Bushwalk to breakage

We were looking forward to a good long downhill ahead. We thought to take another bush track for fun. It looked marginal, but I said ok.

This tuned out to be an unexpected challenge. The track soon was just an imagined shadow line between the grass, sometimes waist-high. We had several hike-a-bike sections to traverse. But with only a few hundred meters to go, we pushed on to get to the road.

On this bushwalk, things started to go wrong. Rocker's chain got stuck hard, and the front tire went flat. No problem, I'll fix it using my tools. Then at the road, I realized I had left the hand pump in Kiran's house when I repacked.

With the sunset coming, we knew we need help to get off the plateau. We stuck our thumbs out hoping to get a lift. Our angels turned up with a van and brought us to the nearest town. Here a luxury hotel gave us sanctuary, and the succor for our troubles - even if self-inflicted.

I was amazed by the grit of Kiran. And Schopper. Both of them flexed, but did not creak or buckle, under load. Rocker needs help, but that's not a problem for today. Sunsets and dinners are what we need.Read more