By Aaron Kelly
Meet the Taroom trekkers – a group of softball enthusiasts who travel over 600km every weekend to play the sport they love.
Each Saturday morning, Chelsey Hay, Marley Ellis and their mums, Amanda and Lisa, along with an entourage of family members, hit the road well before the sun comes up.
Despite the long trip, they arrive fully dressed in their Frenchville Scorpions Softball Club uniforms and all smiles for another day of softball action.
“No sleep-ins at our house on Saturday mornings that’s for sure,” Marley’s mum, Lisa, says.
“When the girls were playing under-13s we would have to leave home by 4.45am to get there for an 8.30 start.
“This year they play under-16s and can have an extra hour of sleep and leave at 6am instead. It’s a seven-hour round trip to go to Rocky and back.”
Lisa and her husband, Ricky, both grew up in Taroom – a close-knit community of about 800 people – as did their parents.
The family owned and ran the Ampol Service Station in town for almost 30 years.
The Hay family live on a cattle and grain property 30km from Taroom town, with around 2000 head of mainly Hereford cattle, with Chelsey’s dad, Russell, having lived there his whole life.
So how did playing softball in Rockhampton come about?
“Another keen softball friend, Marley, was going to join up with Frenchville and asked whether we wanted to also and share the driving,” Chelsey’s mum, Amanda, tells the story.
“As Chelsey was mad keen about softball, we decided to join also as at this stage her brothers were at boarding school in Rockhampton, so we could also watch them play football then stay for softball.”
According to Lisa, it was an easy decision.
“I looked up softball clubs that were close to Taroom and the closest ones were Rockhampton or Toowoomba,” Lisa continues.
“We aren’t strangers when it comes to travelling to Rocky so it wasn’t a hard decision to choose which one to join.
“My sisters and I all attended boarding school at RGS and made the trip regularly. Spending as much time in Rocky as a kid, I was happy to make the trip to travel there each week for Marley to play softball.”
This year, Chelsey and Marley play in the Rockhampton under-16s competition for Frenchville, as well as the club’s Open Ladies team.
Amanda has even signed-up, playing for one of Frenchville’s C Women’s sides.
“It’s a great day out and everyone is so friendly,” Lisa says.
“The atmosphere is great with everyone looking out for each other. It’s great to see the parents and kids playing together.
“I hope to one day also put on a Frenchville shirt and play softball – when I don’t have a two-year-old in tow every week that is.”
Even back on the Hay cattle property, softball has become a regular theme most afternoons.
“It has made us love the game and we often practice together during the week or Russell, Chelsey and her brothers, head out to the back yard to have a hit and a throw on a Sunday afternoon,” Amanda says.
“So although not all of us travel to play softball for Frenchville, it has become a family game at home.”
Chelsey and Marley were also part of the Rockhampton under-14 girl’s team which competed at the Softball Queensland State Championships in Caboolture last month.
The team was crowned Country Champions.
The parents agree, the smile on Chelsey and Marley’s faces each weekend playing softball with their teammates is worth the huge cost of fuel and hours of travel.
“Yes definitely. It’s certainly tough making the trip every weekend but we wouldn’t do it if the girls didn’t love it,” Lisa says.
“We share the driving so it helps with the costs. The improvement Marley and Chelsey have made has been outstanding and it’s great to watch them grow and learn from the other kids and the wonderful coaches.”