Truck Ghost Town - Part 2. Mystery Solved!

In-depth

2 Mar

So, I’ve arrived at Greens Lake to find a bunch of trucks and trailers, open doors, half eaten meals, Eskys stacked with beer and other goodies together with all the other trappings of a good weekend with mates.

But no mates!

I sniff my armpits but the Nivea for Men is still doing its job, so they couldn’t have smelt me coming. There’s a dirt road leading to the Lake and the cloud of dust kicked up by the Territory would certainly have heralded my impending arrival, but there’s only one way in and no-one had passed me. Together with the eerie feeling that I’d somehow come across the truck equivalent of The Bermuda Triangle, I was feeling decidedly unloved.

My first thought was to give Browny a call – quickly followed by a second thought that , if he answered at all, he’d likely send me in the wrong direction. Another gander around the campsite and I realised that one of the trailers belonged to Ronnie Graham.

Unlike Browny, I’ve only ever written nice things about Ronnie, so surely he’d pick up on my call. Ring, ring…ring, ring…

“Hey Kermie, how are ya?”

“Lonely mate. Which pub are you lot at?”

“Not at a pub….hey Browny, got Kermie on the line. Wants to know where we are.” (Unintelligible reply and probably unprintable).

Risking the wrath of said Browny, Ronnie nevertheless informs me that they are at Greens Lake Farm, just back down the road, a couple of right hand turns and I’ll find them. He even rings me back after a few minutes to make sure that I’m on the right track and tells me he’ll wait in the middle of the road. Good bloke is that Ronnie Graham.

Coming around the last bend and there’s the Snitzleburger, Braggsies old 1418 Benz, together with some other familiar trucks and a few I’ve not come across before. This is hopeful as I’ve been starved of stories thanks to Covid.

I park up and there’s Paul Dossett, Lizard, Gary Gilchrist and a bunch of others doing what truckies do. Yakking and looking at machinery.

Geoff Brown has gone above and beyond in organising these get-togethers, of which this is the fourth. Not only does he check out possible camp sites but scouts the immediate surrounding area to find out what may be of interest. So it was that he found Greens Lake Farm, a little unpublicised gem that contains tractors and more tractors, together with lots of other memorabilia. (I loved the super clean ‘Hey Charger’) The owner was more than happy for a bunch of truckies to come and wander about the place.

**Braggsy, Lizard and Ronnie reminisce over an old Oliver tractor.**

Eventually the call of Great Northern (and other varieties of beer) became too strong to ignore and we bade our farewells and thanks and headed back to the campsite.

Now bustling with human life (Read: The opportunity for me to get a story or two), and with someone generously offering me a beer – not one of his, we settled down to discuss – what else – trucks.

More to come ….