It’s the ‘camaraderie’ that keeps Heather and Syd Bell coming back to the CMCA National Rally.
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The Gunnedah rally from October 6-13 will be their 20th rally since they joined the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA) in 1998 with a pop-top motor home passed onto them by Mr Bell’s father.
The Sydney couple arrived in Gunnedah on Sunday to volunteer for the 33rd rally, which will draw 700 motor homes to Gunnedah Showground from around Australia.
The Bells started volunteering a number of years ago and are part of club chapter, the Sydney Wanderers.
Mrs Bell said her first job as volunteer was “meet and greet” and Mr Bell was ringed into driving buses, which he continued doing for 15-20 years.
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The pair have made many friends over the years and Mr Bell said the rallies give them an opportunity to catch up with everyone at the same time.
The Bells have plenty of memories from previous rallies including a mouse plague in Deniliquin, fires in Rockhampton, storms in Broken Hill and flooding in Bundaberg.
They said their favourite rallies are often in smaller communities.
“I love rallies in little towns like this because you’re injecting your money into a town that needs it,” Mr Bell said.
The Bells said they liked hitting the road in their motor home because it represented “freedom” and their van is always ready to go, with its own set of crockery, clothes and kitchenware.
Despite the cost of fuel rising, the Bells say they can still manage to travel, with plenty of pen marks on their touring atlas and plans to visit the top left corner of Australia from Kalbarri to Broome next year.
“We’re pensioners but by looking after our money, we can travel on a pension,” Mr Bell said.
