"Monday Monday" great song, but to me a big worry.

Now you’d think that planning a reunion should be fairly straight forward thing to do, wouldn’t you? (I have since learnt NO it isn’t) . “Should’ being the operative word, but I have to tell you,  the task of deciding what to do for our usual Reunion Monday Trip was the  biggest problem! The 1998  Sydney Harbour Cruise and  the enjoyable 2000 Heritage Steam Train trip in Queensland were always going to be hard acts to follow. Possibilities that Bob, Denise & I tossed around were:- Kangaroo Island but the cost was prohibitive and it would have been too long a day. A cruise on the mighty Murray River was next on our hit list, but on further enquiry we were told that there was no ‘one’ boat big enough to take us all and the prospect of splitting the team up and on to two boats quickly found the three of us pulling our hair out!   Thanks but no thanks.  Another thought was let’s visit the Murray Mouth - trouble was,  if there wasn't enough water in the river we wouldn’t get there. The train trip to the Barossa was way too expensive as well …… “WHAT TO DO?”

It was at this stage that Bob & Denise went back to Melbourne leaving it to little old me to pull the proverbial rabbit out of my hat! (Just because Adelaide is my home town, what made them think I had any idea?). After much thought and in an act of desperation I finally came up with an idea and “Test Drove” the plan on my wife Linda and Ann & David Healey.  After they gave me the nod, my next big test was when Bob & Denise came back to Adelaide to conclude negotiations with the various venues. Now, I have to admit I was as nervous as anything …. if they didn’t think this trip was appropriate then I was going jump off a cliff because I didn’t know what else we could do! Denise, like Ann, when told the Itinerary looked at me in sheer horror but being a real trooper she kept an open mind and sat in the back seat of my car quietly muttering to herself until we reached our first stop at the Giant Rocking Horse, then her mind kicked into gear and it was decided that this would be the ideal Morning Tea spot (not to mention great shopping for the Grandbabies!). One section of the planned tour down, two more to go so it was onwards to the Motor Museum (Denise was back to muttering to herself again as we pulled up in the car park). I think the turning point was when Denise discovered the "Drive In Movie" display and as she sat in the back seat as stories were exchanged about drinking the wonderful beverage "Barossa Pearl".  I think the going price for a bottle was a $1.20 in the late sixties. (On the actual day another member was seen to be reminiscing in the back seat also,  no names but I'm sure it was the Treasurer’s wife.)  Another one down, and it was off to Hahndorf to find a luncheon venue for the tour. After looking at several venues in the Township it was decided on the Hahndorf Inn. 1. It had an authentic German feel to it 2. The staff were friendly and 3. There were no poker machines! Hey Presto …… the Reunion Monday Outing was born. What a relief! I really didn’t want to throw myself off a cliff, my kids would have missed me.

That night we discussed how we were going to promote the day in the brochure and Denise said “Tell them where they’re going to end up for lunch …. Do not tell them how they are going to get there! The women won’t go!” (Ann & Linda backed this comment up too) and so, “A.B.’s Magical Mystery Tour” was born.

Back to the opening question: “Now you’d think that planning a reunion should be fairly straight forward thing to do, wouldn’t you? (I have since learnt NO it isn’t)”  It’s a nightmare!Two weeks out from the reunion, Bob was doing the usual phone around to all our venues to confirm numbers (as he does every reunion) and upon phoning the Hahndorf Inn the girl on the end of the phone  said “No, we don’t having any booking for 120 on Monday the 18th of March”. Bob got off the phone,  picked himself up off the floor then faxed through all the correspondence with the Inn etc, etc …. phoned back and got them organised.  Talk about a nervous breakdown, I nearly had one. How Bob & Denise do this reunion after reunion is beyond me.

So, by the Monday morning standing outside Stamford Grand Hotel, I said to Bob, "as soon as I see two big tourist buses turn the corner I think I will switch off",  and I did!