file= CarsBikesPlanes.htm
Test report for FUTURE report, on Cars, Bikes, Boats, Planes. See if goes OK on website
This is a :Temporary report, until OLD photos are recovered. (from MANY years ago)
My times at Airlie Beach. After I had finished a successful Office/Industrial development in Sydney, just
near Mascot airport, and just before the Market crash of Oct-87, I retired to Airlie Beach. 
I bought a nice house in Jubilee Pocket, at an "unbelievable price "compared to Sydney or NSW prices.
I travelled to Airlie Beach, Qld, in my BMW car, towing a trailer with my BMW K75 bike on it. (poser?) 
My K75 BMW bike. This was purchased in
Alice Springs, after my BMW R-65 blew up.
Was exactly the bike I wanted, anyway.
Bloody poser. Silver BMW car & bike + tinny !
From Airlie Beach, apart from fishing in the Whitsundays in my Tinny, with a 50 hp Mercury behind, we
did some trips to the Barrier reef, including North West Island, about 80 km off gladstone, and about 20 km
from the International resort, HERRON Island.
You couldn't eat this much, so I went from 
Northwest Island to Heron Island, about 20 km
Used to be my commuter, to 80 km out to sea. away, and traded these for Boat petrol, booze
Had to get a marine radio and Epirb. and other necessities.
Not a bad haul one year. There were 15 of us.
We stopped shooting these after a while. They
were NOT dangerous, apart from stealing 
fish off the end of our spears.
After Airlie Beach, I moved to the Sunshine Coast, to a LARGE house and land in Tewantin. This was a
handy place to build a few cars, a Beach Buggy and restore a 1976 VW Beetle, to showroom condition.
The Beetle and Beach Buggy, built in Tewantin This had a Subaru motor in it….WOW.
The Nissan Pathfinder, did Stirling service in We used to camp out in the early years.
many outback trips, including : Simpson desert, Were WELL organized, could set up camp,
Across the continent and Cape York +++ more. Tent + cooking in 30 min after stopping.
Bought a 350Z after the BMW car expired. The Buggy also had to show its potential. Pity
Very well built, good quality in everything. the VW gearbox couldn't handle Subaru power.
I also went thru a few changes of motorbikes in Tewantin. The BMW K75 S, was replaced by 2 bikes,
a Honda Degree, 250 cc trail bike and a BMW R100 GS. The R100 GS was meant for an EPIC trip
across all of Russia, from Vladivostok in the Pacific coast to Leningrad in the Baltic sea. After much 
planning, this trip was abandoned, due to lack of help and information from Russian authorities.
The HONDA Dominator. Getting used to real
trail bikes, but VERY heavy on petrol. Was 
about 650 cc from memory. Bit top heavy.
The HONDA 250 cc Degree, terrific TRAIL bike.
This could practically climb trees and gave me
several broken limbs---------------------------------------------->
Honda Degree at Wenlock River Ford, before The BMW R 100 GS…getting serious. Bit
the bridge was built. Excellent bike for Cape York. heavy for soft sand and tight trails.
While I was in Airlie Beach and Tewantin, did NUMEROUS trips overseas, for bike trips. When possible,
I would buy or rent bikes overseas, and sometimes, fly/ship my own bikes there and back. During the
whole time of 35 + years that I owned motorbikes, I logged just under 1 mil km, in Oz and OS. Sold my
last bike in 2016 (or so ?) Was starting to get careless.
One of my bikes in Europe, from Austria to
North Cape, Norway. BMW K1000..fast.
Didn’t get any bookings, couldn't catch me ?
<---My early BMW R65, did great work all
over Australia, It blew up, trying to keep up
with a mate on the Stewart hwy, from 
Adelaide to Darwin. Had to buy a new BMW
K 75 S in Alice springs. 
<--- See what happened to my  BMWR 65.
The BMW K 75 S, replaced blown up R 65.
Could keep up with all the 1000 cc riders in
the NSW BMW club, with this. 
A couple of photos from overseas bike trips below. Could not take many photos on bike trips :-
Stop the bike, take gloves off, take helmet off, find camera, take photo, then reverse the procedure.
Also, when riding with mates, we were generally "pressing each other" so you had your life in your hands
most of the time. Also, in those days, 20 to 30 years ago, there was no Internet to post trip reports on.
With a mate on the Alaska hwy, before it was
paved. From San Diego, Cal., to Alaska and
return. Couldn't make it to Nth Cape for RAIN.
Alone in northern FINLAND, at Arctic Circle---------->
Didn't get any bookings as the cops couldn't 
catch me. 
Just after finishing High School, I joined the RAAF, Officer Training School at Point Cook Vic. Was a
great experience, for Character, punctuality and Self Discipline. Unfortunately, my eyes deteriorated to
such a degree that I lost my flying medical. Not wanting to be a DESK jockey, I left the RAAF and
finished CIVIL Engineering at Sydney University, while working full time as a Bar waiter ! Good thing my
mates could provide me sufficient Uni Notes that I could cram thru the final exams…only just.
We did MORALE BOOSTING training flights
while going thru the RAAF Academy routines. Didn't we think we were terrific ? Made all the
Final training was after 4 years at Academy. PAIN and BASTARDRY worthwhile, Eh ?
These were replaced by French Mirages. All
the Hot-shots wanted to be Fighter pilots.
Picture of my FATHER, training in another Airforce.-------->
He ended up doing service in the Luftwaffe, in WW2.
Flew Bombers on the Eastern front. Had VERY few photos
surviving of his service…he spent many months in a military 
hospital after the war. Don't know how he survived ?
Father with one of his Squadron mates, somewhere in
the Eastern Front. Towards the end of the war, the
German Airforce only had fuel for the Fighter planes.
This probably saved my fathers life, as he was transferred
Shortly before the end of WW2. In Germany, to an Artillery Unit, as there was no fuel left for bombers.
Berlin, I believe ? Father, Older sister & me.
==============================================================================
Potted History for John Parjel, HBHS (done for Homebush High school re-union)
After HBHS, I did a short stint at the RAAF Academy at Point Cook. My vision deteriorated sufficiently
to prevent me doing fast jet flying, so I went to Sydney University to do Civil Engineering. I did more
work as a full time bar waiter at an RSL club to put me thru Uni, than Engineering study/attendance !
After final 4th year exams, I was that broke that I had to take the first job available, needing
to start immediately in December, before X-Mas. BHP Newcastle was willing to take me on starting
immediately as a Structural design Engineer at their Newcastle steelworks. This turned out to be an
incredible blessing in disguise, as apart from doing steelworks designs, I could spend as much time
as I wanted playing with two old computers, an IBM 1130 and a Honeywell 200 if I remember right ?
Learning programming and becoming computer literate, served me well for the rest of my career.
Joined Civil & Civic in Sydney, as a structural designer, after one year at BHP. My
computer experience was put to very good effect in doing high rise design and I introduced  several
powerful “commercial” computer analysis programs to Civil & Civic and their structural consultants.
I probably learnt more about structural design at Civil & Civic in 3 months than in all my
years at Uni and BHP, a great company to work in and work for ! Terrific team spirit, result orientated.
After about 3 frenetic years pumping out high rise designs, I moved on to Project Management, again
specialising in commercial high rise, design and construction. My projects included the MLC building
in George St., Brisbane, which was the tallest high rise in Qld., for some time. More noteworthy was
the  speed of construction, the last 20 floors (of 35 levels) going up in 60 days or 3 days a floor.
This record still stands and is unlikely to be broken, mainly for truck access reasons. This building
was concrete framed but using the patented Progressive Strength system, plus months of pre-planning !
Did several other Landmark buildings in Brisbane, then Sydney for various companies,
until I reckoned I was ready to take on development on my own, about the end of 1983. Here begins a
a story of unbelievable good fortune ! (or arse?) I took on a large modern office/industrial development
near Sydney airport, consisting of about 20,000 sq.m., and 20 units from 500 sq.m to 2000 sq.m. Now
18 of the 20 units leased in the first 6 months. The 2 largest units at 2,000 sq.m., each had virtually no
inquiry for 10 months. These projects are sold on to institutional investors on the basis of their income
earnings, so things were not looking too bright ? Suddenly, Bob Hawke called a snap federal election
about mid 1987, and the electoral commission rented the two outstanding units (min. lease 6 months)
to count the votes. The development was now fully leased and sold on to an institution at a comfortable
profit. A month or two later, came the Oct-87 market crash. Numerous developers with unfinished or
unsold developments, suffered badly or went to the wall !!  I looked up at the sky and said thanks mate !
Having escaped by a hair's breadth, I decided to quit while ahead, and retired in modest
comfort to Airlie Beach, in the beautiful Whitsundays to try my hand at fishing and diving. Also, did a lot
of motorcycle touring, in Oz, USA and Europe. Don't know how I survived some of these trips ?
After  8 years, the village of Airlie Beach got to feel a bit remote. We searched for several weeks and
found a nice “battleaxe” place beside a large lake in Tewantin, Qld, in the Sunshine Coast. I was silly
enough to take up trail bike riding, and after several trips to Cape York & Simpson Desert, plus  a
broken leg or two, decided that a 4WD was more appropriate for someone my age ? Have now built a
Beach Buggy with a powerful 2.2lt. Subaru motor. Also restoring a 1975 VW Beetle to showroom class.
Details of my recent travels are on my website, which started out as information for our 4WD club.
This has grown over the years, to include other travel and car builds/restorations. Check out :-
www.parjel.com/
More photos of 5-6 high rise projects and the
INDUSTRIAL development, that retired me.
Will hunt for these in my massive photo 
collection and put them here in due course.
This report will be ADDED to over the next
few months with MORE information and photos.
MLC building, George & Adelaide Sts., Brisb.
I was the YOUNG Project manager with a
VERY young TEAM, to successfully complete
this project, on time, under cost. Was the
tallest building in Brisbane for a while.
My old house at Airlie Beach.
The last 20 floors went up in 60 days, or 3 days 
per floor. Don't think this has been beaten 
since then ??
================================================================================ END HOME