The planning for the trip had kept us both going through some difficult weeks. Michael had a lousy winter battling a chest infection through July and most of August. This culminated in him being in hospital for a few days on IV antibiotics to really hammer the Bitch. All in all, he spent two months on antibiotics of some form or another and felt pretty ordinary and exhausted. The cold nights weren't helping and we hoped that the Goldfields weather might be milder.
And we'd had an invitation to Gina and Andrew's Steampunk Wedding to begin the trip. We'd left for the Goldfields on our very first outback adventure after a wedding six years ago and had incredibly wonderful memories. Which is why as our date for departure approached, we were really looking forward to the wedding, the subsequent trip and the break from home, the building's renovations and the East End Gallery.
The mountains of gear were packed into Kermit and the trusty trailer over Thursday and Friday. We arrived in Chittering for the wedding of the century twenty-four hours before the event. There was already countless friends and family in attendance at Chittering Acres. We retired to the camping area to set up the gazebo. A compost toilet at the camping ground and showers available on the property were all we needed. The shared BBQ dinner on Friday evening was an absolute joy. Although most of us had never met, the common denominator was Andrew and Gina and their coming nuptials. We all greeted each other as friends.
The wedding was an absolute blast. That will be the subject of my next post. We sailed away in Kermit the day after their wedding, full of happiness. Unfortunately, first stop was the outdoor supplies shop to purchase a new chair for Michael. His previously brand new chair had toppled into our fire in gusty conditions when we weren't looking.
Another Captain's chair on board, we set out on our great expedition. First night was at Karalee Dam, a past favourite site with very good firewood supplies. We slept under our tarp due to the cold and dew formation. The following day we arrived at Eulaminna, which was to be our base for five days. The first three nights were cool enough for roaring fires. The fourth night we lit a fire purely as we were having bucket baths. We had already discarded one additional sleeping bag by this time. The days were heating up much faster than we had previously experienced in September in the Goldfields. We had packed cold weather gear and did not use any coats or thermals at all. In fact, we only had jeans and we yearned for shorter lighter pants.
But we were having a fabulous time. We'd made tentative arrangements to spend a night at the Leonora Caravan Park on Saturday so we could watch the Eagles game at the Central Hotel. In the meantime, we had fossicked and fossicked and fossicked some more. Empty water containers were being filled with all manner of found metal objects. I ended up having an entire cake box filled with delicate pieces that were too fragile to just chuck in with the rest of our treasures.
Then a disaster. We'd been exploring further afield for an abandoned gold mine north-east of Eulaminna without success. On our way back to our camp, we decided to drive alongside the remains of the old railway platform. As we turned to retrace our steps, we heard the unmistakable hissing sound of a staked tyre. We stopped and leapt out to investigate. Something very sharp had penetrated the sidewall of the driver's tyre. Michael went to unlock the spare tyre to change it. First snag. The wheel lock wouldn't unlock. We had no phone reception and the afternoon shadows were lengthening. Michael had a scathingly brilliant idea, took out his grinder and cut off the recalcitrant lock. With much grunting and swearing, the tyre was changed. It was a mammoth operation. Michael had to lie flat out in the red dirt. He was not amused.
Eventually, the job was done and we limped back to camp, our tails between our legs. The following day we drove to Leonora to source a replacement. Michael was exceedingly uneasy about being without a spare tyre. We found the tyre repairer/ auto electrician/ mechanical services. A family business, they were all perfectly wonderful. The new tyre had to be ordered from Kalgoorlie, freighted to Leonora and then fitted and balanced. The cost was almost highway robbery, but we had no choice.
So, the deed was done. We came into Leonora a day earlier than anticipated and watched both Western Australian football teams play for a place in the Grand Final. The Eagles were triumphant, the Dockers not. Oh well, there was always next year for Fremantle.
We left Leonora to drive to Coolgardie. By this stage, the weather had been so hot, we had both been sunburnt and become dehydrated. We opted to stay at the Gold Rush Motel in Coolgardie for a night and then maybe drive home a day early if the weather didn't cool down.
We drove into Coolgardie with grandiose plans. We were going to check in, secure a room, dump the trailer at the Motel and go for a cruise around Coolgardie. Fate had other ideas. I blame Michael as he is a human metal detector. Somewhere on Bayley Street, as we drove into the driveway of the Gold Rush Motel, a sliver on rusty metal pierced into a trusty trailer tyre. As Michael reversed Kermit and the trailer into the designated parking space in front of our room, I heard that familiar hissing noise. Again.
The trailer tyre rapidly went flat. More photographic evidence of Michael on his back changing a tyre. Mercifully, the associated sound effects were not recorded. The cost for this tyre was minimal this morning. On a public holiday, a seventy-eight-year-old tyre fixer and mechanic named Robin was doing a roaring trade in beautiful downtown Coolgardie. He repaired and fitted the tyre without incident.
We were not going to push our luck. We headed for home. Our housesitters Patrick and
Alesia had done a brilliant job keep the House that Rocks clean and tidy and the animals and bird fed and entertained. We were stoked.
There remained the question of the two tyre deflations. We hadn't had a flat since...our first trip which followed a wedding. When we'd staked one tyre and punctured another. That was the key to the puzzle. Obviously, we should never again leave for a Goldfields trip after a wedding!
At Eulaminna...
then at Coolgardie...
...does he look like he's enjoying himself...?!
No comments:
Post a Comment