On arriving at the campsite just out of Normanton we had our first significant ‘moment’ of this trip. On starting to wind the van up I noticed the back right corner wasn’t moving. I quickly wound everything down again and then realised that I couldn’t get to any of the pulley’s or cables without getting inside. On winding it back up a little I found that this time the front right corner also didn’t rise so whatever was wrong seemed to be getting worse!
Luckily the two cables that were still working were on the door side of the van so I was able to lift it far enough to remove the door panel and get inside. Once I got to them it was obvious that the cables were not operating at all and in the end, after much conversation with several others campers who had turned up to see if they could assist, we decided that we weren’t going to be able to anything that night, especially as I couldn’t even get to the manual which was under the seats in the van. In the end we headed back into Normanton and grabbed a cabin in the caravan park for the night. I’ve got to say that $90+ dollars for a very basic double and two bunks with all other facilities still shared with all other campers seemed to be a little above par pricing but I get that beggars can’t be choosers.
Next morning consisted of multiple phone calls to dealers and manufacturers until it was finally decided that it sounded like the metre long springs that assist in the winding up of the van had come adrift and nothing could be done where we were. We were told that the closest places likely to be able to fix things for us were Darwin or Mackay, so we obviously decided on Darwin given that going all the way back to Mackay didn’t really achieve anything.
Given where we were we still needed to traverse mostly the same roads that we had planned in order to get there, however what was supposed to be a couple of week trip was now looking like a couple of days. This looked like completely killing off our aim to explore this area of Australia, probably the most difficult to access from where we live and therefore one of the most highly anticipated.
Day one was a late start by the time we had messed around with phone calls etc., especially as we had to wait for WA office times to really deal with anyone. The good news was that we had got in touch with the Darwin Coromal dealers and they had advised that they currently had an 8 week waiting period for service and maintenance work but would slot us in immediately on us making it to Darwin.
In the end we pushed on to Hell’s Gate Roadhouse before stopping and ended up dossing in the car as the $120 for 4 beds with even less facilities than the previous stop seemed steep. In complete opposition the accommodation costs diesel was about 20c a litre cheaper than either side and when we woke in the morning the guy who own the roadhouse and station on which it is located on ducked out to see if we would like a cuppa. When this was added to the pack of chips he threw to the kids the night before and genuine care and interest they took in our plight it just proved the general friendliness and helpfulness of people living in remote areas.
The biggest disappointment at this stage was that we had driven straight past the road into the Lawn Hill National Park, which we had intended to spend a couple of days in.
We set of reasonably early in the morning – as you are likely to do when you are trying to sleep 4 in a vehicle with the back packed with other gear an unavailable for stretching out in – and decided to stop on the NT/QLD border for breakfast to at least make something out of the abysmal couple of days we had endured.
The day's aim was to make it at least through to the Stuart Highway at Daly Waters. A full day of driving got us there and on the way we encountered several spots which we would have stopped for a couple of days in ordinary circumstances. Once we got to Borroloola things got easier as the bitumen commenced again, so where the trip through to there was supposed to be a relaxed explore, which would have suited the roads, it became a slog at best possible speed which took away most of the enjoyment.
Daly Waters was made just after dark and after a break and something for dinner we continued on up towards Darwin, stopping just north of Mataranka in the end, which ensured we would be able to cruise into Darwin in the early afternoon the next day and get the van dropped off. We were also able to get hold of a school friend of Liz’s, who was expecting us in a couple of weeks time and let her know we were actually in town. Luckily for us they immediately swung into action to make sure we had somewhere to stay and have looked after us beautifully. This was exceptionally lucky as it appears getting accommodation up here at short notice at this time of the year is difficult at best.
So first part sorted and at least the van is with the local Coromal dealers – we a re exceptionally thankful that we decided to invest in a new van for this trip so that it would be covered by warranty for the entire trip!
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