Townsville Amateur Radio Club provided volunteer communications support for the B2B Endurance Riders Association’s 2026 Paluma Passion Endurance Rides, held at the North Queensland Equestrian Centre, Bluewater Park, over the weekend of Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July.
What a great couple of days, enjoying the outdoors — everything from beautiful sunshine to seven degrees Celsius in the early morning. Lots of fun watching the horses, and feeding them, was had. Even watching the riders do the “Chicken Dance” in the saddle!
Radio operators covered Ride Base and three checkpoints spread across the ride tracks, keeping watch over competitors on rides ranging from a 5km introductory loop right up to the full 80km endurance ride, running on simplex at 146.550MHz and UHF CB Channel 26.
On the Radios
-
Ride Base
Lyndall VK4ZM & Gavin VK4ZZ -
CP Grid
Doris & Wayne VK4WSG -
CP Wayne’s World
Snow VK4ME -
CP Ron’s Gate
Les VK4ALS
Thanks to everyone who volunteered a checkpoint, brought the HF gear along for the quiet moments between competitors, and kept Ride Base company through some genuinely chilly early mornings. See the Communications Support page for more on the club’s volunteer program.