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Vesko

Member Since: 18 Jan 2012
Location: Sydney
Posts: 184

2011 Freelander 2 SD4 SE Auto Stornoway Grey

The Red Centre of a Continent

The Red Centre of a Continent.

Very stressful few weeks. Not everything in my business is right and yet, I want to go. I want to drive the long way to the Red centre. Six thousand kilometres mini circumnavigation of Australia.

“I am concerned”, my girl says, “You’ve never taken such a long preparation for a trip”. She is right – I don’t know what to expect and I consider everything twice or trice.

There is a celebration for my birthday, with singing “happy birthday to you” and “he is a jolly good fella”, but I am half there, not “jolly” at all. I am smiling absently and I am thinking about the vast spaces of Australia…
The day of my trip comes – I get up at four ten, make coffee, fill the esky with beer, coke, frozen meats, potatoes, cucumbers, eggs, carrots, yogurt, cheese, and lots of ice.

Its dark in Sydney, but the traffic is already heavy. My travel to the breakfast at Lithgow’s McDonalds is uneventful. The only thing I notice is the fuel consumption – instead of the customary 6.8 highway litres per km, I get 7.8 due to the roof rack (I guess), loaded with the extra tyre, 20l of diesel and the trusty MaxTrax.

Click image to enlarge

In Dubbo I fill up some diesel, 35l for about $52 and then drive easily through Narromine and Nyngan, but then, when I stop at Mulga Creek Pub for a few photos, disaster struck – I see my left front tyre significantly softer! Just 15 psi in it! Must’ve been some sharp metals on the side of the road when I stopped for a leak in the bushes. I pump it up, using my portable compressor and drive gingerly some 10 or 15km. When I stop to check it again, it’s now bellow 10psi… Yes, I find a little gush letting the air out with ever increasing rate, which makes me panic.

I am warmed by the sweet autumn colors of a few European trees.

Passing Orange, I see a theatre?! The Strand Theatre.

Yes, give me the open road… with the contrasty clouds.

At Nyngan I stop to buy something. Hah, they have a theatre as well!?

So, I change the tyre. I park deep on the left, close to the bushes for the shade there and it takes me about 10 minutes to unload the boxes covering the back of the car to retrieve the spare tyre underneath. The flies here are unbearable! I don’t see well, but keep my sun glasses on, at least to prevent them biting into my eyes. Out of panic I don’t have time to pull out the fly net I prepared in Sydney, which is waiting conveniently in the driver’s door storage space (see, I thought of everything without implementing it). Plus, the ground is very soft – the jack starts to dig down under the car. Lucky I brought a wide timber plank to provide a base. I am surprised how dirty this job is, my hands are totally black from the brake dust accumulated on the wheel, but I wash them at the back of the car (yes, I have 10l of water prepared for this kind of emergencies).

I don’t yet know, that I have a flat tyre.

I am still oblivious to the front left tyre disaster.

The tyre is changed and my hands are washed. Now I can relax a little and pull out the camera to make this photo. I am still under pressure to find a tyre repair shop… or should I do it myself?

With the spare on, I get to Bourke and find the tyre repair shop. Half an hour later the tyre is plugged in and pumped up again ($30 cash). It’s all good now, but the little drama with the tyre doesn’t let me to comprehend Bourke. I plan to spend the night here and read a lot about it. It appears to be the most dangerous town in the whole of Australia, due to the “unprecedented violence” amongst the local aborigines “fuelled by alcohol”.

You can see the boxes that I have to pull out to retrieve the spare tyre. I started to consider different options to save time.

So, I don’t see much of Bourke, it is deserted apart from the aimless aboriginal children skipping around. After the tyre shop I drive a few kilometres to Kidman Camp in North Bourke and get a basic cabin for the night (about $65).
Now, this is surreal – I’ve driven 800km to blow a tyre, repair it and get to the “most dangerous town” in Australia to check in a caravan park with the most beautiful girl for a receptionist. I try hard not to stare at her full breasts, which are generously showing over the light t-shirt with every bending forward to diligently fill my details in the register. Am I imagining that she tries to prolong the check-in process? A Canadian accent?....

The full story and the larger images are here: http://veskopetrov.com/?p=6893

Enjoy :-)

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

16th Jun 2013 10:52 am

chrisr1806

Member Since: 20 Oct 2012
Location: None
Posts: 2220

2011 Freelander 2 SD4 HSE Auto Santorini Black

Another great write-up.

16th Jun 2013 10:53 am

EYorkshire

Member Since: 18 Nov 2010
Location: (!)
Posts: 4392

Nice one Vesko. My holidays are getting cheaper, I just read yours and imagine I'm there

Have you got a photo you could post of the receptionists breasts

16th Jun 2013 11:23 am

pab

Member Since: 28 Aug 2012
Location: Now in Mid-Wales
Posts: 2005

2009 Freelander 2 TD4 XS Manual Lago Grey

Another great write-up. And there's even a Freelander in this one

Looking forward to the next episode.

16th Jun 2013 11:25 am

chrisr1806

Member Since: 20 Oct 2012
Location: None
Posts: 2220

EYorkshire wrote:
Have you got a photo you could post of the receptionists breasts

If you want sites like that look somewhere else.

16th Jun 2013 11:34 am

ccsnet

Member Since: 05 Jan 2013
Location: Lancs
Posts: 881

2007 Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Manual Tambora Flame

Australia... one place thats always interested me so reading your blog is most welcome.

Not sure exactly where you are but I was waiting a programe on the Central Australian Railway which was pulled up in 1976.... may interested as theres a number of relics....

T Terran

'The' Car For The Modern Day UK Roads ( ie all the pot holes )

'A Freelander that leaks oil is just marking its territory' - Wise words

Now a member of the FL2 'Silly Bill' Club

16th Jun 2013 1:01 pm

Vesko

Member Since: 18 Jan 2012
Location: Sydney
Posts: 184

Thank you chrisr1806, pab and EYorkshire

EYorkshire wrote:
Have you got a photo you could post of the receptionists breasts

You never know

16th Jun 2013 1:17 pm

Vesko

Member Since: 18 Jan 2012
Location: Sydney
Posts: 184

ccsnet wrote:
Australia... one place thats always interested me so reading your blog is most welcome.

Not sure exactly where you are but I was waiting a programe on the Central Australian Railway which was pulled up in 1976.... may interested as theres a number of relics....

That must be the Ghan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghan

Cheers ccsnet,

16th Jun 2013 1:19 pm

michal969

Member Since: 01 Sep 2012
Location: Semily
Posts: 185

great writing Vesko...and +1 for the receptionist photo

16th Jun 2013 8:54 pm

bambi68

Member Since: 01 Jul 2012
Location: Rotherham
Posts: 261

2011 Freelander 2 TD4_e XS Manual Zermatt Silver

+2 on the receptionist so what did happen in her on suit ? My11 freelander 2, xs, Manual, 18" hse sparkles, sidesteps, privacy, zermatt silver metallic, almond nutmeg alacantra, twin electric towbar

Gone my09 xs D3

16th Jun 2013 10:57 pm

ccsnet

Member Since: 05 Jan 2013
Location: Lancs
Posts: 881

Vesko wrote:
ccsnet wrote:
Australia... one place thats always interested me so reading your blog is most welcome.

Not sure exactly where you are but I was waiting a programe on the Central Australian Railway which was pulled up in 1976.... may interested as theres a number of relics....

That must be the Ghan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghan

Cheers ccsnet,

Looks like your right ... took some finding of this on youtube - mainly because it was not on it lol....

http://vimeo.com/66137889

Marree was the town I was thinking of ... and for those in the UK - - about 20 mins in.....

T

OT - This looks good.... Terran

'The' Car For The Modern Day UK Roads ( ie all the pot holes )

'A Freelander that leaks oil is just marking its territory' - Wise words

Now a member of the FL2 'Silly Bill' Club

16th Jun 2013 11:52 pm

Vesko

Member Since: 18 Jan 2012
Location: Sydney
Posts: 184

Thanks michal969 and bambi68

Hey ccsnet here is Marree from my previous trip to Lake Eyre:

Click image to enlarge

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

17th Jun 2013 11:14 am

duckworthparts
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Member Since: 02 Mar 2009
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 1131

Again, a brilliant read Sophie Alltoft

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17th Jun 2013 12:17 pm

ccsnet

Member Since: 05 Jan 2013
Location: Lancs
Posts: 881

Cooooooollllll

T Terran

'The' Car For The Modern Day UK Roads ( ie all the pot holes )

'A Freelander that leaks oil is just marking its territory' - Wise words

Now a member of the FL2 'Silly Bill' Club

17th Jun 2013 5:32 pm

jaksbak@freel2

Member Since: 26 Dec 2010
Location: Fraser Coast
Posts: 225

Great to see you posting your photos and stories again Vesko. Always a great reminder of the spirit of freedom.
I'm heading off for another trip into the NSW/VIC high country in late July - can't wait!

23rd Jun 2013 12:53 pm

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