Friday 24
Arising early bellies filled, water tanks replenished we hit the road again. Emma Gorge was the first port of call for the day. Missing the turn off initially, we backed up and made our way in.
The car park was already filling as we topped up our water bottles and made our way in. Passing yet again more hordes of keen elderly adventurers on their way out, giving them a helping hand over the rocks and boulders. There is definitely no stopping them! Taking their hands as I help aid them across a nasty section, I noticed their aged hands. Some of them we really getting on! It was an honour to help them accomplish the track and was rewarded with ‘Ohh, aren’t you a sweetheart”, and “bless you my darling”. Their desire for success out weighing their fear of failure at their age is something I wont forget. Hopefully if I make it to their age, I will have the same outlook. To not take no as an answer and ignore all the warnings, good on them!
Most of the gorges we have encountered so far in the Kimberleys have had treacherous paths. Scaling and hopping from rock to boulder, boulder to rock. It slowed you up and made a short walk, a long one. Confident in her grip with her huaraches Cath was rock hopping again and taking the lead as pace setter. My transport was the old trusty thong. They had seen me up Pompeii, all through the Blue Mountains and once again on this Big Lap. There were many people wide eyed and giving me the look as I skipped like a butterfly over the top of the boulders and rocks. Well practiced, I felt comfortable in my choice of footwear and even had a comment from a guy “See darl, I told you could do it in thongs!”,
“Mate, humans have been conveying their way across these lands for millions of years barefoot before the shoe was ever invented!” I replied. “You’re dead right mate, you’re dead right” he said as he passed. I could hear this giving him reason to argue his point to his wife as they made their way down the track. It brings a smile to my face to see the look people give me when they see me challenging such tracks in thongs. This terrain brings the inner child out of me and why the hell not? I’m having fun!
We came to a pool, deep turquoise in colour. It was stunning. The water inviting in. “This cant be the end?” I asked.
“Nope a little bit further” Cath replied. I was so ready to jump in and the water was rather pleasant in temperature. We had read that Emma Gorge holds the coldest waters in the Kimberleys. A short clamber further and we were soon to find out. They weren’t wrong. It was freezing! I got into my shins and that’s as brave I was going to be. “No way am I getting in, my ankles are burning as they’re going numb babe!” Cath on the other hand gets hit by the heat and never says no to an inviting swim – despite the temperature. She waded in and scoped out the surrounds. Not long and there was a shriek – she was in! The water apparently to the right of the gorge trickled in from the rocks above and was slightly warmer than the rest.
Droplets seemingly fell from the sky as the overhanging cliff rose above us – it was truly a magical feeling being deep within the gorge – especially after the hazardous walk in.
The waterfall softly fell on the far left and looking up to the opening above we felt special to be here. Cath swam the pool alone at one point as others watched not braving the cold.
The walk back was the same as the walk in. Challenging. Cath rolled not one but both ankles on seemingly the easy parts, not a hazardous rock in sight. “What are you doing? There’s nothing there!”
“I don’t know babe, maybe I’m just expecting there to be a rock!” she replied.
Continuing on down the road we rolled in and out of ‘floodways’, they were a constant part of the road. Some smooth and others brutal and warn out with potholes at the bottom. All were invisible until you were right on top of them – some we rolled through probably a tab bit too quick as the Steed bounced out of them on the other side. The road had some un-expectantly sharp corners that were not signed. Hitting these too quick and trying to turn hard whilst being on the rough corrugations, offered next to no traction. We would often roll right off to the side of the corner and into the mound of soft embankment of gravel that had collected on the side. I would be on and off the power suddenly, stepping the back end of Steed out to the side as the ass end tried to overtake the front, then back heavily on the go pedal again just to get her around the corner. I learnt my lesson coming into one floodway too quick and bouncing across a large cluster of rocks and undulation. As always the suspension would soak it up and our heavy back end wouldn’t make a noise. A few pop sounds from rocks shooting out the side of the tyre’s would have me looking in the wing mirrors checking for any sign of damage or un-normal behaviour in the Steed’s tracks.
A large gutter had been dug into the road ahead. Something had been dragged down the road. Ahead, a ute with a trailer was off to the side of the road and the gutter followed it off. We pulled up to see if everything was ok and if he needed any help. We pull up to everyone we come across to see if they need any assistance, it’s a good thing to do. Lend a helping hand to people in need – everyone should do it. It gives you a great feeling of satisfaction and pleasure helping someone. This time it was an old guy, on his own. His tyre had blown on his trailer, un-aware he had dragged it a fair way over the rough corrugations. In turn, it had ripped the axle away from the suspension and subframe. It was stuffed. There was nothing I could do without a welder. We offered him food, water and the use of our sat phone, but he didn’t want any. “Its ok thanks mate, I’ve sent someone ahead to tell the station. They’ll help me out. I’ve got plenty of food and water, and if the water runs out I’ve got plenty of beer haha,” he chuckled. “Thanks for stopping hey, not many people have. I appreciate it”. We continued on, we had scones to eat!
Ellenbrae Station is renowned for their fresh homemade scones.
It was only fitting we drove in to try them out for afternoon tea. A quaint little place with manicured gardens and a lovely feel – most places out here are dusty and dry – it was a refreshing site. A chicken coup sat large at the front and the entrance was clearly all made my hand with various recycled materials. The station was set up by two passionate brothers in 1965 and its homely feel still lived on today. Cath ordered two scones and tea and as we were the only patrons on this afternoon, they came fast. Warm and fluffy – they did not disappoint! Soon the conversation turned to the poor man with his trailer. The caretaker asking if he was on his own, and then explaining that the tow truck we saw shortly after had his own problems of an overheating engine! It’s $2,500 to get your car or trailer out of the Gibb, an expensive ordeal. We explained we offered him all that we could, but with his optimism, he declined. We thanked them for the scones and made our way out.
With all the bumps and knocks of the road, I decided to have a quick check over the suspension and tyre’s. Well, I’m glad I did! I found the rear leaf springs were bending the wrong way at the forward pivot point. Not good. Unsure of its cause, perhaps the back end was too heavy for the load rate I had picked, or was it too soft? Did we hit something too hard and quickly? Was it all the corrugations? Whatever it was, they were both sitting in an ‘S’ shape and I’m pretty sure there suppose to be flat or sitting in a “U’ shape. Nothing I could do, so we continued on at a slower rate taking our time over every whoop or floodway along the path. I stewed on ideas of when and how it could of happened. If we needed to purchase more suspension before we tackled the Simpson Desert later on, I could order it in Broome and fit in Kalgoorlie with my best man Chicco. But what caused it? The weight? Questions were going through my mind continuously. I knew I needed advice. We would have to get it looked over in Broome. Could they repair it? Bend it back and we re-use it? If I was to order another set, I need to know it wont happen again, and do I need a heavier or lighter load rate? This continued until I fell asleep that night.
The corrugations got deeper and longer.
Some were a foot deep in-between corrugations that were about two feet wide. Lacking the one shock still in the rear right hand side of the ute, that by now had lost all its oil, and the leaf springs being bent, it was surprising how well the suspension was soaking up each corrugation and making for a smooth ride in the cab still. However, as we neared our final point that we would call home for the night, the ABS light came on. Cath’s head dropped when I told her. “It’s ok darl, it’s probably just a sensor. A stone could of flicked up and knocked it or dust could of got in. I’ll have a look when we stop”.
Unable to find a free camp spot to spend the night near Drysdale Station, we made the call into the station. They had two campgrounds. One with showers and ones without. Obviously we opted for the cheaper and took the non-showered camping as we had a shower built into the canopy.
We pulled in and there were only two other vehicles to the whole site; we basically had it to ourselves. Roughly all two hundred meters apart we had our own secluded section. It was bliss. I built a fire to boil the jug, make a cup of tea and help detract the bugs, followed with a few arrows shot at my target with my bow. I laid a towel down under the rear end of the car and got to work in checking the brake sensors. I had ripped a sensor off when I first bought the ute eight years ago. It had been wrapped in electrical tape and was missing the sensor housing. I un-wrapped the electrical tape and pulled out the pins, sprayed some contact cleaner in and squirted some electrical sensor oil, then wrapped her back up again. I checked the dash. The light was still on. So I did the same to the other sensors. Once again, checked the dash and the light was still on. I ran over all the ABS lines and saw no issues, no splits, no tears and no cracks. “Ohh well, I’ll get it sorted when I get home,” I told Cath. “I hate the ABS anyway on dirt roads, its not great to have it, I feel like we are never going to stop sometimes with it” I said.
It was great to have enough time to get the opportunity to do other activities except walking and driving. We sat up late that night under a full moon lighting the bush around us and the fire glowing away sharing its warmth, playing catch up on the blog. Without internet signal and any service on our phones, we had become lazy for a few days, taking in what we had accomplished and neglecting the blog. Just reveling in our own thoughts about the days events. Ever seeking much needed rest and hitting the pit just after sun down, this late night was a needed one and there wasn’t a more secluded peaceful setting to do it in.
I stewed still on thoughts with the suspension as I drifted off to sleep. ‘I hope we can fix it’ I thought.
The Cooks.
TotallyCookd. 