More welding, and warm weather

Surprise, surprise, the day started cold and wet, and was quite uneventful (where are all the wild camels?) until about 50km out of Norseman. The rear axle on the trailer had been giving us some concern for a day or so, as the rear tyre was gradually encroaching onto the front one. At this check, it was less than a finger-width away from its mate, so before they touched urgent repairs were required. I drove Terry on ahead into Norseman, in search of a workshop, or at least somewhere we could pull up to attend to the problem. Sunday afternoon, and while not a raging metropolis at the best of times, the town was deserted. The best I could do was a truck resting area, with big signs to the effect of “Cars and caravans will be destroyed and their owners eaten alive if you dare to enter here”. Not very encouraging!

Anyway, that’s where we stopped. We got some planks of wood from a friendly truckie (note small ‘t’) to jack up the trailer so Trucky (note capital ‘T’) could remove the wheels and assess the problem. Ever the pessimist, his on-road assessment of ‘a couple of days at least’ became a quick welding job and back out of the truck bay (still alive!) within the hour.

The night was spent at Kumarl Siding. It was a great camp spot, with fireplaces. Making the most of the opportunity, we lit a campfire and toasted marshmallows. The next morning the kids climbed trees while I cleaned up the kitchen and Trucky cleaned up another oil leak in the engine bay.

But guess what? Sunshine! It’s a glorious day! Off to Esperance to restock the kitchen, then down to Cape Le Grand and Lucky Bay. (and an internet connection)