day that could only improve

[leon]

Hi guys, well today could have been better, as most of you know we are cursing through the outback now toward Darwin, West from Townsville, and to date all has been well.

Well today made up for all the good days we have had all in one hit.

Leaving Charters Towers, a road train put a rock right between my eyes on the windscreen, yep you guessed it, it is stuffed, and it was only replaced after our last trip, OK that's life along these roads i figured.

Oh it gets better than that about 30 kilometers up the road we stop for a drink and i walk around the other side of the van and nearly have a heart attack one tyer is completely gone, totally shredded

I did not even notice that it had gone, as the second wheel carried the weight all that way, could have bee for 30 k's

Ok that is life i say to myself it is only a tyer and one can expect a flat every now and then

So I promptly change it and away we go, for another 40 k's or so and i look back in the mirrors and see smoke pouring from the opposite side of the van, yep you guessed it again, another shredded tyer.
Well that is all well and good but i have no spare, as it is shredded as well, so i have to limp up the highway at 10 k's an hour till i find a place to examine the damage.

Anyway to cut a long story short, i had to unhitch, leave Alice with the van and drive 50 k's to a place called Hughenden pay out $700.00 and buy two new tyers come back and fit them and now being about 4 in the afternoon are ready to go again, however we are just staying free camped here till morning.

So that was our day, hope yours was much better yea one can only laugh about i guess

Check out the tyers,

Leon

[h0ughy (David)]

wow lucky you didnt loose the lot behind the hitch

[mozzie (Peter)]

you may have to carry a couple of more spares leon.....hope your enjoying your trip !!!!!! better then getting up and going to work tomorrow

[GeoffW1 (Geoff)]

Hi,

That is the FLATTEST flat I have EVER seen.

Cheers

[leon]

David, yep mate it could have been disaster all round if they both went at once, and a few spars might be in order Peter, working on that.
Geoff, have to agree a bit un roadworthy i reckon. LOL

Leon

[Liz]

OH Leon, thats terrible. Luckily no damage to the car or van or worse, to you or Alice. Hope thats the bad luck out the way.

Say hi to the dinosaurs at Hughendon.

Take care.

[blink138 (Pat)]

Leaving Charters Towers, a road train put a rock right between my eyes on the windscreen, yep you guessed it, it is stuffed, and it was only replaced after our last trip, OK that's life along these roads i figured.

cheezes leon you had my heart in my mouth for a sec there....... i thought you copped the rock between your peepers.... and then you said it is stuffed and im thinking your still talking about your eye...... but then you couldnt possibly have replaced your eye on the last trip!
you have had your three strikes now mate..... smooth sailing from now on leon
pat

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Thats not a flat tyer nothing a bit of emergancy tyer inflator/fixer cant fix . as for the other one, bush mechanics,

I know what your saying, aparently in out back australia, things get about 500% more expensive....

Hope you enjoy my home town, make sure you visit Litchfield national park, buley rock holes, berry springs, Parap Markets (and get yourself a paw paw salad and a curry Laksa), The Musem, Have a nice feed down on the Warf be sure to look over the edge for the big barra, moon fish and assorted others.

BM

[leon]

Yea Brendan we will mate, been there bsfore and loved it, have seen and done wost of the things you have mentioned and will have an other go for sure.

Leon

[lacad01 (Adam)]

Hi Leon, good thing that you and the mrs are safe and sound. That's the joys of travelling our wonderful country I guess .
Couple of years ago travelling up through the Flinders Ranges towing a camper trailer, we enjoyed three blowouts in the one hit - 2 on the vehilcle and one on the trailer. As had spare for the trailer and spare for the car, left one over but was lucky to have a puncture repair kit and was able to limp into Arkaroola where the mechanic there fixed us up with some new tyres before heading back to Sydney. At the time wasn't much fun but looking back on it, think made the trip a bit more of an adventure
All the best for the rest of your treck

[leon]

Adam have to agree a bit with your comments of an adventure.
All the days things usually go pretty well and one just cruises along, and then this happens, we actually looked at each other and laughed, and said we are running out of wheels. LOL.
Anyway i found it enjoyable to be doing something else, like lying under the rig changing wheels and checking it all out, even though it did cost me heaps
Even put on my old work shorts and shirt.

Leon

[trent_julie]

There's the problem, your tyre is missing........... [TIC], I hope you can enjoy a cold beverage of your choice in relative calm tonight.

Trent

[wavelandscott (Scott)]

What an adventure! Glad you and Mrs are safe.

It reminds me of a family trip that has become part of our family legends...

Pulling a camping trailer in the Rocky Mountains the trailer had a flat...the flat was changed with the spare and we continued on...a few miles down the road one of my brothers noticed a tire rolling along side of the rig and down a hill...evidently my father did not tighten the lugs sufficiently...it was incredible how quickly he got us stopped and bounded down the hill chasing the rolling tire. I did not think he could move that fast. Now as I approach his age when this occurred I am not certain i could duplicate his feat. Luckily no one was injured and nothing was damaged but it has made for a good story.