Well after an eventful day yesterday I am back on the road.
Day 8
The morning got off to a late start after a few fuel problems. The mornings are getting bitterly cold but I am rugged up to the nines and handling it well.
"The View as we left the Granites Gold MIne"
"The Granites Gold Mine Crew - Thanks for a great visit"
The day went well and we achieved 27km for the day.
Jake took up the lead in one support vehicle with the home made grader behind him. A ripper of a tool that my Dad and Uncle Steve designed and made to take off the tops of the corrugation. Clever pair of blokes! I even heard some truckies talking on the two-way radio's about it, they were hoping we could run it over a wider stretch of the road.
"The inventors - Bill and Steve Cook"
Luke is still laid up with blistered feet and my old mate Norma kept pace with me. Norma you are a Legend!!
"Me and My Support Crew - Luke, Norma, Lorette and Jake"
Late afernoon we were visited by my Mum (Letty), Dad (Bill), Uncle Steve, Aunty Jude and their youngest son Will. We are heading through Tea Tree floodout country where the country side is dotted with huge red ant nests. Mum took planking to a whole new level and planked an ant bed, I think she out done us... :-)
"The Tanami Ant Beds"
"Mum - Taking Tanami Planking to New Heights"
We pulled up about 30km South East of the Granites. Full Camp tonight for a delicious camp oven stew.
"Settled in for the night - Chase, Luke, Dad and and Me"
Headed off with a great start, hit the beginning of a 10km stretch of bitumen just before we pulled up for lunch, where we did our routine checks making sure that nothing is rubbing or that no gravel, sand or stones have flicked up into my boots. These regular checks are so important as even one of these things could pull the whole show to a halt.
Luke is back in the saddle again and keeping up pace, he is doing an amazing job.
My fast chair "the thoroughbred" can do 8.5km an hour with a battery life of between 2 and 2.5hours depending on the terrain so this means a jog for my support walkers, my slow chair "the clydesdale" runs at about 5.5 to 6km an hour giving everyone a bit of a break and slowing the pace to a walk. I seem to still be doing battle with my batteries, draining them as fast as I am charging them.
"Mum getting those extra few Kms- Rob, Mum and I"
After lunch we cruised at a great pace along a 10km stretch of bitumen, it was like a piece of heaven after the dirt. But it was short lived and we hit the dirt again and kept on travelling. We set up camp again about 70km South East of the Granites.
Good night all, Rob
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