The Crows Nest Tourist Park will be playing host to a rare and exciting event this April when the Australian Flxible Clipper Club arrives for their annual Easter Rally. It will be the first time the rally will be held in Queensland, with members expected to attend from all over the country.
In 1948 Sir Reginald Ansett of Ansett Transport Industries, best remembered for Ansett Airlines, brought the first Flxible Clipper bus to Australia. Since then, the vehicles have become rare collectors items for dedicated enthusiasts. To celebrate their history, the group will be making the busses available to the public on the Saturday 20th April at the Crows Nest Tourist park where visitors will be able to experience these nostalgic touring vehicles.
Free Event – Open to the public
When: Saturday 20th April 2019
Time: 8:00am – 1:00pm
Where: Crows Nest Tourist Park, 7558 New England Hwy, Crows Nest QLD 4355
Admission: Free
Clipper Bus History
In 1948, Sir Reginald Ansett of the Flxible Company of Loudonville, Ohio, USA, bought the first Flxible Clipper Bus to Australia. Revolutionary for its time with a low centre of gravity, the vehicles have been icons ever since. 131 vehicles were built in Australia from December 1950 to June 1960 to become touring coaches for outback exploration from the 1950’s through to the 1970’s.
Although many of the busses have been lost or scrapped since then, a handful have been lovingly restored as extremely rare and unique vehicles and motorhomes. These restorations don’t come cheap to the owners, but it’s worth it when you see the quality of these vehicles up close and the unique stories they tell. While some of the busses were used as outback safari vehicles; other uses included school runs, privately hired vehicles (some featured in movies and music videos), and most famously, as tour bus for hard rock band AC/DC from 1950 to 1975.
The rally this year has been organised by Laurie and Troy Doyle, long time members of the group from the Gold Coast. After looking at numerous campsites in Queensland, they finally settled on Crows Nest Tourist Park as the perfect place to hold their event. “It is often hard to find a park that can hold 20-25 busses and accommodate them.” The park offers plenty of space for individuals, families, groups and clubs looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
A Unique Opportunity
Over 75 members are expected to turn up to the rally, along with over 20 individual Flxible Clipper Busses. The public is invited to attend the event to get the chance to look, see and touch history and talk to the owners who have invested their lives in restoring these majestic vehicles. Motoring enthusiasts, nostalgic pensioners, young families and even rock and roll fans are encouraged to come and attend this rare opportunity.
The group will be visiting Toowoomba and Highfields on their free days to see the area so make sure you give them a welcoming wave or toot of your horn if you see them out and about, they’re hard to miss!