Retro Rock-It... All 80's, all the time!!
2023 Camp Quality esCarpade
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Two more sleeps till esCarpade 2023, so it was time for some last minute checks and balances... Up on the ramps and checking the bash plate is in good order...
Thanks to the amazing people who have sponsored Retro Rock-It in the past few days, bringing our current fundraising total to... drumroll please...
$16,081
Last but not least, a few people have requested the route be uploaded... here's a PDF of it for your viewing pleasure!
Drumroll please...
The route for the 2023 Camp Quality esCarpade has been announced, and it's a cracker!!
Day 0 - Saturday 21 October 2023 - Lismore
All cars make their way to Lismore NSW, where esCarpade 2023 commences with scrutineering, driver briefing and formal Welcome Dinner.
Day 1 - Sunday 22 October 2023 - Lismore to Gatton to Caloundra
The first day of driving, leaving NSW for sunny Qld, where the boys will remain until the final day of esCarpade.
Day 2 - Monday 23 October 2023 - Caloundra to Maryborough to Bundaberg
Should be the first of the school visits for 2023 - the highlight of esCarpade for many of the entrants!
Day 3 - Tuesday 24 October 2023 - Bundaberg to Calliope to Rockhampton
Day 3 is usually a big day, culminating in an even bigger night as the official party night before the lay day in Rockhampton, where broken cars and people will be restored!
Day 4 - Wednesday 25 October 2023 - Lay Day in Rockhampton
Take in the sites, fix cars, catch up with friends, this is the mid-way point of esCarpade and a chance to relax before the run to the finish.
Day 5 - Thursday 26 October 2023 - Rockhampton to Cracow to Chinchilla
Back in the car, it's time to head towards Chinthrilla!
Day 6 - Friday 27 October 2023 - Chinchilla to Tara to Goondiwindi
The penultimate day and the final night in Qld for esCarpade 2023 before dropping over the border on the final day.
Day 7 - Saturday 28 October 2023 - Goondiwindi to Moree to Narrabri
Finishing off esCarpade 2023 with a leisurely drive back into NSW, forming up for a parade into Narrabri for the finish of another fantastic event... with the final night party before a good night's sleep and heading back home on Sunday.
Regular blog readers might be wondering why the radio silence? Well, Covid lockdowns put pay to the esCarpade being held in its regular October timeslot in 2021, and there's also been a small change in the team since the last blog post.
Let's put things in some semblance of order...
Firstly, the 2021/2022 esCarpade is now to be held from 2 - 9 April 2022. The route is remaining mostly the same, starting in Albury, finishing in Coffs Harbour with Mudgee as the halfway point and well earned lay-day... The only change noted in the details was the shift from Tamworth to Manilla (a town slightly north of Tamworth) for lunch on Day 6 (Friday 8 April). Anyone keen to see the map, you can check it out below!
Next up - team changes. Unfortunately, Hoges is a bit unwell, so has made the disappointing decision not to attend the 2021/2022 esCarpade, but is keen to come along next year instead! Joining Damian this year will be his brother Jason, for his second esCarpade experience (a decade since his first one).
Retro Rock-It's fundraising tally stands at an impressive $11112
That said, the boys are still looking to raise more, so click that big yellow button and help Retro Rock-It bring a smile to the face of kids living with cancer!
Start your engines, folks!!
Hot off the press!! The Camp Quality esCarpade 2021 route!! Words courtesy of the esCarpade team!
Day 1: Albury – Narrandera – Cootamundra
After heading out of Albury to the north we zig in a north-westerly direction through Rand, Urana and Boree Creek before lunching at Narrandera.
After lunch we zag to the east shaving Junee before turning north to finish Day 1 in Coota.
Day 2: Cootamundra – Blayney – Forbes
We continue in a north easterly direction through Boorowa, Ryde Park and Rugby as we make our way past Cowra into Blayney for lunch.
After lunch its a due west skirting south of Mt Canobolas, north Canowindra, pulling up stumps in Forbes.
Day 3: Forbes – Wellington – Mudgee
Like most mornings this trip, we spend them heading north. About 60km south of Narromine we cut right through Tomingley and continue east down a couple of dinky tracks and arrive for lunch at the second-oldest town west of the Blue Moutains, Wellington. The afternoon is short and challenging but it is a spectacular run into Mudgee. If there is a scheduled release of water from Cudgegong Dam, there will be a hairy causeway crossing just 2km into the afternoon section!!
Day 4: Mudgee (Lay Day)
Day 5: Mudgee - Gilgandra – Coonabarabran
We head north through the Ten Dollar town of Gulgong to Mendooran where we follow the Castlereagh river into Gil for lunch. After lunch at Gilgandra, we head for the big rock, the Warrumbungle Ranges. If there is time you can drive up to the Observatory on Mt Woorut before heading into Coonbarabran for the night.
Day 6: Coonabarabran – Tamworth – Armidale
You guessed it- we drive north into the Pilliga Scrub and rattle around in there for an hour or two before driving through Boggabri, around Lake Keepit, dropping into Australia's Country Music Capital - Tamworth for lunch. After lunch we climb from 469m to 1049m, with a left-hand hairpin bend set to test the field and finishing up in Armidale for the day.
Armidale can be cold and given its over 1km above sea level, you can see why!!
Day 7: Armidale – Mystery location – Coffs Harbour
It is almost like we saved the best until last. We head towards Kempsey on the Kempsey Rd. However, when we get closer to Kempsey it turns into the Armidale Rd. The drive is amazing and so is the lunch venue which will remain a secret.
After lunch we drive down the main streets of Bowraville and Bellingen before driving our last stretch of dirt on Gleniffer rd to arrive at Coffs from the South.
In what can best be described as bitterly disappointing news for the Qld entrants who were looking forward to not having to drive so far to get to/from the esCarpade, the powers that be have decided that in light of Covid-19 restrictions that may or may not eventuate again, they will move esCarpade 2021 to be completely within NSW... this will allow the most number of teams to participate should borders with other states close again.
The new start and finish locations for esCarpade 2021 are now Albury (in the far south of NSW - on the border with Victoria) and Coffs Harbour.
For Damian, Jason and Hoges in Retro Rock-It, this means instead of a leisurely 245km drive to the starting line this year, it's 1500km... Maybe 2022 will be closer to home...
Still, the boys realise that it's not about them, it's about the opportunity to raise money for Camp Quality and to bring happiness and laughter to the children and families along the route, regardless of where the route may go!
Get excited people, because the 30th Anniversary of esCarpade is coming up in 2021!!
Even more exciting is the fact that the route is very similar to the route from the cancelled 2020 event, so without further ado, the 2021 Camp Quality esCarpade will be...
When: Saturday 23 October 2021 to Saturday 30 October 2021
Where: Lismore to Narrabri via Rockhampton!
Retro Rock-It will be back with a slightly updated crew - stay tuned for exciting announcements over the coming months, and remember, we want to smash our fundraising goal, so click that link over on the right, or below, or wherever it shows up on your browsing device!
https://fundraise.campquality.org.au/fundraisers/RetroRock-It/camp-quality-escarpade-2021
Day
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Date
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What’s happening?
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Day -2
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Thursday 17 October
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Drive… probably overnight at Parkes (~1020km)
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Day -1
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Friday 18 October
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Drive from overnight location to
Wangaratta (~479km)
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Day 0
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Saturday 19 October
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Wangaratta (Scrutineering and
Welcome Dinner)
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Day 1
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Sunday 20 October
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Wangaratta – Omeo – Sale
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Day 2
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Monday 21 October
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Sale – Marysville – Bendigo
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Day 3
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Tuesday 22 October
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Bendigo – Dunkeld – Mount Gambier
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Day 4
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Wednesday 23 October
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Mount Gambier (Lay Day – Wash
Car/Fix Car/Fix Sanity)
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Day 5
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Thursday 24 October
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Mount Gambier – Keith – Renmark
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Day 6
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Friday 25 October
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Renmark – Murrayville – Horsham
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Day 7
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Saturday 26 October
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Horsham – Inglewood – Echuca
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Day 8
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Sunday 27 October
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Drive home (~1566km)
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Day 9
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Monday 28 October
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Arrive home
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