2022 Outback Links project
Laying around 400km west-north-west of Sydney is Trundle – a small, sub-1000 population town within the Parkes Shire of Central West New South Wales.
The town boasts some quirky traits, including the Trundle ABBA Festival (yes, in honour of the Swedish pop group), Bush Tucker Day, and – perhaps Trundle’s strangest accolade – a 60-metre-wide main road, considered one of Australia’s largest.
While the town is truly unique, the hardships endured by its community as of late are, unfortunately, all too familiar.
Bushfire, flood and COVID-induced travel restrictions have hit Trundle in the same way as many regional NSW towns, with local economies and residents struggling to recover after back-to-back wallops.
In March, a 12-strong NRMA team – consisting of eight Patrols and four corporates – headed to Trundle to assist four local properties get back on their feet any way they could.
More mechanically-inclined than previous tours, the group set about repairing small engines on its first day for a farming family that found itself having to prioritise basic amenities and running of the farm rather than upkeep of the engines.
The NRMA team tackled and succeeded with 17 of them by the end of the day. After encountering an especially stubborn unit, a Patrol declared "I am determined to sort this truck out, it is not going to beat me”, giving an insight of the spirit of the groups that attend these projects.
The next day brought with it more challenges and some required a more personal touch. Our corporate volunteers assisted the farming family by helping to clean out barns, paint the house and even read the young children stories to give the parents some much-needed time off.
On another farm, a young man with aspirations of becoming a mechanic watched and learned as our Patrols repaired his paddock-bashing Mitsubishi Magna. The boy later remarked that the experience was “the best day of his life”, showing how invaluable this type of help can be to those receiving it.
As is customary for these Outback Links trips, our volunteers wound down the tour over dinner with the locals they’d helped. An often emotional affair, the depth and breadth of just how much the help means to the community comes to the surface.
The rejuvenated paddock-basher, an old tractor given a new lease on life, and the joy of a local (pictured top of story) as she ran to her shed upon hearing the sound of her quadbike firing up for the first time in a long time were some crowd favourites.
In early May, a new team – but with the same goal – will be on the road, heading for Condobolin, about an hour west of Parkes.
The NRMA would like to thank Outback Links organisers Frontier Services for connecting us with communities in need, and Bursons Auto Parts for supplying the equipment needed to help get these families back on their feet.
