Move, Branch, Get out the Way

Written in pen and paper on 23 February 2015

After trying time and time again to get to the Eyre bird observatory we hoped this would be the day! We had breakfast and left Twlight Cove, today we were following the 'cleared' line on the map - huge mistake!

Roof rack test No.2! We'd set off at a reasonable hour and made little progress, fallen tree after fallen tree to remove, after copious amounts of trees we started to get slightly fed up with it. Cleared my arse! I'm starting to believe cleared has an alternative meaning, more, cleared off the map than a cleared road.

Round, through, over, whatever means we could. One we had to chop with the axe, Marco, went for it, venting his frustrations until the branch almost gave - the axe gave in first! Snapped in two, at least we used it first! It's been a very useful tool, thanks Jaci! 

The axe continued to have its uses when we had to battle with the old telegraph wire which was ready to take out the whole of the car, right in our path. We had to get out of the car to lift it and move under it. Using the stick of the axe out of the window to push the wire away from the car. We managed it! Success!

Keep going... Stop! The wheel guard was off, only held be a piece of rubber, I had to chop it off.

Keep going... Crack! The windscreen got hit in the wrong place by a branch.

Keep going... Bang! The roof rack test failed. We had to wedge empty plastic bottles under it. The feet had gone, eventually all four, and the plastic bar moved out of the feet, dangerously resting on the roof, we strapped the roof rack precariously to the car. 

Keep going.

Yet more trees.

Whilst Marco moved a tree branch the CB radio picked something up on channel 12. Life! But it lost it quickly. 

Keep. 

Going.

Finally! Off the cleared line, damn line!

Signs to where we wanted to go! and a notice to connect with Eyrebird for the track condition, so I used the CB radio on channel 12 to contact Eyrebird. I should tell Marco that I reckon we should get a name for radio. Eyrebird said the track was clear so off we went... 10.5km to go, and on such a beautiful track to our sweet relief. We made it. Magical. Just in time for a cup of tea and a bit of cake, just what I told Marco we needed 30 minutes earlier (although cake was a bonus).

The volunteers were lovely and the quaint museum interesting. Then we drove to and along the beach. We stopped behind the beach on the lime stone to make food, we have to stop missing lunch. There is actually a house out there and the owner came along to say hello.

Once again it was getting dark so we had to find somewhere to sleep for the night. We tried to drive up to the cliff top but in the dark we couldn't find the right path. Ended up somewhere near some ruins. Made a cup of tea (how British of me) then lay on the bonnet together staring at the stars in the night sky. We saw some moving, I don't mean shooting stars and I wouldn't say they were planes - any of my readers keen on astronomy feel free to offer an explanation. 

Then it was Maze Runner before sleep - both laptops dead now. Time for rest, tomorrow is another day.

Stuck in Cocklebiddy

Written in pen and paper on 23 February 2015 Twilight Cove Campsite

We adventured to Twilight Cove, today was for fishing and visiting the bird observatory, after the car was attacked by many a tree branch and many were moved by Marco and I singing, “Move, branch, get out the way!” We had also had to stop at one stage because the intuitive driving to stop us blowing the tyres on a rogue floor branch meant Marco slamming on the breaks and doing a handbrake stop. All well and good until you consider the roof rack jerked forward with the momentum over the windscreen by about half a metre. We ended up pulling it back as best we could and securing it through the car with the ropes we had available, each of us occasionally pulling on the one behind the seats to check if it was taut or not. Nobody wants their bags flying off and being left for the dingoes; when does a Dingo wear underpants and Hawaiian shirts? 

 

After the palaver we made it to just before the sand. It was time to hit the 4wd, but the lights weren’t working and we couldn’t hear it engaging, then we realised that the air con had also stopped working, in my opinion more important in this 31-degree heat! Marco, or should I say Tinkerbell, decided to solve the problem by trying to take the dash apart after concluding all fuses were fine. This took a while and my assistance was unnecessary, so I made sandwiches for us both. A while later he gave up and stick it all back together (I had every faith in using all screws.)

 

We had to go back, we couldn’t do the sand without 4wd engaged, we reached Cocklebiddy at dark, Marco carried on trying to find the issue with the car, eventually discovering it was the relay fuse all along!

The following morning we took the roof rack off the car and rearranged the fuses. We tried engaging 4wd just to blow a second fuse, so we had to disconnect the secondary battery and try and find another fuse not in use, as the roadhouse had no 10Ah fuses. We gave ourselves one hour to get everything complete, including the roof rack, so we could get on our way, this was at 9am... at 3pm we finished.

We’d had to saw wood and screw the rack back together and move all the twigs and… you get the idea. It was a long day in the sun so we treated ourselves to lunch (ok, tea) at the roadhouse and a couple of games of pool; I almost won for a change instead of a straight annihilation. It was too late to leave so we stayed at the roadhouse. Hot shower in the morning, huzzah! Then on our way to Twlight Cove, again, with our new and improved roof rack, will it last the distance?

Roof rack test No.1! We made it unscathed to Twilight Cove, parked up on the sand and walked down to greet the sea. You get so spoilt for beaches in WA (as I’ve said before) so I didn’t go in the sea, too choppy and cold but we did see a Sealion! It got scared, must have been Marco’s face, and went in the sea. There was some odd things washed up on the beach, one was a jar of, what appeared to be, coffee that Marco stupidly opened and managed to get all up his legs and over his feet, I could do nothing but laugh and hand that poor boy a wet wipe.

 

March flies, march flies everywhere, biting any bare flesh, at least they’re easy to smack! Marco went to do some fishing with his newly repaired rod; it had been battered by the trees whilst on the roof rack and snapped in two, at least we had wood and tape to stick it back together. The magical tape, we’ve used it to fix the roof rack feet to wood, the car wind protector, the wheel guard, the tears in the tyres and last but not least, Marco’s glasses (and more recently his flip flops). So, off he went to fish, dancing to the sea, spinning and waving his arms like a fairy to discourage march flies.

 

Again he caught no fish, what a poor hunter-gatherer. After giving up with fishing, i.e. running out of bait, we went to the campsite, cooked dinner and played cards; I learnt a new Italian game and almost won. We watched Frozen on my laptop before sleep (which Marco enjoyed, yoohoo!). We’ll make it to the bird observatory… eventually.

Civilisation?

Written in pen and paper, date unknown.

Hadn’t seen a soul since yesterday morning (apart from Marco, obviously) and it was time to do the track up to Caiguna. The optimism was high, the car started, thankfully (as it almost didn’t when we left Norseman) and off we went, 7:30am, let’s make it to Caiguna before dark, easy. The track got pretty scary at times, the Italian style driving didn’t help. Rocks, sand, rocks, sand, rocks, sand. And plenty of dust – dust anybody? No.

We had seen three (tre) graves of the telegraph masters, all called John! We ended up taking the wrong track and got to a beach we never intended to reach, there was an old tv there, broken; this place is in the middle of nowhere, you have to understand it took us ages to get to on a 4wd only track – WHO DOES THAT? Crazies! Once we got back on track we followed the old telegraph line along to the cliff edge. We reached Toolinna Cove after I had a ride on the bed in the back of the car, which was much fun, luckily that was well before the car started to lose control, luckily Marco corrected it, I did get it on video although it’s less dramatic on video.

 

Toolinna Cove was very beautiful, but we were on top of the clidd and couldn’t get down to the beach without a death-defying jump, forget that! Upon leaving the cove we had to find the right track, which proved tricky. We’d barely even seen wildlife, bar some bugs and the occasional bird. Towards dusk we were on kangaroo watch, not that we’d seen any up to now. After a while Marco squawks, “look at that massive kangaroo”, it was almost as funny as him stopping to take a picture of a big lizard that turned out to be a stick! These were camels! Wild camels, about ten maybe, they obviously got spooked by the car as they ran away in front of us, following the track. Can’t ever say I’ve seen a camel run, it was pretty funny, we caught it on video too.

 

We’d still not made it to Caiguna and it was starting to get dark, we’ve not yet adjusted to early rising and sleeping with the sun, yet more track to go then just like magic Caiguna appeared, we stayed the night and you’ll never guess who arrived an hour after us? Three of the cars we were supposed to have travelled with, it was nice meeting them but I didn’t stick around long as I was exhausted. In the morning we went and had breakfast by a not-so-blowy blowhole, apparently there are loads along the Nullarbor. Once our stomachs were happy it was fuel and back on to Twilight Cove and the bird observatory. Have to admit, I enjoyed driving the car, briefly so, it lived up to my life long desire to drive a 4x4 and fuelled the desire, although he refuses to let me drive his baby, off-road, which I’m totally happy with – not my responsibility, therefore any damage is his problem, like the Russian’s would say “not my circus; not my monkeys!”

To Norseman and Back Again

Written in pen and paper on 16^th February 2015 at Isrealite Bay, WA

Again the boys got back pretty quick from their walk and we went to Lucky Bay to have lunch, you’re so spoilt for beaches in WA that I didn’t like Lucky Bay, it had sludge on it. Then I suggested we try the one the couple recommended; Hellfire Bay is the most beautiful beach I have ever been on, the sand was like walking on fresh snow, the sea, albeit chilly, was gorgeous shades of blue and at one end ran a small river which can’t be seen from the entrance to the beach and I loved it there.

That night I spoke to Marco – still no confirmation from his mechanic on when the car will definitely be ready but he said I was welcome to come stay in Norseman, on a bed, with a hot shower. How could I refuse?! So Friday morning the boys kindly dropped me in town and I got the bus to Norseman. Marco came to pick me up and took me to the motel he was working at, sweet little place; I named it the Tardis as it’s huge on the inside and looks small outside.

That day I had a loooooong shower, repainted my nails (how girly), met a Scottish guy call Doug who was a covering paramedic from Perth for a month and Jaci, a lovely lady who Marco had done jobs for.

After a sleep in a proper bed (huzzah!) we went to Norseman markets (all 6 stalls!), I got my blood pressure taken – normal, then went to Jaci’s for a really nice chat, tea and biscuits. Afterwards Marco got me and did some MORE jobs (that guy’s like Norseman’s handyman!). I sat and did a jigsaw puzzle and had a cup of tea, didn’t finish my tea in time to see Jaci before Marco got back so we had an hour then went out for a drink with Doug – Norseman was rocking, 7 people in the pub, couldn’t handle the excitement! It even closed just after 9, late night party town. We went back to the Motel and played pool before bed.

Sunday was go day, after doing yet more jigsaw and having a brew with Jaci we got the good news, it came when eating a delicious lunch Leigh had made (she also did lamb shank, mash, gravy and veg the night before, I could have kissed her, lambs my favourite). The car was ready, he was like an excitable dog, jumping around, hurry, hurry, hurry. I never got to finish the jigsaw, nightmare!

Got the car about 2, set off (back to Esperance) 3 hours later, watch out for ‘roos! Marco spent time in Esperance sorting his CB radio then we found somewhere to sleep for the night. In the morning it was supplies and off to Isrealite Bay. Unfortunately, due to the delay, we missed the rest of the expedition.

We started our 4wd after deflating the tyres, the car vibrated on the terrain most of the day. We ended up seeing a building ruin, in the middle of nowhere. It was the old telegraph station, interesting to see, completely abandoned with a log book which we entered our names in and saw the guys entry who we were supposed to be with. Then we went past the campsite and Marco got some advise from some Australian’s camped there.

We eventually got to the beach and had a swim (although I didn’t follow the rules and get my hair wet). As the day progressed it got colder and I added more layers whilst Marco fished with barnacles we’d been collecting earlier. The fish were biting but not big enough to take the line. It was getting late and the tide was coming In, so we had to get off the rocks and thusly off the beach as the sea came in and enveloped the dunes. We’d made a wrong turn and started running out of time. The sea was almost in and the car was almost bogged. After a swift decision to not go back to the rocks, Marco reversed and rapidly revved the car through the ever-approaching sea. I wish I had filmed it, it was something from a 4 wheel drive (4wd) advertisement.

We had made it and I’m sure if I could have heard it, Marco’s heart would have been going a million beats a second. Off the beach and on to the tracks, it was getting darker, we made slight progress in the direction we wanted, eventually, where we stopped for the night. Pasta for dinner, this time with an Italian touch. Goodnight Isrealise Bay, or should I say “buonanotte”, I am getting Italian lessons afterall.