The kids have been kind enough to pass on their latest cold/flu just in time for the long weekend.Never mind its going to belt down rain here anyway.
So consequently I was awake at 2am this morning with the cold shivers and sore throat dosed to the eyeballs with codral and panadene forte and couldn't sleep.After surfing the endless infomercials and rubbish on TV at that time(christ I thought it was bad at 8pm...)I came across a 1970s episode of the Leyland brothers.I had this flashback from when I was a kid of sitting on the lounge room floor being amazed where these guys went in there 4x4s.Even though they had the on screen charisma of a fridge door,id take that over the overdone reality,hairgel "celebrities and tattooed drongo footballers that inundate our screens now.
Here they were with old landrovers or jeeps running tyres that are the same size as my 3 year old sons scooter ...no BFGs or mickey Ts here...
My dad had the first landcruiser tray back in my home town in 1971, army tread cheesecutter tyres, and remember a similar thing with it being loaded to the hilt with sand(one shovel at a time, no bobcats either) ,then driving through a soft sand track to get out.Let the tyres down?? never heard of it. He towed and pulled so much with that old thing in 15 years it was 3 inches longer when we sold it.
Its images like these that have in the past induced many a camp fire conversation about how much gear we carry now and how our country has changed in 40 years.I'm not sure if city dwellers notice but we sure do.
Here were the leyland kids (probably 18months and 4) with lapsash belts on and hanging out the window on 4x4 tracks.I'm not condoning not strapping kids in,mine are always strapped in.But can you imagine if someone did that on a show today?
Here were the blokes on the cattle station dragging cattle with a rope around their neck, giving them a kick in the head and nearly pulling the tails off and setting them on fire with a branding iron.Four corners would be straight onto that.Once again I'm not condoning animal cruelty but it was easy to see how times have changed.
Are things better now with all the gadgets and must have gear?
I still think things were nicer when we were allowed to think for ourselves,make our own decisions without government intervention and every one minded their own business.
I used to ride my dirt bike up the beach to south west rocks after school to see my mates, the local copper saw me once and said"oi don't let the national parks catch ya". Would that happen now? no.Mind you i wouldnt want dirt bikes on my local beach now either.
I think i need some sleep.....
Now ....wheres that panadene ......