Orange Glow Spotted in Singapore

A bright orange glow transcended the sky from Melbourne to Singapore last night, but meteorologists need not be alarmed.

It was no climate phenomenon, more a charitable one.

All but one of the 22-strong team for the fifth Windermere Adventure Challenge to Cambodia began their journey – all looking the part in the bright orange challenge T-shirts.

Co-team leader Ann Selby was despatched a couple of days earlier to help set things up and is eagerly awaiting the team’s arrival, just after 9am local time.

It’s a diverse group and the bus trip from Windermere headquarters in Narre Warren to the airport provided an opportunity to get to know each other a bit better.

Chief scribe Garry Howe zeroed in on a particular point in each person’s life – from information gleaned on training rides and through pre-trip publicity – and asked them to expand on the story.

We learned that singing teacher Brooke Thomlinson shared a movie credit with Delta Goodrem and sister Meleea Wood once caused a Lindy Chaimberlain-type kerfuffle by letting out a nightmare induced piercing scream at a camp site.

That was not comforting news for her roomie Catherine Sharpe, who confessed to seeking out St Johns Ambulance for earplugs at her first concert as a teen – Debbie Gibson supported by Indecent Obsession.

Cardinia Shire health promotion officer Brooke Hayward told the crew she had put her hand up to act as a sidecar swinger on a motor racing track in New Zealand.

Star News Group’s Samantha Smith explained how she was almost run over by a tram when first moving from Sydney to Melbourne. “Well, we don’t have them in Sydney!” she said. Star colleague Gaylene Howe owned up to saying the wrong words all the time, like when she left a table of strangers opened mouthed at dinner one night when remarking how octopus have such big testicles!

Olivia Lyon confessed to recommending what she thought was controversial movie classic Clockwork Orange to a customer when working part-time in a video shop a few years back and being exasperated when he actually walked out with a similar-named video from another more ‘discrete’ section. Her City of Casey workmate Eva Foster explained how she learned electric guitar as a teen and dreamed of starting a band with a friend. “We wanted to be the next Duran Duran, but sadly we didn’t have the X-Factor.”

Pakenham hairdresser Suellen Conway told of how she was detained by authorities for taking a selfie photo from a Tuk Tuk when working for a year in war torn Sri Lanka. “I think they thought I was a spy!”

Cardinia Shire councillor Graeme Moore explained how his football career lasted less than a minute. The ball was bounced, his opponent let fly with a haymaker that landed and a young Graeme stormed off the field, never to return. His talents lay elsewhere.

Shanae ‘Shorty’ Brooks had to justify her absolute fear of moths. “Of course they are scary,” she explained. “They come out in the dark and are attracted to light, so they go for your eyes.”

Brian Paynter, described this week as a '45-year-old living in a 19-year-old body’ had to come clean on his love of kickboxing and regular trips to Asia to indulge the passion.

Animal lover Catherine Zulian told of her year-long trip through the Australian outback and completing the final leg from Cairns trying to dodge the devastating Queensland floods of 2011 with her beloved dog Ruby as her travelling companion.

Outlook business manager Ross Cheesewright explained that he returns home each night to live among fruit trees and goats and his colleague Alison McHenry, the most recent sign-up, has a brother who played for then VFL club South Melbourne and she once worked as PA for Ian Dicker when he was Hawthorn president.

The third of the Outlook crew, James Wynne, tried to trump Brooke by telling of the time he met Kylie Minogue and claiming that she left singing “I Should Be So Lucky’ after the encounter. Yeah, right James! Wishful thinking.

Pressed for a bit of ‘dirt’ on himself, Howe spoke of a management retreat to Werribee Zoo once when his roomy mistook his nightly gastric groans for animal noises. There was relief all round when team leader Carina Tomietto assured he would be rooming with long suffering wife Gaylene. Carina explained how she shipped home made cookies around the world from Pakenham Upper in her previous professional life.

The group learned that Krista Tomlinson plays netball at an elite level, not through the questions, but because the bus had to pick her up at the State Netball Centre. Her team, Boroondara Genesis, won by 10 goals.

We are all still getting to know the two Grill'd executives Geoff Bainbridge and Simon Crowe, who joined us at the airport.

The bright orange challenge T-shirts, with a monk emblazoned on the front and mud splatter on the back, have certainly created interest. Graeme took the look to a new level by adding a bright orange afro wig and bright orange socks with sandles.

Team members have been greeted at every turn by fellow travellers wanting to know all about the journey. The Windermere message is spreading far and wide.

Now for the short trip from Singapore Airport to Siem Reap, where we will be introduced to our bikes straight away and head off to ride around the historic temples of Angkor Wat.

Garry Howe - Star News Group and Carina Tomietto - Windermere Team Leader