
Written by: Regina Seipp, photo credits: Regina Seipp.
Translation: Marion Adriaensen / GSI
Original title
MEIN GANZ BESONDERER AUSTRALIENURLAUB
t was back in 2001 when I began planning another Australian holiday. First the idea was to travel together with some friends however they finally decided to spend their holidays in New Zealand. I decided to go to Australia after all. First thing to do was to convince my boss that I needed at least 3 ½ weeks for my journey. I also wanted to include some days Sydney before I’d start an organized tour along the East Coast.

Finally my boss agreed and I was overjoyed to find out I was able again to travel to my beloved Australia again. It’s not only my dreamland because of its nature and the climate but also because of some people. I’d been looking for these particular people for quite some time yet. The search in fact began back in 1989 with a photo of the Gibb Brothers and their former colleagues Colin Petersen and Vince Melouney. When I saw this photo I decided I just wanted to find out what had become of these two men. I first tried to find out through some of the fan clubs, without any luck. These people didn’t want to tell anything like often the case is I’m afraid), or they really didn’t know anything. There is no person registration office like we know this to check and ask for people you are looking for, I decided to ask embassies, The Red Cross and other institutions in Australia. All of them were very helpful. One day I got the tip to try and ask around in the music business. So I did and see what happened, after a search of 5 years, I received a very kind letter from Joanne Petersen, Colin’s wife. She let me know now that after I’d found her she’d send through all my letters to Colin and Vince. So I started writing like crazy but from the other site I heard very little but when I did it was always very kind. Vince however didn’t respond.
Of course I was much too early at the meeting point. Colin arrived about 10 minutes after the time he’d actually be there. First I was scared a bit because he didn’t look quite well and not shaved etc. He didn’t seem to be a rich and famous musician anymore but he was very kind. He told me a lot about the old days with The Bee Gees and was very proud to be able to speak with an enthusiastic fan. At the moment he’s working at a radio station and he’s writing a book about his life as a film star when he was still a child and of course about him being the drummer of The Bee Gees. I think he loved his period of being a Bee Gee. He told very enthusiastic about all the crazy fans and their behaviour. A thing he still remembers very well was the arrival in Hamburg in 1968 when all the names of the group were written in flowers at the airport. Now he soon hopes to find someone who gives him the possibility to release his book and to support him financially with that project. We’ve talked together for about 1 ½ hours and I enjoyed it very much. He paid my orange juice and of course I had to give him some photos made by a kind waitress. Then I also gave him the champagne bottle I’d received from Quantas. Of course I’d to ask about Vince as well. Colin thought it was best to phone Vince. And Colin would first send Vince a message and later on give me the mobile phone number of Vince, that easy!!. That evening I couldn’t reach Colin anymore but I succeeded the next day when I first thanked him again for the nice meeting and then he gave me the number to reach Vince.
Love Regina.

Colin married his Joanne
