CAMPBELLTOWN ROTARY OUTBACK EXPERIENCE
Mr GARDNER ( Morialta ) ( 15:21 ): I rise to inform members about the existence and success
of CROE, the Campbelltown Rotary Outback Experience, which has just completed its fifth
adventure. It is a fundraiser for charity and the fifth CROE raised $40,000 for the Royal Flying
Doctor Service, $6,000 for Angel Flight and $8,000 for Australian Rotary Health.
These five events have been run as an eight-day mystery adventure into the outback, with up to
39 participants and 15 vehicles at a time from the Campbelltown Rotary Club and friends
experiencing extraordinary things in the outback. They are the brainchild of Rotarian Mal Hansen
and his wife, Val. They have been organised and run by Mal and Val with the assistance of a small
group of Rotarians, including the late David Tuckwell who played a large part in organising the first
three.
All meals, accommodation and entertainment have been provided for the group by those areas
visited, who very often donated the cost of such provisions to a charity of their choice or back to
CROE for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Initially, the idea was to take city folk out of their
comfort zone, show them our wonderful outback and to raise funds for the RFDS, but over the
years many participants have returned to do it all again.
At this stage, at the completion of the five events in 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012 and 2014, over
$347,000 has been raised and spent through CROE, with $146,625 being donated to the RFDS,
$13,500 to the Rotary Foundation, $17,500 to Australian Rotary Health, and $6,000 to Angel
Flight. In addition, $112,000 has been left in the outback for the provision of food, accommodation
and entertainment and an estimated $52,000 paid out for fuel—a wonderful outcome and a
significant contribution to those local economies.
The five CROEs have taken participants to many places and remote towns, such as: Tibooburra,
Innamincka, Kingoonya, Maree and Marla. Historical places visited included Anlaby, Milparinka, the
Loveday Internment Camp, Mirikata, Woomera, and Loxton Historical Village. Stations visited and
enjoyed have included Quondong, Sturt's Meadow, Theldarpa, Erudina, Edeowie, Clayton,
Welbourn Hill, Billa Kalina, Wirrealpa and Alpana. Lakes visited include Lake Bonney, Torrens,
Everard, Sturt, Eyre and Cadibarrawirracanna.
The tracks travelled on have included the Strzelecki, Birdsville, Oodnadatta, Borefield and old
Stuart Highway. The ranges explored have included Flinders, Gammon, Gawler and Benlaby.
Aboriginal Communities provided meals and entertainment at Mimili and Iga Warta. The mining
towns toured have included Roxby, Andamooka, Leigh Creek, Moomba, Mintabie and Coober Pedy.
They have enjoyed Flinders, Danggali, Gawler Ranges, Dutchmans Stern and the Sturt national
parks.
Participants have been catered for by numerous organisations and establishments, including sports
clubs at Thevenard, Minnipa and Carrieton; the hospital auxiliaries of Hawker, Booleroo Centre and
Cleve; the Maree, Blinman and Yunta progress associations; and the Rotary clubs of Roxby
District, Broken Hill South, and Northern Yorke Peninsula. The Campbelltown Rotarians, of course,
did some of their own meal provision, which is to be expected.
They were catered for at the highest town in South Australia (Blinman) and underground at the
Serbian church in Coober Pedy. Other organisations have benefitted from the CROE trips, including
the Nature Foundation, Isolated Children's Parent's Association, the RFDS (as previously
described) School of the Air and Bush Australia. Those are just a few of the great experiences and
places visited by dozens of Campbelltown Rotarians and also Rotarians from Magill Sunrise,
Blackwood, Berri, Waikerie, Encounter Bay, Melbourne, Drouin, Frankston East and, indeed, a
visiting Rotarian from Malaysia also participated in the Campbelltown Rotary Outback Experience.
There have been difficulties along the way. CROE2 in 2006 was organised and run while Mal and
Val Hansen's daughter underwent treatment for leukaemia and CROE4 in 2012 was undertaken as
Mal was undertaking treatment for oesophageal and prostate cancers. Both Mal and Val were very
passionate about CROE and the communities and charities that they supported, so they strived to
make them a success despite those personal challenges.
Campbelltown's Rotarians have driven through dust, mud, rivers, creeks, mountains and plains.
Beds have been provided for those who have needed one, generally in shearer's quarters, but
many participants camped in their tents and swags. Entertainment was provided by Peter Coad
and the Coad Sisters, John O'Dea, Jasmine Kimber, Tiffney Reynolds, the Loxton Lutheran Band
and our own participants.
As a member of the Campbelltown Rotary Club, as is the member for Hartley, I am very proud of
their achievements and the support they have given to so many communities. I recognise in
particular the organisers of the five CROE events.