To Hell's Camp

DAY: 4
Well our utter disaster is described above. Very sad incident and at present until we open it up again we can’t know how bad the extent of the damage…we saw it in the light of our wanker lights so it could be a lot worse…

Not only that but a shocking nights sleep with the side flap being pounded and knocked around for 4 hrs before John got out and tired it down with my help using ratchet straps…it helped but still the whole camper felt like it was being pummelled and knocked around for hours…when the rain started I wasn’t sure how it would go as we hadn’t been in this camper in the rain….

The way the wind grabbed the back end of the canvas and tore it from it’s screwed down section along the back…once this let go as the side was placed in sail rail the pressure of the wind took it and just ripped it to shreds just awful…my concern was it would take the floor section and rip it off it’s hingers….I prayed constantly for the Lord to protect us we we fought the crazy wind and rain to get it shut….it took a bit as it seemed to have moved the lid which is the floor slightly to one side. John managed to get it realigned….scary and adrenaline rushing the whole experience….

We finished up then drove off in the dark…it was 4am SA time but was around 2.30am WA time…

The rain pelted down while we drove west, making it to the Quarantine Stn. all went well there…I had cut up and froze the papaya I bought from home and John’s limes were frozen rock solid…Our fruit boxes which were years old and not used for fruit I put in my cloths draw in the camper…

On we drove the rain heavier then all of a sudden it stopped as we made it to Mundrabilla for fuel @$2.48l and a great brekky and coffee...only a young couple running it, but again great service, great food….we had arrived before it opened but only just….worth the stop….

On we headed had let Bill know what had happened hoping we can go to Kalgoorlie and see if we can get gear to do repairs ourself for now…no one could have time to fix it we are suspecting…
.We pulled up for morning tea 56 k Balladonna and filled up with our 20 l of fuel as the headwind is so strong we sucked all our fuel in less than 400k…..while getting our m/tea a young guy with an accent came to ask John for help with his tyre…He got a screw in it yesterday and now it’s flat…he Luduvic from France and his girlfriend Selena from Germany met in Australia been here travelling for 6 months they are here for 12 months hoping to extend their visas for another year….she was very beautiful and very friendly…they are loving their adventure…
Fuel at Balladonna is $2.32.8l going slowly down.

We arrived at Norseman around 2pm looking for fuel and somewhere to eat…the place we for fuel which was the dearest as the other diesel pump at the next servo was out of Norseman fuel $2.11.6/l for ultimate diesel…cheaper down the road but not working….planned to eat at the restaurant where we bought our fuel but No apparently this huge restaurant wasn't making any food.so off to find a cafe…very basic bit got a toasted Ham and Cheese sandwich and a cuppa…we must have rang 4-5 places in Kalgoorlie and Nothing available for the night not even in Caravan parks what motels were available were $300 up-to $800 crazy prices.so we decided to stay in Norseman Acclaim Tourist Park Norseman ….we managed to get a cabin..it was very old style and was the very last one but had an ensuite….…$134 a night but with Seniors discount it was $128…tried to put the camper up between the cabins but too wide…so got permission to put it up in another area….Bill arrived just in time to give us a hand….once up after the initial look that looked unrepairable once properly assessed we realised we can fix it enough to keep using…Thank The Lord…John straighter out the aluminium strip to put the back section back down again…took a bit but he did it…not sure how we are going to fix the ripped side sections as it’s both parts that it occurred ot when the wind took it the other night…they fixed as much as was possible then we had a few drinks, I made a basic dinner of Mac and Noddle's with fish bites…it sufficed….too tired to do anything else so went to bed around 8.30pm….been a huge emotional day.Les mer