FITZROY CROSSING

Fitzroy Crossing is hot, very hot and today it's humid as well. Still, that's why we have aircon, isn't it? The days are pleasant towards late afternoon, when you can sit outside under the awning and have a cool drink - or two.

I have some minor maintenance to do on the vehicle, but can't be bothered in the heat of the day. I'll wait until it cools a bit, then if I have the motivation....................................................

The road to Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek is a bit rough and it shook out one of the driving light back stays, so I have a "droopy" left driving light. I just have to instal a new nut and bolt or tech screw and the job's right.

I also bought a small cartridge grease gun in Katherine, with one cartridge, thinking that I would grease the caravan before travelling the Gibb River Road (GRR). The cartridge disappeared very quickly. It turns out that the caravan service people at Queensland Caravans, who make the Sunland Caravan that we have, did the old service trick. Just stick the gun on the nipple, brief squirt and it looks greased - but it's not. Anyone with any nouse knows that you push grease in until you get a show of grease at the joint or the rubber dust cover moves with filling grease. That ensures that dirt is pushed out and water can't get in. But if you do the old "el cheapo" trick, it takes a lot of grease to fill an empty joint - and I have a lot of them to fill, so more grease is required. Then it's under the van to apply it all to the dry joints. It will pay dividends in the long run, but it's a pain in the bum having to second guess slack individuals and their masters.

Bob's vehicle was just plain bad luck and we feel for he and Fiona. Still, it could have happened on the GRR and that would have been far worse in terms of getting repairs and parts. At least we are here in beautiful downtown sunny Fitzroy Crossing - and we are on holidays, don't forget.

I will be getting the auxilliary fuel tank problem checked out in Broome, probably at the Toyota dealer. We will be in Broome for a few days after we get Bob's Disco back on the road.

On Monday, we are driving to Derby, where we will join a flight over the horizontal falls, land in a seaplane on the sound and stay overnight on a luxury houseboat. We will be taken through the horizontal falls in a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat - like on Sea Patrol on the telly). Bob's Mum, Phil, reckons it's a hoot, so we are looking forward to it. Back to Derby on Tuesday, then back here to pick up Bob's (by now) repaired vehicle and off to Broome on Wednesday morning - early start (about 0600). We plan a few days in Broome, then back towards El Questro for two nights, Victoria River overnight, Mataranka for a night, Banka Banka for a night, then off into Queensland for a bush camp on the Matilda Highway before getting to Mt Isa for a couple of nights. That's all the planning for the moment.

We hope that it all works out the way we planned it.

Bye for now.

Maureen and John

P.S. Keep looking at our Picasa site as I keep updating it when I can. Hope that you like the pics.

JB