Tuesday 21 October 2014

esCarpade 2014 Day 3 - Port Augusta - Clare Valley - Tanunda (Barossa Valley)

Day 3 - A very early start for the boys...


Estimated time of arrival, 9:30am...  Been up before the sun and now I'm tired before I even begin...  Someone should write those lyrics!!  coughHoodooGuruscough...


Two things on the agenda - first up, wash and fuel up Booger Mobile.


Washing...


Washing...


More washing...


Super concentration that!!


Soapy washing...


Looking clean and shiny!!


Rinse off...


Tada!!


Sunrise...  Port Augusta style!!


Heading to breakfast after fuelling up...


Parked waiting for official photos...


Discovered a couple of grasshoppers that seem to have missed being washed off the car!!


Moved up to line up...


Parking regulation schmegulation...


Queensland teams looking the goods!!


Just smile and wave, boys... just smile and wave!!


This picture of AMBO1 is for Damian's friends on the Dmax forum... good to see NSW Ambulance has seen the light and gone to the mighty Dmax!!


Driver briefing (on the off chance that Damian found another distributor in time to get onto the dirt)!!


Loading up lollies ready for the school visit!!


The rear left tyre looked a little flat (but only on the bottom), so it was topped up!!


Heading back across the river towards the school...


Nice view!!


Port Augusta West State School - about to get the full esCarpade experience!!


Angus ready to throw lollies, while Damian stalked his prey with a super-soaker!!


Cars arrive...


Damian gave 269 the kiss of death by asking them if they had some overheating problems (the line-up was pretty big)... they replied No, it's all good!!

Then, coolant was flying everywhere!!  (Apparently they had simply mis-threaded the overflow cap, which allowed the pressurised coolant to escape.)


More esCarpadians all set...  Release the kids!!

 

Turtles looking good still!!


Something like 35 cars attended this school!!


Where are the little people?


Just about time...


Damian shares his booger with Deano, much to the amusement of Ezra the puppeteer!!


The boys offloaded lollies and water, then it was time for the puppet show!!


Kids waiting patiently...


Deano and Kylie take the stage!!


Kylie demonstrates the technique she used while having chemo, and vomiting everywhere!!


Deano learns that you can't catch cancer, and touches Kylie's smooth head (she lost her hair from the cancer treatment chemotherapy).


Time for the esCarpadians to do the song!!


After the school visit, Damian and Angus followed some local leads and sourced a replacement distributor.  The gentleman was also able to assist with the fitting of it.  He then surprised the boys with a tour of his private GT-HO collection (classic Ford muscle cars)...  For obvious reasons he wishes to remain anonymous, and no photos were allowed...

Needless to say, they were spectacular!!

After fitting the replacement distributor, it was time to head off...


Quick stop to get some refreshments, and away!!


Sadly, the problem was not resolved at all...


It was a ridiculously hot day outside, and the engine temperature suffered as a result.


Same straight roads, slightly different roadside scenery...


Vroom!!


This would be far more interesting if there was something interesting to see here!


Oh look, trees!!


It was all too exciting for Angus, who fell asleep...


Meanwhile, Damian was pretty annoyed about Booger Mobile continuing to play up...


Road, trees, lines, sky, clouds...


Same, but no trees...


Fields of something like wheat...


Oh look, a train!!


More driving...


The long roads are a feature of this trip...


Oh look, a street sign... but it didn't list where the boys were heading!


On...


And on...


And under a train bridge...


  Very long...


More wheat-ish looking stuff...


These blogs would be far more interesting if the boys were actually on the track...


But they aren't...


A nice, dead tree...


Woot!!  A road with a bend in it!!


Turning at the sign...


Back to the long, straight roads...


And ones with slight bends...


Then, back to long, straight roads...


Driving beside the water pipeline...


Trees, a straight road, sky and wheat fields!!


Wheat...


Straight and boring...


Another road with a bend in it...


Onto a new road, making the GPS go mental in the process...


A tree-lined road with a curve...  what are the odds?


Clare, South Australia!!  Sadly, the boys arrived far too late for lunch, so after fuelling up, it was time to keep going!!


Long...


Plenty of these abandoned small houses and structures...


Through some pesty roadworks...


Heading towards Tanunda (Barossa Valley).


More road, trees, sky, and a curve!!


Keep going...


Amazingly, the boys ended up on the same road that some esCarpadians on the afternoon track, so they joined in for the last few instructions...


Palm avenue...


And back onto the bitumen!!


Vroom!!


After heading to the muster point, there was a long parade through the main street of the town of Tanunda... Sadly, Damian was having so much fun making noise and flashing the disco lights, that he neglected to take any pictures!!


On the bus ready to head to dinner...  Big night coming up!!


Classy... the Sip n Save...


Looking much better inside at the Vine Inn.


Angus looking good!!


Damian and Donna from 54 posing for a selfie...


Damian had some moustaches, and they were well used...  By the end of the evening, they had become fairly communal!!


After a few drinks, Angus was convinced to 'stache up!!


Damian tries out the monobrow look...


They are breeding...


Alright, time to take the drinks off Damian!!


After a great night of food, dancing, singing and a few drinks, it was time to head back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.

Tomorrow, the boys will continue their investigation into what the hell is going wrong with Booger Mobile, and with a bit of luck, will get it sorted...  It's a fairly simple car - the issue can only be electrics or fuel!!

Stay tuned…

2 comments:

  1. Maybe Bugger just doesn't like the dirt.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Perhaps there is another leaf somewhere!? Glad to see that you made it Bro and Angus!

    ReplyDelete