Huge congratulations to Canberra couple Connie and Ian Warburton who have just won the 11th Outback Air Race, raising almost $20,000 along the way for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
The couple, who raced as The Wacky Warbos, won the almost-4000km air race from Darwin to Coffs Harbour in their 1974 Piper Cherokee 140, which they affectionately call the "the family truckster".
Ian, a member of the Royal Australian Air Force for 53 years, piloted their plane to victory, winning the first two of the eight legs of the navigational time trial and coming close to first in the rest.
"The third leg we came second by one point and then the fourth leg we came second by 0.331 one of a point," he said.
They won a trophy and bragging rights. And memories of a wonderful experience.
"It was absolutely brilliant, we loved every minute of it," Ian said.
More than $630,000 was raised by all the teams for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
"We made friends with so many people and it was just a fantastic experience because you're going to all these out of the way places," Ian said.
"You fly during the day and at night you've got all these people to party with. Everyone seemed to get on really, really well."
The team that won each leg received a mannequin's leg which they had to use to solicit donations for the Flying Doctor.
"People just throw money into the leg," Ian said. "For the two legs we won, we got $705 from people just throwing money into the leg."
The Warburtons' total fundraising was $18,595, which included a special donation for the team mascot crocheted by Connie, a Muttley dog renamed Wacky.
Colin, from Far North Queensland, made them an offer they couldn't refuse.
"After we got back, he said, 'I will give you $1000 to your fundraising if I can have that little mascot. We said, 'It's yours'. He put the money into our fundraising and Connie mailed it off to him last night," Ian said.
But there is no rest for the wicked.
Connie and Ian are now hard at work on their famous Halloween display for their home in Osmand Street, Wanniassa.
"Now the focus is on Halloween, that's our next big thing," Ian said, with a laugh.
"And after that I think we are going to have a little rest."
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