What Made You Smile - 2026

[Fizzie]

If you fly from Fukuoka, Japan, to Donald Trump Airport, Palm Beach, Florida, your ticket will show FUK - DJT  

& if you then travel onwards to Sioux City, Idaho, that ticket will be DJT - SUX!

Surprised he hasn't yet banned flights between those places!

[xcvator]

Ahh, now Fizzie , who's going to be brave enough to explain it to Donald 

[Fizzie]

So when you've forgotten to take a torch with you ...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2026-07-19/reflect-orbital-wants-to-sell-sunlight-to-earth/106918866

Yeah, nah! 

[Hairs]

My Dad's HG wagon had a coat hanger for an antenna
Learned to drive and got my license in that wagon, Bog standard 186 - three on the tree.
Would love to get another one for a daily

Hey Matt,
I was going through my phone, the cars I use to have.
Most are are collectables these days.
71 XY Fairmont Wagon.
71 Toyota Crown.
XW 351 Winsor ute.
78 HZ 253 SL sedan.
HZ 308 1 Tonner tray.
86 VL 3lt turbo wagon.
78 XC 302 Fairmont.
69 XW Fairmont, 351, Bullnose Top loader,  9" disc brake LSD.

And I've had my 80 series now for 22 years.

But, I had fun.



You don't use magic to disappear, ya use a 4x4 & Swag.

[Pottsy]

Hey Matt,
I was going through my phone, the cars I use to have.
Most are are collectables these days.
71 XY Fairmont Wagon.
71 Toyota Crown.
XW 351 Winsor ute.
78 HZ 253 SL sedan.
HZ 308 1 Tonner tray.
86 VL 3lt turbo wagon.
78 XC 302 Fairmont.
69 XW Fairmont, 351, Bullnose Top loader,  9" disc brake LSD.

And I've had my 80 series now for 22 years.

But, I had fun.



You don't use magic to disappear, ya use a 4x4 & Swag.

Got me thinking of all the cars I've owned or had as company cars.

EK Holden sedan
HZ Holden Ute
HD Holden Sedan
XA Falcon Wagon (comp car)
KB Holden Rodeo Ute (comp car)
XB Ford Fairmont Sedan
Leyland Marina
XD Ford Falcon Sedan (comp car)
1978 Toyota Corolla SE Sedan
1985 TM Magna SE Sedan (comp car)
1989 Subaru Touring Wagon (comp car)
VN Commodore Wagon (comp car)
VP Commodore Wagon (comp car)
VS Commodore Calais Sedan (comp car)
Holden Rodeo Twin Cab Ute (comp car)
VY commodore Wagon (comp car)
98 Ford Laser
2006 Holden Captiva Wagon (comp car)
2008 KXR Toyota Kluger (comp car)
2011 VE Commodore Wagon (comp car)
2014 Nissan Xtrail Wagon (comp car)
2015 Toyota Kluger GX Wagon (comp car)
2001 Nissan R50 Pathfinder wagon 4WD
2014 Mitsubishi PC Challenger Wagon 4WD
2015 Suzuki Vitara

[rags]

Got me thinking of all the cars I've owned or had as company cars.

EK Holden sedan
HZ Holden Ute
HD Holden Sedan
XA Falcon Wagon (comp car)
KB Holden Rodeo Ute (comp car)
XB Ford Fairmont Sedan
Leyland Marina
XD Ford Falcon Sedan (comp car)
1978 Toyota Corolla SE Sedan
1985 TM Magna SE Sedan (comp car)
1989 Subaru Touring Wagon (comp car)
VN Commodore Wagon (comp car)
VP Commodore Wagon (comp car)
VS Commodore Calais Sedan (comp car)
Holden Rodeo Twin Cab Ute (comp car)
VY commodore Wagon (comp car)
98 Ford Laser
2006 Holden Captiva Wagon (comp car)
2008 KXR Toyota Kluger (comp car)
2011 VE Commodore Wagon (comp car)
2014 Nissan Xtrail Wagon (comp car)
2015 Toyota Kluger GX Wagon (comp car)
2001 Nissan R50 Pathfinder wagon 4WD
2014 Mitsubishi PC Challenger Wagon 4WD
2015 Suzuki Vitara

While I could list all the cars I have owned since 1981, there is no way I could recall all the company cars I have had over a 20 year period. My employer turned over the cars at 60000km and I was on average reaching that milestone in 14 months

[xcvator]

I've said for years ya don't have to have a 4wd

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-30/gibb-river-road-toyota-corolla-driver-jonny-charles/106972718

[Bird]

more a test of coffee machine than the corolla

1500km from nearest town ............... inspector rocks up, where's your permit

[MattNQ]

I've said for years ya don't have to have a 4wd

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-30/gibb-river-road-toyota-corolla-driver-jonny-charles/106972718

Agree.
When we installed the optic fibre between Mt Isa and Doomadgee, we had an auditor from down south rock up in a Commodore. He did the trip on the back road from Century Mine through Lawn Hill Station to Doom City no worries at all.I had a Patrol, but never needed to give him any help.

[Hairs]

Walked out the back door  and was greeted by this, they are a regular visitor.

You don't use magic to disappear, ya use a 4x4 & Swag.

[Fizzie]

Yeah, we had a pair of them (well, Dad & daughter, by the look) during the week as well

[Bird]

This tune was made for this dude LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

[Foo]

Walked out the back door  and was greeted by this, they are a regular visitor.

You don't use magic to disappear, ya use a 4x4 & Swag.

I had eight of them on the back deck one day. 

Foo

[Bird]

LOL

[GeoffA]

Yep. The CRB....Country Roads Board.
Every large-ish country town in VIC had a depot...

[OldPaj]

And the CRB was how we had our driveway bitumened (approx 20M) when I was a lad, Dads mate and his crew did it in an afternoon followed by a slab, all done in time for them to return to the depot by 1645hrs ready to knock off.

[Fizzie]

Council are just about to replace a bridge near us, that's ~30 years old & has "reached end of life" (at 30? I'd be throwing it back on the developer to replace it at their expense!)

Here's one of the versions of blurb we've had about it: https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Services/Projects-works/Burleigh-Waters-Cassowary-Drive-bridge-replacement & here's the bridge in question (Cassowary Drv) https://maps.app.goo.gl/NKZAA1rft5LWQfyZ6

Their range of published guesses for delay is bridge closed 31/8 till "early 2027" / "mid-2027" / "15 months" = ~Dec 2027 & "18 months" = ~Apr 2028

But the bridge was still open at 3.30pm, yesterday 1/9, with no equipment, barriers, signage or anything else visible, so 2 days behind schedule on the 2nd day!  

Hmm, a 3-day operation that's gone way over time? Where have I heard about that before?  

[Fizzie]

But they have history of similar!

~15 years back, they replaced stormwater pipes under the road here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3siWGYp1psLArrSbA

Pretty simple job, I hear you say, but from closing the road, digging it up, removing the 3 x 18" round culverts, replacing them with 3 x 2m square concrete culverts, refilling it, resurfacing & reopening the road was just short of 2 years!

As I said at the time, give me a group of 20 blokes with picks & shovels, let alone machinery, & I'd have it done in a weekend!