Here’s Humpys report from his trip to Melbourne at the end of last year

(STMA takes no responsibility for any politically incorrect content)

Trip to the President’s Cup

John & Kathy Humphries

17^th November we flew from Dunedin to Christchurch was a bit bumpy !!!!!!.

Done the duty free thing, a cuppa and food 1 .5 hours and on the big bird to Melbourne.

No trouble with customs out of there pretty quick, in to the cue for a long but enjoyable taxi ride with a darky who could give a bit of rubbing and also take a lot he was good.

Into the Rendezvous Hotel down on Flinders Street. 119 meters along from the railway station. We were on the 9^th floor, we could look out our room window and see the M C G, AAMI stadium Art’s centre, across the rail yards and Murray River on to South Gate all ways something going on.

Once settled into our room we decided to go out for a walk to get tea. Well John was the leader up here, along here over here so on and so on, we were amazed at the amount of people out just thousands thanks for those very wide foot paths. We did eat some where and by 10-30 thought was time to head to hotel, I said to Kathy not sure where to go BUT for some one who gets lost in Dunedin Kathy pointed us in the correct direction gave directions and was spot on.

Friday 18^th Terry Sullivan of Power Farming with Owen Williams who had won the Trainee Award was to pick me up at 8-15 am but owing too traffic was running quite late but the wait was worth it as at that time of morning the numbers on the foot path as very high and worth watching ………………….. Well Terry had studied the map the night before and made a very good job of it as about 40 mins we were at the gates of the Metropolitan Golf Club, Terry tried speaking into the thing on the gate ringing the bell no answer he got out of the car waved his wallet in front of the sensor magic the gate opens.

Here we spent 3hours with Glen Stuart we spent an hour around the sheds and a drive around the course.

Glen pointed out some of the major changes he and his staff have done since he has been there which we were sure the Board of Management and Members would be very proud of as all the work was done in-house.

We left Glen and again it was a drive to Kingston Heath Golf Club where Terry never missed a corner.

As we were walking to the office area a young good looking lad came up to me gid-a- Humpy

Logan I am sure his name is, he worked on our 9^th -17^th turf swapping job at Chisholm when he was at the polytechnic, he had only been there 7 weeks but speaking to Martin later he said he feels like Logan had been there for 18 months.

Well into the office to catch up with Martin Greenwood man it was great to get in there and found out why Martin was in there AIR CONDITION was on outside 35c very hot, we had a very good talk about many different topics.

Then we spent an hour and a half out on the course looking around talking of the different ways thing are done over there.

It sure was great having Martin and Glen over at the South Island Fine Turf Seminar in 2010 and I can assure any of you folk who has the opportunity to visit them on there courses do not miss it.

Thanks again to Glen and Martin

Well Friday evening I got back to the hotel, Kathy had been shopping and reading to fill the day in. We had old family friends come in and join us for drinks and dinner very nice but it started to rain at 6-30pm still going when they left 11-00pm.

19^th Saturday woke at 6-30 am still pissting down back to bed for half hour still could not see any more than three blocks over, forecast was not good for the day had brekey still had not eased went to golf shop 2 doors down from hotel the guy said not going to be good out there today. So we spent the day under cover in town. Sorry guys but our tickets were not used that day.

20^th Terry texted me at 6-30am said he would pick us up at 8-15 and could not have been to much traffic as he was spot on time.

9-15 we pulled into car park, just as we were getting out a 6 seater Club Car pulled up and the old gentleman said the lady with the walking stick better get in the cart and the three good-looking guys can get in to so we did, it would have taken 20 mins to walk, straight passed the men taking tickets.

We were dropped around by the club house Terry suggested to us where to go what to do and to meet back here at 2-30 pm.

Around the corporate area got some food and out on to the course set ourselves up on the 3^rd hole meet up with a bunch of hard case blokes a lot of banter and when the golfers came through we were all on one side, the Americans got a slag, it sure was great to be so close to all those top players something I thought would never happen to me.

We went back at 2-15 Terry came along as we got there, he went down and got the Fatima Daboussi Asian South Pacific manager of Club Car came and introduced her to us she pushed Terry off the seat and said to Kathy to get in and drove down to the Club Car marquee where you could go out side and watch the golf or stay watch the golf on T V drink and eat food, also was good to meet up with Jack Newton the player who used to come to Dunedin to play in tournaments in the 70’s, we were in the last 6 to leave

I would like to thank Terry Sullivan from Power Turf for the time he spent driving us around.

Both John and Kathy would like to thank the Southern Turf Managers Association for the trip to Melbourne to the President’s Cup.

The timing was fantastic as we were able to get a rental car and drive to Kathy’s brothers home in Moruya N S W where the following Saturday night we were present for his 60^th birthday which was a hoot and then home the following Tuesday from Sydney.

Cheers and Thanks again to all from the Southern Turf Managers Association

John & Kathy Humphries

.         

bri

ngs you: