what people mean regarding speedway, but this is stock cars where they go on from thing laps lasting ages. Proper speedway is solo and sidecast with four laps and lasts around sixty one seconds. Brilliant family in Gladstone, that's an Australia, not Gladstone road. Family in Gladstone have nothing the super at

Now.

I don't know what I'd be doing if I was in Brisbane. Looks windy, but if you are there, let us know what's happening. It's going to be a long build up for this, isn't it. Simon says, my social media feed has been inundated with all the epic surfing going on on Oz. It looks awesome. Hopefully some of the storms swell comes our way. Also talking about fou niculars, Marcus, the daist and incline used the waight of the loaded coal wagons going down to drag the empty wagons up

I watched the documentary about sci Flight facty a couple of weeks ago. And what got then was there about a week before there was a there was speak to me another side flight. They protected no one was going to get that by silent towards them, and then right at the very last moment it does this in sort of went out to sea. So then on a couple of days before Christmas they again they see there's a cyclone coming, and the oldies always.

Whatever, here we go again, Yeah.

And just carried on. And of course that the flame under the Christmas eve at night, and it wasn't pretty. Some of the footage that I saw it looked like Hiroshima. I never realized that the sack Dad was in nineteen seventy four eyes I was nine, and I remember we

Was that day.

There was sort of talking we'll just brought over and move elsewhere. But I never realized the damage is actually sad as the was.

It said it destroyed eighty percent of the houses and left twenty five thousand homeless, so it's a pretty extraordinary event.

Yeah, as I say, the foot is the video footage has looked like Hiashima. They shared you're a people power pole and it's literally been big but about the about six foot and it was down on foot path level that it just foerus toy of its straight down I know. I know.

Also enter a large of kiwis went across there to workers, roofers and things like that. A lot of people went to help with the rebuild because I think that's when a lot of key we started moving to Australia was for.

That, right.

Yeah, Yeah, that's they showing a product of It's just a huge convoy. People just got out of the place because you just couldn't stay.

Where did you see that document? Where did you see the documentary Andrew.

There's a few on YouTube. Okay, I've sort of watched one and then I sort of watching another one after that, and yeah, it's really interesting. I never realized the dam No.

I had no idea, and I've been to Dalne. I had no idea. It was yeah, because I think they rebuilt earthquake. Coble had no idea. It was that destructive.

I think true story, I think I think true story has and all the left is the foundations and I don't think.

I don't like to say anything as Brisbane waits for their for their tropical cyclone to arrive, but they said, according to Wikipedia, the storm is the second smallest tropical cyclone on records. It was tiny compared with the others. So yeah, it wasn't a big deal, but certainly picks a punch.

They were, of course there in the Survivors and these people are talking about the start off in one room and then you know they'd work out, but that room was disappearing and they'd moved into another room, and then that room would disappear and end up with you know, you're basically hunted down under a under a car or something, just trying to survive.

Okay, you look nice to hear from you, and I appreciate that everyone's got. If anyone experienced cyclone Tracy, that would be fantastic, always part of the rebuild. I was in Darwin, but it was ninety two, so actually wasn't there long after eighteen years afterward. But if you've got something to say about that, find that fascinating because of a direct hit, because cycling got Darwin got bombed too

Good evening, Marcus. How are you?

Oh good? Thank you Lynn?

That's good. I heard you talking about the fornicular railways earlier. Yes, and I haven't heard anyone mention the one that's at the Olympics Stadium in Canada, Montreal, where yeah, where John Walker from New Zealand won the fifteen hundred meters in nineteen seventy six. Yes, we went there in July twenty eighteen, traveled on the Metro underground to the Courtier Olympic and the stadium is amazing. It is really a musk for people to go on their bucket list.

Wow. And there is a funicular there.

Yes, we went to the top of that, which is the funicular and it's the world's tallest inclined tower, rising one hundred and sixty five meters at a forty five degree angle.

I think Vanessa's been on that because she was in Montreal last year.

Yeah, it's amazing. It's at the Montreal it's at the stadium where the races were, where the Olympics were.

And could you tell me a bit about that. I don't really know Montreal. Is it because it's up and down? Do they need it to get down a hill?

I don't. I don't really know. I'm just looking at something that I posted on my Facebook page back and when we went there.

But it was were you on the Facebook back then.

In twenty eighteen years Yeah?

Wow, she look at you your early adopter. Okay, I'm trying to look at it now, okay, you're well.

Yeah, so look up the Olympic. What's it called? Let me see just looking now, it's the Quartier Olympique. Is that it's that the stadium where the races where with John Walker ran and yeah, it was amazing. We'd never been there before.

Of course, to look at the maps. Okay, yeah, I didn't expec to be hilly like that. But thank you then I appreciate that. There we go, Gary, Marcus.

Welcome, Yes, good evening, Marcus.

How are you Gary?

Am okay, good mate. I just want to bring to your attention there's a connection between Cyclone Tracy and Western Spring Speedway.

Oh fluck, oh yoh, this is a special okay, yep.

Yeah.

In nineteen seventy two there was a young guy called Ted Tracy.

I remember that well, yes, and he made his way.

Up there, and when Cyclone Tracy hit in nineteen seventy four, he actually got the nickname Cyclone Ted Tracy. True story, and he did. He went through the pack of midget care racing back then was phenomenabal, you know, and he just went them through like a cyclone, real outstanding driver along with there's a lot of others, you know, Barry Butterworth and I can't remember all of them off from Patriots and.

Garry.

I can just remember the ads and the Herald and the Auckland staff for Speedway. They be massive banner ads with all their names, wouldn't it and they you know, like the huge letters like they were great stars.

Yeah.

Well, we were getting crowds of up to forty thousand people on the big fifty lape knites down there, you know, and it's just it's got to stay there. You know, we're coming up one hundred years of history at Western Springs and to me, it's got to stay.

You know.

They should have had a poll tonight on their hit their head.

On the.

Garry.

Can I just talk to you about that because I didn't see it on seven sharp?

Right?

Do the promoters want to stay there or they themselves compromised?

Well, yeah, you can morally say that it's a bit of there's an investigation going on for sure about that promotion sort about guys that are in there that I've more or less been put in there to hike the prices up and sort of you know, get the crowds down low in that and chuck it out because.

Gary, Gary, I'm just going to go to headlines, but don't go away, Okay, I'm going to come back to you. Is that right? You'll stay there excent some questions to ask you. So, Gary, you're a regular You go to speedway at Western Springs regularly?

Is that right?

Yes, I've been going since sixty four years. I've come sixty seven this year. You know, I've written the bike down there and I've driven the three quod imdget you know, back in the seventies.

So would it be before we have the discussion, Gary, would it be fair to say that the sport is not what it once was, that the attendance as well down? Is that right?

I'd say it is down a bit. That's because they've taken away two of the major attractions back then, which was speedway bikes solose yeah, and the sidecars motorbike sidecars now and plus there's a lot of other little bits and pieces too. The track surface doesn't suit the bikes, it doesn't suit the sidecast but that could be fixed up.

You know, if we get what is the surface, Gary, it's clay base. Has it always been players it changed?

No?

No, No, it's changed since they did the revamp. I think it was nineteen eighty four eighty six. They went from a sort of a dirt's and the sort of surface into clay because the midget and split car guys were complaining about tire where so they change the surface to suit them so they wouldn't complain too much about burning up tires and that. But it doesn't suit the bikes or the sidecars, you know, so that's basically here. But it's got to stay, you know, you.

Know how you're saying it's got to stay. Haven't the council made a decision to go to work Ereca Park. Do you think you can overturn that?

Well, we're hoping we can.

Okay, what what do you know? What do you know what's required to overturn it?

I can't go into detail about it, but there's a lot of a lot of stuff that's got to come through before it's finally over, you know.

Because I think haven't we been in the situation before when they're going to move it to Punui about five or ten years ago.

Yeah, yeah, that was right. Yeah, but that wasn't suited because it's too close to the airport and the podcast create quite a wind dust, you know that when that suited the planes coming in or landing or whatever.

You know, do you hate? Do you not?

Is Wyk Record Park unsuitable?

No?

No, not for speedway racing? No, no, no, different, different sort of than animal. It's like putting regularly League at Eden Park. You know, it's not the same atmosphere or nothing. So it's got to stay at Western Springs.

Brilliant, Okay, I hope it does. But yeah, what is Ted Tracy still alive?

Yes, yes he is, as far as I know, he is atle of a good driver, yes, playing Ted Tracy.

But the Americans, the Americans would come over every year, weren't there. There was always great tests between the Americans and the Keys. It seemed to be that seemed to be a big deal, didn't it.

It still is.

You know, we still get them down here now, and you know they come down here and race at Western Springs and they say it's the best track in the world with the atmosphere and away it's set up and the pits and everything like that and the crowd you know, they don't see crowds like that in America for the midget co racing closes said get would be the Chili Bowl.

You know, so I'd like to I'd like to know more about the chili bowlers in Los Angeles.

Now it's an Coulster Okay coaster. Yeah, yeah, they had that once a year. It's it's brilliant. Yeah, I'd really like to go myself.

Do you think you might do you think you might be able to go?

I'll have to check with the missus says she can work about.

Garry wonder what he was going to say. Marcus Speedway, I think a couple of issues, especially for speedway supporters as an institution, almost just like Eden Park, and speedway supporters are no less emphatic than rugby supporters. From my exper Number two, from my experienced speedway supporters, we're never interested in White Grecord Park because it's also the atmosphe you're at a different level of racing that Western Springs offers.

Are they?

Hi?

Kathy ats Marcus good.

Evening him and look, I know Western Springs well, and I've never been to a speedway there, but you know the layout of the land and if we're sing that, it's a natural bowl, so it would be fantastic for you know, speed carts and things like that. But it's ironical that that has been well they're trying to get rid of it because of all the houses around it.

Okay, so it won't be the Alexander Racecourse. It will be the Elsie Racecourse.

Is that right?

Oh, it couldn't be the elderly side.

Yeah, I think so, I think so. I think yeah.

I mean it's just it's going to be a working race track and they're having events from memory for race meetings a month and the houses. There's literally track for horses. There's a walkway next to the track that the residents can walk around when the races aren't on. Opposite the houses, there is the stand.

Where the stretch to call it Remoera, wouldn't it, Well.

It's Elleslie, but because it's so close and you probably can get more for them if you.

Can you see the horse? Can you see the racecourse from there?

My sister's looking at buy a place about two years time, and literally there's her house. There's going to be her house because it isn't being built yet, and then there's the walkway and the racetrack, so it's really close to the front of her house.

You can imagine is it Peach Parade or is it Ladies Mile?

A Ladies Mile? It's off when you were a road, so it's way yeah yeah, so, but I mean they're all high and it's going to be really no because you'll have the loudspeaker, you know, giving you the details of which horses first and second, et cetera. And I mean, I don't know how it will tell, but if you can do a development like that where it's going to be really noisy, why why is there all this fuss about them?

It's a good point. I understand your point you're making. I guess because I guess people. I guess people think that the horse racing is slightly more high brow than than But is it on is it on the racecourse land? Because I know it's very hard with a racecourse, but it's hard to find, you know, it's hard to get streams.

Yeah.

Yeah.

My My understanding is that around the outside they've sold the land to Fletch just to do the development, and with the money they make from that, it will help keep the race track and the race club afloat, so they can do up all the places where they keep pulses and upgrade all the facilities with the money they're going to make from the selling of the homes, and there's going to be quite a few homes because they're

I don't want it's going to be a whole village.

I don't want to make assumptions. But maybe they've maybe it's some of the land from the steeplechase course that they've taken that land. They still have steeple chases there, the jumps because there was that big kind of dog leg there. It looks like it's going in the land there where they had the steeple chase.

It's sort of a bank, so you get the grand stand view right out across the race track and the field at the moment, the actual race track, it's in priesting condition, whether they're late new land but grass. But it's beautiful. It's not at all. But she wants to stay in remiror she wants to have a smaller house that's less expensive to run and easy to get to everything and all her friends and so forth. And it just seemed to be a better option than buying another

So I don't know, it.

Makes perfect sense, Katy. Nice to hear from you. Thank you, good evening, Anne, Marie. It's Marcus. Welcome.

Hello, Hi and Marie.

Hi Marcus. I'm just bringing our son race Speedway for years in the midgets and he is still repairing midgets and building sprint cars. And it's an absolute shame because it was a fabulous place for families to go, which we took our children. Darrell was I don't know ten what he race ended up racing a very better worse people will know and it's a shame now it was a fabulous place for family families.

Yes, so what does he what does he think is going on?

The track?

Does not look after properly? I think okay, and yeah, I don't want to go on about it.

But you have helping people, you kind of have run to go on about it. I'm just kidding. So are the promoters not prepared to pay the money for it because the track's not worthwhile? I wonder if that's what it's about.

You have to ask him. I know that there's not right and we have gone there for years and he is still like a told you building, helping people in the South Island with a print car and and it's just a shame.

Do you still go where to Western Springs?

No, it hasn't hardly been on okay, and it's no, it's not worth us going down to Auckland. We're not an atand now, but we spend our whole lot. My husband he was a pusher on midget cars and before our son was you know, before I met, before I married my husband. But I just wanted people to know how wonderful it was for families.

Nice to hear from you, an Marie, appreciate that. Ten away from ten someone's texted to said about Sleepy Trip was one of the great names of the midget drivers. That's very very famous, Sleepy Trip. He'll be down all the time. Great names, Sleepy Trip. Nathan Marcus, welcome, Hey Marcus.

How are you good?

Nathan?

Thank you.

Just heard Kathy talking about the old just caught there's sort of ends of the conversation about Kathy talking about the Allieslie Hill side of things, and I wish you the disruption with moving in there and having races on and so on and so forth. So I guess a

So I'm I'm.

Not seeing this. I'm not seeing this driven by the residents though I see it's more between council and the promoters. That's my take.

Look from I guess from a council perspective, I mean most councils these days are are screaming out for money and cash and when you've got too essentially a white iraka an only hunger and in the Western Springs, in the Western Springs, why don't mean it makes sense to consolidate and have one good track that they can alternate weekends and racing, which is only hungers in an industrial area, so there's less issues with people complaining about noise and

Are you on the council, Nathan, do you work for there? Are you with the racing board or something?

No, not at all, but I have I guess through my personal side of things. I have race sources of shoes and racehorses, so I'm familiar with what goes on, and I get emails about what's happening at Alsley.

I just had it. Just I had a text that someone said Aucan Racing Club and Ti Rapra looking for trinid acres to purchase to move horse racing to the Northern White Cutter, taking it out of all can this racing guaranteed still in Auckland or they trying.

To move it out a lot.

I haven't seen or heard anything about that at this point in time, but I mean, I guess it's like anything. It's consolidation of areas and industries because the issue in New Zealand is that we have like that you can get a trainer's license and you can train five horses. Whereas the economics of that when you're spread out in a really geriafical nature that New Zealand is, and spread over the countryside, it doesn't warrant having lots of small

So racing's not leaving Yellows anytime soon.

Well not with the amount of money they've just invested into this new track. And so the new track they've put and has costed them a pretty penny of course, and it's designed to be an all way of the surface so that they can get a delue to rain. They've got the biggest race day coming up this Saturday. That new Zealand's ever seen that?

What does that mean? You pay for your slot? What's that about?

Look, it's something that started out of Australia, I guess is in a race called the Everest and then they decided to do a similar thing over here to attract international horses to New Zealand. There's been a big injection with money and stuff into the industry with how.

Much being involved?

How much do you pay to start?

Look that? So it's not like a normal horse race. So an individual or a stable could buy a slot and I think they range anywhere from seven or eight hundred thousand per slot, and then they can find a horse to run in it. So I could have bought a slot and then I could go to an owner or a trainer and say, I like your horse, I want to use it in my slot for this race, and then you negotiate between you and the trainer what each person's cut would be out of the out of the purse.

But okay, I'd like to talk more about that. I'm just one use, Nathan, but I have enjoyed some of your expertise, Marty Marcus.

Welcome you, Marcus.

I've got a roundabout update for you're the latest roundabout news. The eagle has landed. At about midnight on Tuesday night, they put in the fifteen meter hawk.

Oh, this is at the roundabout, Tino. What's it called?

What's the roundabout called the Priory roundabout?

How's that spelled?

P I A R E R E.

I'm probably not pronouncing it right.

At least you gave it a go and you spelled it.

Right, yepot.

Anyway, it's a big hawk. But it's super interesting because the family who's fence got smashed into most he went on seven sharp and complained about it about six years ago. Guess what their last name is?

Hawk?

Ye, the hawks?

Why would you put a hawk? What is with these animals and roundabouts?

It's to pay homage to the Hawk family?

Is it really?

I don't know. I'd say it will be a local Maori consultation that's gone to figure out what it is. Because in Hamilton and Cambridge you've got eels and you've got other things.

With the roundabout. Because we've done shows on roundabouts roundabout sympathetic people want to hide visibility. They don't want a hawk because I think they've just put they've done something with that Dan and the motorway extension up through Wilsford, haven't they what's gone up there?

Totem Pole.

No, No, you're swimming.

I'm going to sparkle overlooking the roundabout, I can see the cars going around it.

If you moved house, I've moved to it.

From from one farmhouse to another farmhouse. And this one looking it up with the hawk. Yeah, the previous one was just looking over sheep paddocks, have you.

Okay, there's another one. There's a a giant eagle is on the roundabout and the new motorway, the who are to walk with motorway they've got an eagle there. That's why I was asking about that.

Okay, I'll course one a hawk then, because of the Hawk family.

Yeah.

And also the other thing they've announced that doing the big Carrapiro extension. So once this, once this Hawk roundabouts finished down here, that I'll start getting into that. The the Carrapiro to piriy Fau Lane holiday one hundred and ten k highway.

Is that just the main motorway they're widening.

Yes, but I think they can take it through the hill and make it straight and fast Becau it's a bit windy. It is a bit scary the old one.

How will I get a picture? So the Hawk got helicopter to day.

Did it on Tuesday night. I got They have to think of the biggest higher crane you can imagine. You need two of those loftless thing. It's all steel, will be like five mill plate. You know if that's a rusty steel, it's already rusty's.

Look they're going for that way.

Yeah, it's like industrial Maori Hawk.

Where can I see an image of it?

I'd say people haven't been taking that when you it's pretty fresh and and they're still like concrete it and stuff. It's not quite finished yet, but there should be people just putting it on Facebook because they'd go around on their phones and looking at where they're driving.

So tell me about your If you sold your house.

No, no, we've we've had we've moved from one house to another because my in laws have left the farm that have taken over a different house, and my manager is going to move into our old house. And fortunately he didn't want to take his sparkle into matter matters. I've inherited this spar pool which overlooks the Hawk.

You're pretty braggy about your sparkle like ringing from it and then loudly splashing. It's not like you to walk with things, and I thought you'd be more humble.

No, well I like that what I'm doing when I'm calling you usually.

Yeah, okay, what do you want to say about? What do you want to say? In New Zealand?

But the old guy's leaving and I heard him the news. Yeah, they really need to focus on a bit of domestic domestic stuff. Hopefully the new guy will focus on some domestic travel rather than just focusing on international brilliant.

Okay, okay, any other thoughts you get us to touch? Any other thoughts with the sparkle? Matey, Nice to hear from your fourteen past ten? What how's your heathen?

Is it.

Market?

What there you're going, Marcus?

I was just singing about the Western Springs or mix a psyca speedway rider?

Are you the swinger?

No, I'm a writer.

Oh go yeah, okay, good.

Yep, and of race, I've done it for a lot of years and hear what's happening at Western Springs is quite a travesty.

So you guys they said the surface has changed its clay. Other speedway riders happy with the clay.

Oh mate, we wrote on any surface too?

Do you.

You should come down and have it go sometimes?

Marcus, have you been to the speedway? And in v Cargo.

No, I've only done the North Oland.

He starts beginning on the South. I mean they do have it down here too. That's the last time I wish you should give a man. I was asked, but it's not really my thing. But anyway, what's your understanding of what's happened?

I know there's a lot of controversy going down at the moment. Can I can I give a plug to a site trying to stage the weekend Spring Speedway. It's called SABL Speedway. I think it's Sable Speedway dot co dot inz Okay is it will be a shame to see.

On Do you stay with the same swinger or do you go through them?

Well, I've had a couple of my tom I've done it for a lot of like I've done it for about twenty odd years yep, And yeah I've had a few in my time. Actually I haven't done it for ten years, but I'm I'm getting back into it again in a better weeks time.

So is the speed Wow is the speedway still at Western Springs.

Yeah, but they don't have the bikes even more unfortunately.

So where are the where are the bikes now?

Are more an Orkan Rosebink Road. Rod Evandale was, Yeah, that's our home track.

That doesn't look much. That always looks a bit sort of amateur.

Oh, come and here we go and see how I ammture it is?

What's been up and not?

What's your website called save our Springs?

Is it?

Did you say save our Speedway?

Okay, save our Speedway? Is it a Facebook page or that's a website.

It's a website brilliant for the serious flod office is actually involved in it now because there's been a lot of untowards stuff going on.

Okay is that fact or is it speculation?

No, that's fact.

Okay, I'll look into that, Hayden, thank you. Yeah, she's a story. I can even get to the bottom to have a look at that website. That might explain something. But yeah, as long as I've been in this show, people have gone on and on about that, about the speedway and why it's moving from Eden from Western Springs. We're Auckland first got its. Actually it's not I think Auckland when it was first got its water from the ponds at the domain. Then they got its sweat water

Hey, look on Speedway and I don't know a lot and I'm glad I'm out of the loop. But there's a lot of blokes that I hang out with, and I've been the speedway since I was sixteen, but pretty.

Much in the know.

The one thing I've called you about is that a lot of media have turned their back and don't actually want to bring this to before even those seven sharps tonight and I didn't see it. But what I'm hearing from a lot of commentary that it's a done deal. Let's move on, forget about it. It's ninety five years. To the best of my knowledge, the Western Springs and the zoo was gifted to the council a long time ago. As long as the zoo in Western Springs stayed there. That's what I understand.

That that doesn't sound right, that doesn't pass that, No, no.

I'm hearing you, but there's something there. So what I think very accurate what you said before the promoters and that there's a whole lot of muddy borders. What I'd ask you to do is just hold your interest on it, even though I know that you've had a gaps ful of it because you've been talking about.

Maybe Paul, I want to be really clear with you. My favorite thing is passionate. I like people are passionate about stuff. I haven't had a gutsful of it. I've just said, the discussions on gone on for a long view, for a long time, and I've never found this. I've never found the discussion that clear cut. There's always sort of other things that you don't hear about.

So yeah, yeah, that's so.

It's it's not like someone can bring me up and say, Marcus, these are the four things. This is the reason. But seems to me it's a council owned venue and they've decided to go, so it's out of their hands. I mean, councils can do that with their venues, can't they.

Yeah, as I understand they can. But there's something really strange about this. There's something that is underlying that people know about and that's why they've engaged council and obviously are taking it further. I just believe that there's a lot, there's a lot of stuff that's been taken away from Auckland. And I know you might see that as a bit odd, but we've had so many changes the city doesn't even.

Look the same.

What do you think has been taken away?

I think I think the attraction of Auckland has been able to get around for a start, and you can't do that anymore.

Okay, But there aren't events that have been taken away. It seems though there's got more events. You've got Auckland. If so, you've got football, you've got other stuff you've got you know.

Okay exactly, But Marcus at Speedway and if you go and have a look, it's not run every week, it's like twice a month. So they've been cut right back. But they get eight to ten thousand people that the Blues might get six thousand people. And that's Eden Park. That's a big operation. And do we need another soccer stadium when we've got a stadium sitting there in North Harbor that no one uses all the.

Sense there's also the sense that it's the working class sport and they've been put I mean, so I imagine amongst that it's easy for them to whip up conspiracies and say they're out to get us because we're not the Hoy twenties and stuff like that.

So here and you yeah, but also the promoter has interests and other other race venues, and and they're stock cars, they're not speedway. Speedway is completely different. And eleven million dollars. If the council are going to give you eleven million dollars and you run White Iracor Park.

It's confusing all the different sorts of there's speedway, there's midgets, there's what's the other one?

Because they're different cars. Yeah, they're different, they're different to watch, they go faster and I go to White I recker.

But the two is why Ereka stock cars? It always used to be what's it?

Now it's it's with stock cars.

And then they want to take sprint cars and midgets to Western Springs and my understanding is that teams and drivers won't go there.

What what what's the surface at work Erecord Park.

I don't say it's not the same surface. I know that it's clay based, but it's mixed. But they're heavier cars as stock cars.

But how many do they get how many do they get there?

Pull?

Not that many?

Okay.

So here's the other point. So even with the upgrades at what iraker, you're going to get a maximum And my understanding once again is five to six thousand people, you're not So they're not going to be able to hold. Even if they had a big event for sprint cars and midgets at White Corecker, you're not going to get those people there. They won't fit.

So Paul, I like the way you communicate. I like your yeah, the energy you're coming with it at is it not a done deal?

And my understanding as far from it.

Okay, because the other thing I said I had, thank you, pardon.

I said, I love you. Keep your ear to the ground. You're a great journalist because I'll tell you what if it's if Western Springs goes and even though we mightn't go there every week or every month, that's that's a shame. It's got so much history.

Okay, I'll keep talking about hopefully we'll get we'll get to the full sense of what's going on. Because yeah, when I was on this show doing it might be eight years ago. They're going to move to Puanui, there was that guy that promotes Aaron. It was all a done deal. But yeah, and we're too busy now to follow all the news stories to read exactly what's going on.

Your Hi Marcus, enjoying your show about the Speedway. Your last caller was correct with Western Springs being given to the council pretty much the Motion family gave back to the council. The last time that deed was seen, I think from memory, was when Willie Kay was a promoter at Western Springs and there was a deed which basically read something along the lines of as long as the speedway track is a speedway track, it belonged to the council to run, and then if it's ever closed down,

And basically, did you see the seven Sharp story tonight?

Yes?

I did.

What was the what was the guts of.

That well.

Pretty much. I think it's just showing you how popular Western Springs actually is and how big a crowd they can get.

Okay, is there is there a Is there a sentiment from locals they want it gone? I haven't heard that. But have they been petitioning to get.

Rid of it?

Well, when Bill Buckley was a promoter, Yes, they basically got it down to about one or two people complain They've got the noise level right down to your your deathbell readings, which is where it needs to be at ninety four deathbels. I think it is. So basically they're all compliant with what it is.

Bill Buckley was a bit of a legiend, right, he was a successful businessman. He also read as have I got that one right?

Yeah? Well now he runs our ones he run.

Didn't know that, okay, thank you.

So basically Bill Buckley used to race sidecars here years ago, and his sons used to race speedway and his I think his nephew, Travis Buckley races midgets and sprint cars and stuff like that as well. So there's a lot of history there. In the old days, they used to run around twenty meetings a season and then as the council got more and more control with all you carry on,

Is the sports still healthy? Is it grassroots? Are the young people involved in Auckland? Is it still a lively and with drivers or riders as well?

Well, Hey, you at the end of the day, pretty much most of your competitors there are raplayers, don't they Yeah, But.

They come from all today. They don't come from further Afield to race. They're mainly locals that are racing.

There's there's a lot of locals. There's a lot of people come from all over the country and race like yeah Shane ben Disbury, everybody knows that he is. Yes, well he flies back here at Christmas time and he raises a sprint guard. Now, like you know, you've got people like him and going there. He actually started there back in the day in the little Kiwi kids things, Sames like Michael Pattins and all these sorts of people.

The council voted to move it. Is it now going to litigation to stop that?

Well it really should be, because it's very underhanded what's happened there. I don't think there's really been any consultation with your competitors as such as like the council. From what I understand is you've got you Auckland soccer teams. Okay, they train over the North Shore, but they don't play any games there. But the billionaire guy who owns a team, he's expressed interest in Western Springs. So all of a sudden, as soon as he's express interest, well speedway's got to go.

You know.

That's that's pretty much how it's rolled. And Wayne Brown used to support speedway, was what he said. He was going to support the Speedway group and all that's got to carry on. Now he's done a U turn on that and he wants it done as well. So I think the council of their own agenda, is it a bad thing.

If a new sport goes there? Is this a bad thing of football? Suddenly? Even football? May do they put that there?

Is it?

I guess it is for you? I mean things change, don't they put?

Well?

How I see it is? Okay? It'd be like hypothetically you turn around and say that we want eating parks for something else, so awesome Blues can bugger off out of there, and why aren't you move in with the Warriors and just use this their stadium because it's more convenient. And you guys just figure out how you're going to run the rugby and the NRL out of the same park. That's exactly what you're doing to Western Springs along with White Iraka Park.

But I guess the councilors has pressure to get the most rent they can for their facilities, right if they've got Because does it does it feel like the AWKFC are going to go there? Is that what you've heard?

Well, that's that's what some of the talkers around the place. It's really confusing exactly what's going to go.

There, Okay, I agree, wouldn't surprise me.

Like if you look at the land mass you've got there at Western Spring's okay, if you can kick the people out of there from speedways. They did say they want to use it for cricket at one stage and that's sort of gone by the wayside now they're talking about using of a soccer. Well, if you can get rid of the people out of there for the motorsport and or any sport for example, look at the car parking space there a city landfill for some housing and

What's your what's you're involved in, Graham, Not that I think you're underhanded, but are you a driver or just to reget a punter or just someone that's interested.

Well, I grew up in Kingsland and I've been in a certain way since I was about probably five years of age, yep. So I've been going there for years. Back in the day when you had either major and all those sort of poppies in and riders you come over and race solo bikes and all that sort of stuff. So I've been interested in speedway. I've helped guys with your race cars, whether it's ridgets or sprint cars or whatever. I've worked on them for years. So you still go,

In the gate.

Fifty dollars.

Yeah.

And the promoter that you got there and the other call has seed before. Yes, he's got other interests as well. So the guy who's your promoter has got the speedway down at partisan North, he's also got Wiker Record Park, and he's also got Western Springs, and that's why he's just sort of just falling over, you know, I'm saying that Western Springs can go and we're just taking the Whiker record party.

What's to stop What's to stop another promoter coming in and doing their own story. How come he has the rights to be the provider just because it's a business when he's put the package together, is that right?

Well, basically I think he out did Buckley because Buckley was still interested.

In doing it.

And okay, okay, so two other guys taken over. It's a business.

Well, yeah, at the end of the day, you have to run it as a business at the end of the day. But like the other caller said about how many times you can have a meeting at Western Springs, well you get all odd ball day. So it's really hard for Speedway to get a decent flow on.

Yeah, so I'm betlieve it even Thank you, grab story to cut you short. Oh it's Marcus.

Welcome, good evening, Marcus. I'm just calling in support of Western Springs Speedway saying where it is. To give some context, I was born and raised in Western Springs. We used to go to Speedway. We used to go to fireworks displays there once a year, and we also used to go to there when occasionally they had the military tattoo there, which was marvelous. And as a local, the speedway was never an issue. You know, it stops ten o'clock at night, just a noise that you used to do and we're

Oh and I haven't noticed that it's been about the resids complaining. It seems to be about counsel about the promoter. Doesn't seem to be about the resins to me.

Yeah, No, that's that's a fair. That's a fair point.

I think that's just my understanding. I think last time it was more so. But they seem it's been a bit. Yeah, that's what.

Yeah, But we we.

Loved it and it was very much a fan very

There, sort of white Cracker Park. It's sort of it's sort of a no means land a.

Yeah, and you know, who knows it could workout, but.

God for saken, I had to drop my car off there because I've got it, put my car on a train to move it in Voicago, had to go to where the rail depot was he had to walk right along that road to the get to the airport. And gee, she's a she's a pretty brutal stretch of a light industrial area, that one. I mean, it's pretty it's she's pretty full on. It's not like or anything, is it. It's like it's it's real industrial, that's right.

But any noise you make near the water there, it travels right across because the White Cracker is right just to the edge of the money Cow.

And well, I haven't lived over.

The other side to hear the noise. I hear noise go across water and other settings. And occasionally if the wind's flowing from either White Iraka, which is an unusual and it's not prevailing them, but from why Corraca, I love further west, but from White Iraka or from even if there's something a big event at Mount Smart, well we'll hear it. So I don't imagine see where it's going to add anything to it, any noise to what the stock cars.

Kind of, Yeah, I don't really understand stock cars. I used to go but blood when I I don't really understand what goes on there.

Yeah, I'm not. I'm not knowledgeable in that area. Either I'm a personally I'm a bike man. But we used to enjoy the midgist and the supermodifiers and that they sing some of the great race there very batter, worse than Ted Tracy. And then there was Sleepy Trup. Sleepy do you remember Sleepy Trup?

Yes, free much, very much.

Yeah.

Well, he was also a very good flat track motorcycle racer and he come out and raced its brows. Big park promotors didn't like him using his name there because you stayed to bring more away out here. So he would race under the name Dario Rester, which is the name of a motorcycle the car racer from years ago, and he was he was a very very good rider. The only guy who could keep with him was Kai Nemi, who was the the Danish b World champions.

I remember, probably five or ten years ago. What's that guy's name that used to run Berry. That's a silicon chips and magnets that ran Western Springs. What was the promoter's name?

Oh yeah, yeah, the name will come back to me in a second.

Talking remember his.

First company was I've come back anyway. I know who you mean. Years he's got been into his business once.

Bill Bill Buckley, right, Billy, So about ten years ago he had the World Speedway Champs there with people from around the world, different countries. Do you remember that.

No, I wasn't. I wasn't following it at that point, but it rings a.

Bell because internationally, I mean, we're not in that, We're not We're not up there anymore. And it always seemed to be the Eastern European riders. But boy, that was worth watching. There was a phenomenal event. Just trying to think about speedway or all these motive buggets, it's sort of the success of it is already about the promoter, is that there's good of promoters that build up sports and they I think all sports tend to ebb and

Heyware you go Marcus.

Good Jamie.

Well, there's not been much going on back home. My mates have been sending me photos of this morning blue sky and then yeah, I've had a birthday party with the neighbors for the six year answers a birthday American Shimmon. So I've been pretty h normal up in Disland, but I've been wet. I'm just south from Sydney and it's been raining all the way down all day, which is pretty uncommon. So yeah, I thought that's interesting.

Where have you driven down south from to get to Sydney? Where were you overnight?

Hi?

I was round the.

Tough Tavor this morning, okay, and then I'm just I've been just driving all the way down past me today. So yeah, it's been pretty much on and off rain all days from hivy, some not so hevy, but yeah, it's been been an interesting days, very like driving on a public holiday. Right even north of Sydney, there wasn't many people on their own. It's been yeah, sort of really sort of funny sort of a day really.

And I wonder what people's attitude will because whether it's will it be delayed, I guess some people will extrapolate that and think it's not going to each whether it's not going to be bad, but it still looks like it could pack of punch. That's my take. What's yours?

Yeah, I'd say so.

Yeah.

I think they're you know, start on like Facebook pages on on and the local ones on home. They're starting to get a bit complacent.

I think, you know, yeah, has your wife got enough food till till Sunday?

Yes, you're be a right. She went back to the Sigmatic today. I thought I could closed yesterday, but she said they closed today at five kims. So she went back there today and got a whole lot of party for.

The young fellow.

She had the neighbors around. They seemed to be having a good time.

So there's plenty of stuff. There was plenty of stuff in the supermarkets.

Yeah.

Yeah, she's got enough year. She thinks, right, okay, and I should get home. I'll put my finger out. I'll get home tomorrow night. It might not be home Saturday morning.

So that should be with When are you arriving Saturday morning?

Yeah, probably Saturday morning time, probably about nine am.

Americon, it's supposed to arrive full board at four am.

Oh yeah, I'll probably be right on the list of it. That'll be interesting.

You take care, Jamie. Nice to hear from you. Hello, Shirleyett to Marcus, good evening.

I've just want to talk about speedway because my son he actually built midgets and he's been building them for years, and we used to go watch speedway right back in the days. And he started racing when he's eighteen, and then he grew up to build midget's like now, and he used to travel up there all the time. And now he's got two boys and they started racing the last three years. And his name's Mike Robbins who does

And we we'reabouts were you living, Shirley.

We're living in the Plymouth. Then we're living in the Bell Block in your Plymouth.

And did you Plymouth have a course?

No, they didn't have much of a course.

He but.

Now well he goes to Keyhi too. Who's been to Keyhi a lot? And also Bay Park and now he starts going down to wan Minui and Palmerston.

Okay, oh, you'd be driving up and down a lot if you were going to Western Springs all the time.

Oh, I know.

And we used to take Pregny Lunt to go friends and you know, stay up there in the night and come back. And the Kendall's then used to race Mike Kendall and I'm Fabeesh. And we used to watch Sleepee Tripp as well, all those and they loved it.

And the first problem was.

Now was Western Springs. He used to say that the house that people moaned, you know about the noise. Yes, but they're all finished by ten o'clock. You know, it's not like all nice and there was a great family thing. It used to keep the kids off the streets and everything, and even still now while he's building and my two sons, so they've got three or four other boys there, you know, and often stay the night. They just love it and he will take who he can with them as well.

I haven't heard anything about people complaining about on this show. I haven't heard anything about the Rezards. It seems to be mainly about the council. I didn't realize there was a speedway trek in Ki. Do they get many people there?

Oh?

Yeah, they get a good crowd there, a really good crowd.

Well I suppose it's quite close to Hamilton.

Isn't it.

Yeah it is, yeah, because a lot of the racing men Bill Carsey too, so it's yeah, yees.

So there's tracks of Fan and Luis k Bay Park and well Western Springs up till.

Now Yeah, and Palmerston's.

It's a good sport.

Yeah.

And he went down to and on the weekend and one of his voice got a food and a riper charge or something and he got trophy. Yeah, he's only twenty two, really is it fairly safe. Oh, it's really safe. It's the best safe sport because you've got all the got bars, like the piping protects you. You've got to have the piping higher than your head.

Okay.

And they wear a helmet too, and they have all that.

They have to wear.

A suit under their suit so that doesn't catch fire. You know, the only thing is that it catches fire, you know, So you've got your suit underneath that's fireproof. And it's a really Yeah, it's really safe. It's very really any way and gets really hurt.

Do you don't worry about them?

I mean, he's spun his car in the air, and I've seen them trip over and over seven times. One person who come from America and they spun seven times on a year and they never and they walk away.

Okay, nice to hear from me, Marcus. I was looking at Mount Gambia, South Austraia when Cyclone Tracy struck. We didn't really know what we didn't really know for a while as news ZN was instant, not instant like now and was Christmas. Then on the fifth of January, you remember the Tasman Bridge disaster happened just after you will like this fact record at the time for most people on a seven seven four seven Quantus evacuating after cyclone Tracy,

Just how'd you talking about the after the sai quon s and Christmas in eighteen seventy four about the Jumble? Yeah, I had the most people on it. Yes, about forty odd years ago. But no, but forty years ago I was living in Darwin and my girlfriend at the time obviously my ex girlfriend. He was on that plane as a child. He was one of the ones blown out.

Wow.

Yeah, and the stripped everything and I think they stripped the seats, so they stripped all the weight off that completely, and you know, they just had the normal they strip to seat, certain things that they put. I remember they was just sitting on the floor, that's the way she Linda told me.

I wonder how they would have done I wonder how they would have done that. They has done that quite quickly. I guess they were limited flights because of Christmas schedule. They got a flight just took all the seats out landly. Yeah, it's kind of amazing.

Yeah, I suppose it can take them out quite easy. Count they can just get the guys on boats.

In the boat.

Because it would give them a lot more white too. They get more people. And from a white point of view, way did they the whay did they go?

Oh?

I oh, what did you say it went? I think a night have been down to Sydney and one of the southern.

Actually did they end up going back to down or they leave for good?

No, they went back to Darwin. When I lived there, he parents were there.

Another thing.

In fact, father who was a lovely guy called Ross Fers. He was an engineer at the Darwin airport. It was handset and on the planes. And he told me that there was six ties was it sixty six people died? And I don't know how true. I'm only going by what he said. He said there was more than that. And he said because he stayed behind. You know, all the men were a lot of the men were asked to stay behind to help you know, security lutors things. And he reckons that there was quite a few taking out,

Did you spend that, Neil, Did you spend a long time in Darwin?

Not really.

I was on there there for a couple of years.

It was a couple of years up there.

It's a pretty special place. It's a pretty special place, isn't it.

Oh, it's an amazing place, and especially your in the eighties, and as you know, you can still see old gun emplacements, you know, for when the attacking Darwin, and you know, when you went down to the port and things like that, and you see these gun emplacements there from from the war and things like that. And she was I mean, I've seen videos of it nowadays and it seems a

Girl. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, get out the road.

He's useless, you know, sort of like blah blah blah that. And then you didn't want to mess with her because you know it could flatten a few men.

You know.

It was just just the racers brought up I think.

Yeah.

And the clock. I mean the time I was there, the clout was amazing. It always felt like it was part of aisy with the beach markets and stuff like that, because it felt very tropical, that's right.

Yeah, and the very to be very humid in the wet season though you said, you know, monstery, humidy human. You know there's that you needed an air condition I mean that was another problem Linda and I had. We had a two bedroom flat and she didn't want air conditioning act and I was just like, you're going to kill me. And we had the air condition in each room and in the other room and sleep in the other room. She didn't want sn't want to know. They said, no, no,

You know, it sounds like a hard shot.

Just pretty good looking girl, which was rough as he and.

Anyway, argument started in the bar speaking for.

Yeah, it's sort of drinking climate. You spend a lot of time with the pub there. I would imagine it's got that sort of climate to it.

Definitely definitely spend some time in the in the pub there, and and I know you haven't got much time. I could tell you a study and a few characters I met up there. There was certainly some characters, you know, they had run up from the Southern States.

They got away, I think.

You know, I think that's an everyone's got got out there to get away from child support and stuff. So there's everyone reinventing themselves and all sorts of stuff and those sorts of towns.

That's right.

Yeah, that was some other They will tell you the story I got. I got a very good friend and he introduced me Bob Hawk and Bob Hawks. Bob Hawk's numb me.

Sorry, what what I just mistake what did you say.

I had a very good friend, a guy called Terry Fletcher.

Yes, and Terry.

He uh. We used to talk politics all the time with top politics, top politics, drink top politics. And he phoned me up one time he says, you want to go to a labor party dinner. I said, yeah, yeah, why not? And he said, well, Bob Hawk's gonna be there, And so I went along and Bob Hawks, I said, you had a big black eye from a ticket, that sort of thing. Anyway, he comes off the stage and he sees Terry and he goes.

Terry an Fletcher.

I don't believe it.

In the two my cuddling and numbers and I didn't know any new and would you call it so Terry, and he said, this is Neil came introduce, introduced me to him, and he looked up, looked me up and down and gave me the biggest work for his handshake over and then turned his back on Oh yeah, too much of a pro for the Labor prime minister and yeah yeah so and later but Terry was gambling. Shoot

You heard what happened to him.

I haven't heard since that day. Now, I don't know since that day he jumped on the plane. He jumped on a plane in Melbourne. So I don't know how he got out of the country because he said that was he couldn't get out because he wasn't allowed to passport because he was in paroles. And last I saw him, he jumped on a plane in Melbourne and that was that. I don't know what happened from then on.

What was his name?

Neil Terry?

Who?

Erry Flexera, Erry Fletcher. The Motrow story is that that was a politician's friend.

You know what I mean, Well, it sounds like it sounds like he had a gambling problem.

He did have a big gambling problem. Yeah, a big gambling problem. His wife left him for another man and he never got over it. He never got over it, and you know, it just it just turned really weird. And then all of a sudden they started him bazling the money.

Did you did you meet him first at the case. Is that where you made him when you were at the casino?

No, I met him when I first arrived in Darwin, and I stayed in these like a keep motel thing, you know, I had a swimming pool and all that, and he had been he had been he was doing accounting work for them or something like.

He used to save at the bar.

And then yeah, we started to get into the week general and of course we're both left wing labor supporters, so we started to have something in common. And of course they used to sit there talking, you know, talking about the revolution and things like that's what we're going to do.

You know.

He sunds, like, what it sounds like a good character.

Oh yeah, I mean, I'm just what I mean.

He was.

He was a good seventy eight years old and me so it must be about seventy seventies. He was seventy three. Yeah, and I wonder if he's still alive.

Yeah, we'll find out us to talk. Neil enjoyed that muchly. Thank you.

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