That\u2019s right folks! The end is coming and it\u2019s closer than expected! We last posted from Halls Creek, leaving to get to Fitzroy Crossing some 290 kms west on the Great Northern Highway. Well, long story short \u2013 the engine in the car has blown up and we are forced to cut our trip short. Shocking, we know! And yes, all true. So the details for those who want to know\u2026<\/p>\n
We left Halls Creek after midday after thinking we\u2019d be driving on the smell of an oily rag (oil burners* can do that) when the Shell had run out of diesel. There were many vehicles with caravans circling like vultures and there was a hungry atmosphere developing into a mild panic as people like ourselves searched for another fuel outlet. The other service centre didn\u2019t sell diesel, however we found a Toyota service centre that was also selling fuel so we filled up there. Soon there was a line of vehicle waiting behind us. We said \u2018Thank you\u2019 prayers and continued to say how it was great we\u2019d no issues on our trip (so many other people\u2019s accounts of multiple flat tyres, mechanical failures etc.) and had said to Liz\u2019s parents the very same thing and Dan had also said this when talking to our four wheel drive mechanic Matt on the phone, both that morning. We are not superstitious in any way, but what about the timing eh?<\/p>\n
*oil burner being a diesel vehicle<\/p>\n
So we hit the road with a full tank of fuel and about 60 clicks down the road the air conditioning stops working. Dan pulled over in some shade which was a rare commodity indeed, but after checking fuses and belts etc couldn\u2019t see what was wrong. We pressed on feeling a little cooked but thinking that with no phone service until \u2018The Crossing\u2019 we\u2019d be best to get it looked at there. Best guess was that the AC needed re-gassing or something. For the mechanics reading this, \u2018Dan might be handy, but he\u2019s no mechanic\u2019 hence the reason the vehicle has an extended warranty and gets serviced by Toyota.<\/p>\n
Then it happened. Only 40kms out of Fitzroy Crossing the service lights came on, then shortly afterwards the motor simply stopped and we rolled to a standstill on the side of the road. Some helpful folks stopped and helped us move the vehicle and van off the shoulder, then gave Dan a ride closer to town for mobile service. Total Care is totally awesome! We had a truck pick us up, along with the car and van and drop us at a local caravan park within 90 mins.<\/p>\n
Friday morning was spent figuring out the \u2018what now?\u2019 The answer is that the motor is definitely \u2018baked\u2019. Local service centres in the region are so busy with the extra load of the tourist season however this is also due to the larger number of breakdowns in the area due to the harsh conditions. Toyota in Broome said they couldn\u2019t even look at it for 3 weeks and then it would be 4 weeks to get the work done. Based on this RACV will recover the vehicle to Berwick for us, and will cover our costs to get home (a flight out of Broome).<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve decided to make the best of a bad situation and stay another week in Broome. The disappointment is setting in a bit now, however we are grateful that we are safe and that we weren\u2019t more remote. In fact we had planned to travel to the Wolfe Creek Crater which is off the northern end of the Tanami Road south of Halls Creek. Had we done this we\u2019d have been 150-200kms away from a town with less passing traffic, no phone coverage and most likely copping a much higher recovery cost.<\/p>\n
The other part of the saga is that we haven\u2019t made it to see the Hicks family in Meekatharra and that was the major reason we set out to plan this trip in the beginning! We explored a number of options like renting a car to continue on with our plans or even to just get to Meeka, or even flying there. Flying isn\u2019t an option unless we fly to Perth first so we didn\u2019t even get a price for that, and the car is just too expensive. If we could get a car (and there\u2019s not much available) we\u2019d need a large one to tow the van, but being a regional area there\u2019s a limit of 100kms a day then 30cents a kilometre on that. It adds up. Don\u2019t forget the fuel cost on top. We are getting a pounding we won\u2019t forget when it comes to understanding the size and nature of our country when it comes to exploring it by road! So we are very disappointed to not be able to visit the Hicks, but it does give us an excuse to get back out here and attempt a visit again soon!<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve managed to find some reasonably affordable accommodation in Broome (still a ridiculous $200 a night which was the cheapest!!) that took Liz all afternoon to organise as the Broome Cup is on and the town is overflowing. We\u2019d heard it was busy anyway and we had the same thing with the Darwin Cup! This means we\u2019ll stay a week and fly home Saturday the 20th.<\/p>\n
We catch the bus from Fitzroy Crossing 1:30AM Sunday Morning and arrive in Broome at 6:40AM. Yee-haa! That\u2019s going to be fun. But thanks to some lovely fellow travellers, they are giving us a lift to the station at 1am! Now to get some cheap stripy bags to pack our gear in\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
That\u2019s right folks! The end is coming and it\u2019s closer than expected! We last posted from Halls Creek, leaving to get to Fitzroy Crossing some 290 kms west on the Great Northern Highway. Well, long story short \u2013 the engine … Continue reading