We have just recently returned from another trip to the Goldfields for Kids Pirate Camp. Old friends were reacquainted on a week of swashbuckling adventures in the bush.
Category: Gold (Page 1 of 4)
Finally got the all-clear to have another crack at the Great Central Road to Alice Springs.
It has been closed for months due to the unprecedented flooding across the centre of Australia earlier this year. If you follow my posts, you will know that plans to attempt to make the trip back in 2019 were at the start of all our goldfield capers.
So later this year we have another tour booked with Greg and Liz to do some more prospecting and then hopefully on to Uluru and Alice Springs via the Gibson and the Great Sandy deserts.
Watch this space!
May 23
July 23
The view from Bakers Hill Pie Shop on two different occasions. In May we were feeling pretty low as our engine had blown up on the second morning of our trip. In July our “new engine” had safely got us to our destination, and the return journey was going well.
Well, we made it! The Patrols first trip after its surgery, was an ambitious one, 1400km to Leonora and back towing the Mobi with two of the grandchildren. Treasures were found and many memories made.
Finally got our tow vehicle back from the garage, with a shiny new engine under the bonnet. A big thankyou to Matthew (our mechanic) for pulling out all the stops, so that we could be ready for our next adventure.
Nearly two months after our doomed journey, our mechanic has just called to say that he now has our new engine and will start fitting it tomorrow. It’s a bit of a race against time because we have booked to take two of the grandchildren to Pirate Camp, so we will just have to wait and see. I need to be satisfied that all is well with the car before embarking on a trip like that. At least we have some progress.
We are trying very hard not to think about the bill!
We did manage to get out to the lease for a couple of days in the trusty Subaru. This was not without its drama but probably best not mentioned on here.
I didn’t find any gold, but Debbie did. She also picked up a nice little specie. Should we decide to cash in, it would probably cover the cost of two tanks of fuel but that’s not why we do it and its not for sale.
We set off for the Goldfields once again, on Friday afternoon to get a head start, as we were towing, I knew the journey would take a little longer than usual. We found a lovely little free camp for our first night at the site of the old, abandoned township of Doodlakine about 250klms from home.
After a bacon sandwich for breakfast and a short stroll to visit the old well, we were on the road again about 8-00 am, after about an hour it went a little south. Plumes of grey smoke and a complete loss of power suggests a broken turbo, but what we don’t know yet is the extent of any engine damage. What we do know is that it cost us $2200-00 to get the car and caravan back to Perth. The car is at a local mechanic, and we are awaiting the call with a diagnosis. Either way, it will not be cheap!
