Our Scrapheap Adventure, Back o' Bourke 2013

My husband and I with our three boys had the fantastic opportunity to join the Scrapheap Adventure Ride this year to the Back O’ Bourke, and it turned out to be a perfect adventure for three young boys.

We took three days to drive out to Comeroo Camel Station and were the first to arrive so we were on hand to watch all the riders arrive, beginning with those from Inverell. The bikes were amazingly diverse from little postie bikes to bikes with homemade side carts kitted out with fake dogs. As more and more riders arrived we heard all sorts of stories of where each rider had come from and the adventures they had had along the way.

My oldest son Josiah who is almost sixteen and has Down syndrome, became ‘one of the boys’ very quickly and it wasn’t long before he had conned his way onto a bike. Once he had had a go on one, there was no stopping him, he walked around with a bike helmet under one arm asking anyone he could to take him riding around the property, and many of the riders obliged. 

Other than riding, my boys also loved the freedom to roam, catching lizards and going yabbying, and of course not showering! The lack of electronic devices and phone or internet access meant that we made friends around board games. By night we were entertained by poetry recitals and music. 

On the last night we were also entertained by a lively auction which added much needed funds to those already raised by the riders. One auction item on the night was a light aircraft flight that was purchased and then given to Josiah. The next morning Josiah and his brothers had a half hour flight over the station, swooping both cattle and the leaving riders. They thought it was awesome!

Altogether my family had an awesome time and I think the riders who made the journey enjoyed the weekend as well. We did have a few riders that didn’t make it due to accidents on the way. A couple of riders ended up in Bourke hospital and they tell me they were really well cared for there. 

Personally my family really enjoyed the weekend and we would happily go again, but the weekend also plays an important role in the life of Down Syndrome NSW. It raises much needed funds to support the work of the association, this year raising around $50,000. 

The Scrapheap adventure was started by Perry Gilsenan four years ago as a way of raising money and awareness for people with Down syndrome. But even more importantly we have the opportunity to raise awareness of the needs and abilities of people with Down syndrome particularly in rural areas. I would like to thank those who participated this year and for making my family feel so welcome. We can’t wait to see where Perry will have the Scrapheap Adventure take us next year.

Roger and Michelle Bamber
(Roger is on the Board of Down Syndrome NSW)