The Kalamazoo Crossing 2011 team will push off from Adelaide (Snowtown) on July 24 aboard a Kalamazoo – a hand-powered railcar called Olive – bound for Darwin, 3000km across the harshest landscape the country has to offer
To donate to this exceptional cause visit http://www.everydayhero.com.au/event/kalamazoocrossing
An Australian first, they are hopeful that a new Guinness World Record for the fastest crossing of the country by a hand-powered rail vehicle will be set – also the longest trip by Kalamazoo.
The journey is being supported by a number of organisations including Winnebago, on what promises to be an eventful, fun filled and exciting journey through Australia’s red centre with spectacular scenery, quirky outback activities and a charitable goal, raising much needed funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Winnebago enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to support this endeavour given the unique nature of the trip and the fact that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is also Winnebago’s long time charity of choice.
Winnebago and the Winnebago RV Club constantly raise money for the RFDS to assist them to continue to support Australia’s remote regions in terms of medical and emergency treatment, after all, motorhomers have an affinity with Australia’s vastness, taking their motorhomes to many and varied out of the way destinations given the self-contained nature of all Winnebago motorhomes.
The Winnebago RV Club is getting into the spirit of the adventure and some of its members are joining the team in anticipation of adventure and the camaraderie of spending many days together as they transverse the red centre.
WRVC members attending the Kalamazoo Crossing will meet up at Winnebago’s South Australian dealer, Winnebago Adelaide on July 22 for a welcome dinner and musical feast around a huge campfire before setting off to Snowtown to meet up with the Kalamazoo crew.
Along the way to Darwin, everyone will experience fantastic outback meals, dress up theme nights, powered accommodation most of the way, and the time to see some of Australia’s most iconic sights like Uluru and Katherine Gorge
Winnebago is supplying two of its new models, Esperance Premium and Ceduna, only recently launched at the major Caravan Shows, as support vehicles for the attempt. Each vehicle will travel over 7000km on the round trip through inhospitable terrain and in many ways, it is an endurance test of both man and motorhome, Winnebago is very confident that the motorhomes will perform flawlessly.
Strong and durable, both the Esperance Premium and the Ceduna are powered by turbo diesel engines and offer power to spare. The Esperance is built on a Iveco Daily 50C18 chassis and the Ceduna on a Volkswagen Crafter, both offering extensive standard specification such as dual rear wheels, rear wheel drive, air-conditioning, automated manual transmission, power windows, central cabin locking and the list goes on.
Inside each of the motorhomes, the crew will have it good utilising the fully equipped kitchens, bathrooms offering hot and cold running water and separate flushing toilets. Roof air-conditioning will keep the heat at bay, each has a LCD flat screen TV and DVD player and both offer comfortable beds. The Ceduna features a space saving electric roll down bed and offers seatbelts for six people. The Esperance Premium is an A class thus extremely spacious as the cabin forms part of the living area, the space amplified by the electric slide out room and large island bed.
Watch the progress of the Kalamazoo Crossing on www.kalamazoo crossing .org
