Another day, another swim

 

As I kind of expected, the day did not get off to a fantastic start. I pulled the back wheels off to discover that the shock absorbers had in fact leaked a little oil, which is usually indicative of failure. I didn’t pull one off to prove it though. What I wasn’t necessarily expecting was the associated destruction of the bump stop. Probably not as critical, but does explain some of the rather hard bumps we have been getting more of lately.

Since this car comes with roadside assistance, and an upgrade to our RACQ, I figured it was time to see what could be done. So packed up and down to the Mt Barnett Roadhouse and store. Used the phone and got through to Mitsubishi, explained the situation, who then put me on to roadside assistance. I was just starting that conversation when the phone went dead. Asked the woman in the shop. “Not again, it’s just been out for a fortnight and they’ve only just fixed it.” No point hanging around there.

Next stop Imintji about 80km down the road. An aboriginal community and store, but boasting “the only mechanical repairs on the Gibb River Road”. They also love their AFL, with four team flags on the poles outside. No phone though. And no shock absorbers, was the answer to my not very hopeful question. So far so good, so might as well keep going the next 30km to our campsite. The road is good, and they are working on it to make it better, so that is good. And the car just loves loping along at 60km/h, so it was a very peaceful drive.

Lobbed in at lunchtime, so down to the gorge carpark, then off for a swim. I think Louis has covered this bit. Arrived back to a now much busier campsite, and while the others setup, I went back to Mitsubishi for another go, since for some bizarre reason there is a phone here. Went round the story again, but concluded they are only offering a tow to the nearest dealer (Broome), and given our current isolation we’d probably have to wait here a day or two which doesn’t enthral, and would make the last of the Kimberley a backtrack, which also doesn’t suit.

So I think the plan will be to aim for Broome under our own steam by Monday, and hope that we can get a booking and parts for a repair job then. If they decide it is warranty, then we’ll let them do it. If not, I think I’ll get some aftermarket ones, because if real ones give up after about 300km of corrugations, they aren’t worth persisting with.

Some spectacular travelling today. In the morning more of the open woodland before climbing a range (they call them jump-ups around here mostly. Then the country changed into more overtly rocky terrain, perhaps reminiscent of Arkaroola in the northern Flinders Ranges, but with more vegetation. We also moved into core beef country, and we saw some big herds and some fine specimens, perhaps a little too close for comfort at times.  Later today we entered the King Leopold Ranges, where we will spend the next little while. A low range but imposing rock. In this predominantly flat country, it doesn’t take much of a range to get a name.

Lynne went chasing some elusive crimson finches before sunset, and had some success.

p.s. Hello 1S