Here I am starting out on another leg of my Rolling Adventure with once again many things to be grateful for and many wonderful and helpful people to thank.
Gazelle, my bicycle, is having a short rest, taking a break from transporting me all over the countryside and preferring shorter distances especially in the warmer months. As the magnet given to me by a friend in Port Lincoln says, 'Australia, It's a Bloody Long Way'.
And so it seemed a natural progression to begin my thesis on the various modes of transport available. This continued for several months and included visiting car yards, quizzing caravan, motor home, camper trailer, campervan and 4WD owners and browsing online vehicle trading sites. A special thanks to Don and Margie, Adrian, Steve and Michelle, Annie, Al and many others who freely shared their knowlege and experiences with me.
Finally, by process of elimination, and not ready to tow a caravan or wanting a 2WD campervan as my only transport, I decided to look for a 4WD big enough to sleep in the back, and carry a tent and fridge. This would allow me a robust vehicle with towing potential for my travels, and to drive around town and get away for the weekends when working. As with everything in life there are compromises but this option seemed to provide the greatest flexibility when I didn't really know what to expect not having done any road trips before other than by bicycle. My intention was to see Australia beginning with the west, starting with a tent, stretcher and fridge and see how it went from there.
I decided on a Pajero 4WD, and found one which ticked all the boxes, for sale in Bunbury, some 400kms from Albany.
A huge thank you to my work colleague and friend Annie, who offered to take me all the way to Bunbury and before long we were making our way back to Albany in the dark with 'Pearl', driving at 80kph to avoid any wildlife encounters. Thank you Annie! You have made this adventure possible and your enthusiasm and generosity will stay with me always. It truly was a 'rip snorter' experience.
From the day I met Steve who runs the Albany Ukulele Club, he and his wife Michelle and their 2 children Kelvin and Ryan have treated me like family. I am very grateful for their incredible hospitality and generosity and their many tips about their trip around Oz in their 'Troopy'.
Also, thank you Steve for working tirelessly to get my car ready for travelling in such a short space of time, by researching what I needed, taking out my back seats, building, carpeting and installing the false floor, installing the second battery and kit under the bonnet, convincing me to buy a fridge which is a dream (so much better than an Eski, what was I thinking?), making and wiring up my special 12volt switch box to run my fridge and charge appliances, loaning me your solar panels and storing all my gear including my bicycle! Not to mention your tyre gauge and puncture repair kit gifts, one of which I will use a lot and the other which I hope never to use. Without all of your work my trip would not have been possible and my life not so comfortable. I will always remember your generosity. Thank you!
Thanks also to Jane and Lindsay, intrepid 4WDers from Melbourne who sent me a brand new compressor for my tyres. So generous!!
A big thank you to Al for spending time building brackets and mounting Steve's solar panels on the roof of my car so that I am always charging my fridge battery even when stationary (here's hoping the sun shines brightly), mounting my tablet and mapping system on the dashboard and giving me a refresher course in Ozi Explorer to aid navigation which is important especially when travelling alone.
A big thanks also to Ric in Albany who gave me my first 4WD lesson on the beach, taught me how to use the gears, compressor and tyre gauge, and do an underbody car wash and topped off with home made cake and coffee! And so it began...
