Toast to Ando and Beck

2008 was the year Lonely Planet got back into the online game with the launch of a new website after struggling to do that for too long. With new shareholders BBCW on board, we met some wonderful people who gave up life in London to put their weight behind the project - which in the end won both the Australian iAward for the simultaneous transformation of organisational capability with delivery of the world's largest travel site; and the People's Choice Webby for Best Travel Site.

Here's our toast (from my colleague Chris Boden and I) to two of them, Andy and Rebecca Conroy. Apologies to Afferbeck Lauder and his brilliant book Let's Talk Strine - you cannot imagine how funny a South African and a Kiwi delivering this could be.

We're hair terday in this Gloria Soame
Ter sendoff Ando and Beck
We'll do it in proper strine style
Gettin' blotto on the deck.

In pommie-land 18 months ago
Old Smithy had a spout
Wheelaffta send a cuppla guns
To sort the mippies out.

Sex of content!
That's what she needs
Ta make a website bitter
Aorta jam the books online
And get it out the shitter.

The problem is I gunga din
To all the different bits
I need a single sign-on
It's just getting' on me tits.

Hare we gunna build all this?
Some bits moron once!
We'll get stark ender everything
In just a garbler munce.

"She'll be done by Cupdee" Ando says
But come spring in Melbin tairn,
There's no race-day for half the team
Beck just chucks her hembairg dairn.

The points are crook, she's up the spout
Said Beck "it's like a bloody maze"
But nothing we can't bodgy up
Inner narkup laddaze.

And launch we did, Navimber last
With not much egg jelly rooted
Scona beer bonza site
Zactly like we mooted.

We're gunna miss them bee in rand
As LP as Jimmy's 'roo
It's like a furry tile ya know
Zarf trawl that we've been through.

So laze and gem I ask you now
To rayzup all yer glasses
To Ando and Beck, who we've come to think
Aren't bad for pommie bastards.