Many moons ago, a group of friends gathered to start planning a 10 year reunion for the original 1994 Operation Foxtrot Papa run by the Toyota Landcruiser Club in Sydney. Driving back home with my parents I raised the idea of doing another trip, this time as Foxtrot Papa as its own entity. The next meeting we put it forward and with plenty of support we agreed to get it off the ground once the 10 year reunion had been completed.
Unfortunately, Foxtrot Papa is no more and the website no longer exists. How the website looked is different to what is presented here, however, below was the home page of our Foxtrot Papa website.
Foxtrot Papa has been an influence on everyone who was involved. I’m proud to have been a part of the 1994 trip, starting and serving as President for the years leading up to the 2006 trip, and hearing and sharing the stories of everyone.
Home Page
The objectives of Foxtrot Papa are:
- Give people in wheelchairs (wheelies) the opportunity to visit areas of Australia normally difficult for them to get to
- Increase public awareness of the abilities of wheelies
- To lift the spirits and horizons of people who have had an accident by showing them they can still participate in normal activities
Foxtrot Papa is a not-for-profit organization set up by a group of dedicated volunteers with the idea of taking people in wheelchairs to places they would normally have difficulty accessing.
In 1994, Operation Foxtrot Papa, undertaken by the Toyota Land Cruiser Club (TLCC) Sydney Branch, took 10 wheelies on a 30-day tour of Central Outback Australia. In total, there were 48 people, including TLCC members, medical support team and a musical man.
The 1994 trip was a success, which included the first and second wheelies to climb Uluru unassisted (other than food and drink provisions, and general moral support). To some of the wheelies, the trip changed their life, with family hardly recognising them as the same persons when they left.
10 years later, a reunion was held for old friends (and current) to get together again and remember what a wonderful experience Foxtrot Papa was. The reunion was held on the weekend of 20th and 21st of November 2004 at the TLCC property Willowglen at Tarago. The question was raised about another trip and the wheels were set in motion.
It was decided to set up a not-for-profit organization and plan the next adventure. After much planning and many long hours on June 26, 2006, 9 wheelies departed Penrith Bowling Club on the trip of a lifetime.
1994 Trip Diary
- Day 1 – Sydney to Hay – report by Caroline Davy
- Day 2 – Hay to Burra – report by Sally and Noel Rippingale, afternoon report by Branka Pupovac
- Day 3 – Burra to Flinders Ranges – report by Daphne Salt
- Day 4 – Flinders Range to Lake Eyre – report by Helen and Jim McNamara,
alternate report by Caroline Davy - Day 5 – Lake Eyre to Coober Pedy – report by Graham Bell
- Day 6 – Coober Pedy to Yulara – report by Rachelle McNally
- Day 7 – Yulara – report by Sharon Paterson
- Day 8 – Yulara – report by Daniel Kojta
- Day 9 – Yulara to Boggy Hole – report by Heather & Barry Connor
- Day 10 – Boggy Hole to Ellery Big Hole – report by Craig Jarvis
- Day 11 – Ellery Big Hole to Allice Springs – report by Shannon Armstrong
- Day 12 – Alice Springs – report by Bette Brian,
alternate report by Caroline Davy - Day 13 – Alice Springs to Elliott – report by George Szkoruda
- Day 14 – Elliott to Darwin – report by Michael Page
- Day 15 – Darwin – report by Albert Lee
- Day 16 – Darwin to Cooinda – report by Kate Peterson
- Day 17 – Kakadu National Park – report by Andrew
Neverly ,alternate report by Caroline Davy - Day 18 – Cooinda – report by Brett Nicholas
- Day 19 – Last day at Cooinda – report by Tom Masters
- Day 20 – Cooinda to Katherine – report by Brian Costin
- Day 21 – Katherine – report by Mary Bell
- Day 22 – Katherine to Daly Waters – report by Alison and Tony Price
- Day 23 – Daly Waters to Barkly Homestead – report by Steve Curtis
- Day 24 – Barkly Homestead to Mount Isa – report by Pissy Pete (Peter Marchant)
- Day 25 – Mount Isa to Birdsville – report by Evan Smith and Carolyn,
alternate report by Trevor Philip - Day 26 – Birdsville – report by Jill and Steve Curtis,
alternate report by Caroline Davy - Day 27 – Birdsville to Innamincka – report by Bette Brian
- Day 28 – Innamincka to Tibooburra – report by Col Jaegar
- Day 29 – Tibooburra to Nyngan – report by Rita Cusmiani
- Day 30 – Nyngan to Sydney – report by Themis Theodore
2006 Trip Diary
- Day 1 – Penrith to Nyngan
- Day 2 – Nyngan to Broken Hill
- Day 3 – Broken Hill to Peterborough
- Day 4 – Peterborough to Brachina Gorge
- Day 5 – Brachina Gorge to Curdimurka
- Day 6 – Curdimurka to Coober Pedy
- Day 7 – Coober Pedy to Yulara
- Day 8 & 9 – Yulara
- Day 10 – Yulara to Boggy Hole
- Day 11 – Boggy Hole to Ellery Big Hole
- Day 12 – Ellery Big Hole to Alice Springs
- Day 13 & 14 – Alice Springs
- Day 15 – Alice Springs to Tennant Creek
- Day 16 – Tennant Creek to Matarancka
- Day 17 – Matarancka to Batchelor
- Day 18 – Batchelor/Darwin
- Day 19 – Batchelor/Litchfield NP
- Day 20 – Batchelor to Katherine Gorge
- Day 21 – Katherine
- Day 22 – Katherine to Daly Waters
- Day 23 – Daly Waters to Barkly Homestead
- Day 24 – Barkly Homestead to Mount Isa
- Day 25 – Mount Isa to Boulia
- Day 26 – Boulia to Birdsville
- Day 27 – Birdsville
- Day 28 – Birdsville to Providence Creek
- Day 29 – Providence Creek to Innamincka
- Day 30 – Innamincka to Camerons Corner
- Day 31 – Camerons Corner to White Cliffs
- Day 32 – White Cliffs to Nyngan
- Day 33 – Nyngan to Penrith