Australia - Photos Brrom to Timber Creek

The below are the mangroves as we leave Broom and the Boab Prison Tree in Derby (yes it really was used as a prison)

Meet Kat and Janice the two new members of the Tina 4WD tour team. After them chasing us from Perth we decided to take them to Darwin, after losing Sarah and Katie in Broom. From here we start the long and eventful journey on the famous "Gibb River Road" Australia's most notorious 4WD road (Boy.. Do we find out why).

Our Camp spot for the night Widjana Gorge Nat Park, then the next morning we headed off to Tunnel Creek Nat Park. Some of the local fresh water crocodiles bask in the sun.

Bell Gorge one of the most breathtaking gorges I think we visited nested in the middle of the King Leopold Ranges. We stopped at the top of the waterfall having lunch as we looked out across the magnificent views that surrounded us. Chris, Kat and Janice climbed down to the bottom of the falls to swim in the pool at the foot of the falls, while Heleen hung out in the postcard pools at the top of the falls. Me well I was too busy climbing up and down and around taking photos from every angle and very dimension possible.

We stop for fuel and supplies at the Imintji store and community, only a few hundred kilometres into the Gibb River Road and Tina is already showing the signs of strain as her number plate hangs on with one screw. The photos show how desolate some of the route really was.

Only about 50 clicks from Kalumburu Rd, the road leading to the Mitchell Falls we had our first puncture, this is were I find out that the wheel brace does not fit into my tires (Something I really should have checked a long time ago). But I had planed for most eventualities and had a huge number of tools with me as well as a torc-wrench, which would do the job perfectly.

Then we headed off again planning to stop at Drysdale about 60 clicks down the Kalumbru Rd, we arrived just as another of the tires starts to go down with a slow puncture. It gave us time to get all the tools out and stick the axial stands under the car.

Then just 10 clicks from the campsite where we planed to spend the night another wheel burst. This time our wheel changing skills were supper fine, everyone knew the procedure the Tina race team was smoking. The tire was changed in no time, there was no chance of patching this one it had a Six Inch slice along the wall of the tire. The sun went down behind us as we started to limp to our camp site.

We found ourselves a cool spot to setup camp in El Questro Station and Wilderness Park, it is a one million acre station with bar, restaurants, garage, and shop. It was more setup for older and family tourists and very expensive, but it was also very beautiful and we could do with a bit of pampering.

El Questro gorge, it was so cool with the towering walls of the gorge to our sides with the large palm trees lining the creek running through the middle. We walked through the gorge the walk was too long to do the whole thing so we stopped at a small pool for a cooling dip before heading back to the car. Our next stop was Zebedee springs a set of natural hot pools.

Then it was off to the unmissable Emma gorge, the 30 minute walk to get to the gorge was breathtaking, ferns, palms and pools of sparkling aqua waters.

Then our final 20 clicks on the end of the Gibb River Rd. We had managed to survive, ok so 4 tires, two spotlights, part of my role cage, a battery terminal, and nearly my number plate, and a few broken tools. It could have been worse and it was for a lot of drivers that week. Good bye Gibb River.. maybe again some day. Then it was back to tarmac and the never ending straight roads as we thundered on to Kununurra.

Into the Bungle Bungles after about half an hour of 4 wheel driving we came to a creek crossing, I took Tina to a craw as I took Tina into the water, half way accross there was a loud crack from the back of the car. She crawled out the other side. The rear leaf spring had snapped.

Luckily the Ranger drove me over to his garage and we found a few bits of hardened steel. Time to make my own spring, we drove Tina round and as I made up some braces to bolt the spring back together the rest of the guys got with emptying the car and making dinner and reheat it when and if we get out of this.

After surviving the broken spring we headed for our next stop the Northern Territory border. We crossed into 'The Territory' the least populated area of Australia with only 190,000 people that only 1% of Australia. Anyway back to the drive we were only about 100 clicks past the border around 60 click from a tiny place called Timber Creek when the car just died. The engine had cooked and this would not be a simple repair job, Tina was dead.

After getting a lift to Timber Creek and waiting for Tina and the other guys to be recovered Janice and I found the local bar and proceeded to prop it up. She was with out the best co-pilot I had so far as she bought me a JD and coke, boy did I need it. We had no idea that tonight was going to be probably the most random and bizarrely funniest nights of the whole trip. Timber Creek what a place!!!

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