Day 4
Km Travelled today: 306 km total: 1626km
From Woomera to Coober Pedy
The drive from Woomera to Coober Pedy via the Stuart Hwy is
probably not the most exciting piece of bitumen ever laid. Drama however when we
were packing up, as something didn’t look right with the canvas when we packed the trailer. The canvas is
supported by internal bows which are made from tent pole material. To assist
with opening, the outer bow has gas struts to help “push” it open. But when you
pack up it has to compress. I’m not sure how, but I think the gas strut failed/jammed
and as such, when I packed the tent instead of folding, the pole bent at a weak
point where the lighter weight pole sleeves the larger pole at the pivot.
We found this as we packed up, and rather than un pack the
whole tent we powered on to Coober Pedy to assess the damage. The result
was a severely bent (read unfixable) pole that holds the roof up! We could
sleep under it, so long as it doesn’t rain!!!!
An hour of contemplation, as well as a handy helping of
child related aggravation, and a solution was found after a trip to colourful Coober
Pedy Identity “Bull”. Bull unfortunately didn’t have any tube of a similar size
or any tent poles. Luckily we were carrying spare tent poles. They weren’t the
right diameter, but it allowed us to sacrifice one of our Tambo Poles which are
the right size, and use a smaller diameter pole for the annex. Our neighbours
at the Caravan park looked on, shocked, as I pulled the Cordless Drill, Vice
Grips, Hacksaw (I NEARLY brought the Angle grinder ;) )Drill set and files and
made a replacement pivot/slide bracket. Result: Problem solved! Looks just like
the original but without the gas strut. I didn’t bring a Welder!
As a comment on the local “citizenry” the Caravan park is “No
Vehicle Access after 10pm. Access arrangements to be made PRIOR to 8pm”
Meaning: You are in lockdown after 2200 to keep the riff-raff out! Nice
town!! Further example of this is that the
newest, most modern looking building in Coober Pedy was:…….. The
Courthouse/Police Station/Department of Corrections Building. Enough Said!
Kids looked at some Opals, but none of the tours were running by the time we fixed the tent, and everything runs on Coober Pedy time!
What a handy little person you are, so gifted, must take after your mother :D
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