Before we left Gladstone, Russ realized that the plug connecting the electrics from the car to the van had broken and he painstakingly had to connect the seven connectors to the car, first of all, working out where each one had to go, and then taping them in with duct tape, to the car, so that we had brake lights and indicators etc. It took him a couple of hours and the first test to see if lights etc. were working was OK.!
We are booked in at Drummond Cove, 10mins from Geraldton, but 160kms into the trip, we smelt a “hot smell” from the right front tyre, or from underneath the bonnet on that side. Pulled into a wayside stop to check it out and let it cool down and decided that it was so pretty here that we’d stay.
We had been enjoying the much improved countryside, from Gladstone on, but this stop is at Galina Bridge, which crosses the Murchison River, at 4-mile pool.
Next day we only had 100kms to go and the smell didn’t seem to be as strong, and one person we spoke to about it, suggested it might have been a large insect or picked up a bit of rope – it certainly wasn’t an electrical, brake or clutch smell – but one we couldn’t identify.
The scenery and flowers were absolutely spectacular on the trip to Geraldton, and we had an early start and had loads of time to take photos of them all.
Day 2
The wind is horrific and we can’t keep the gas stove alight, so had to cook breaky on the indoor diesel stove, though it doesn’t handle toast well – nevertheless, managed bacon and eggs on soggy fried bread, set up the TV (for the first time on the trip) and watched Stephanie Rice get a gold medal, amongst others! Made up some rolls and sent down to a river, found a sheltered spot and enjoyed the outing. We are here for a week, for a car service, shopping, washing etc. so we hope the wind settles a little. We are right on the highway also.
I’ve caught up with the blog at last, but I don’t think there will be many exciting entries for the next week., unless those pesky MM get up to some mischief and give us a run for our money!