Kalgoorlie to Adelaide

Hello all
After leaving Kalgoorlie I had an eventful trip across the Nullabour...............with a bit of everything thrown in.
Thunderstorms, howling winds and a breakdown to top things off.

Bunda Cliffs Nullabour Plain

A holwing tailwind pushed me to Balladonia for a night of thunderstorms, on the way I stopped for the second time in less than a week to assist a stranded fellow traveller..

Bunda Cliffs

Little did I know it would soon be me stuck on the side of the highway.

Bunda Cliffs

After I left kalgoorlie I started hearing a bit of a wine and dismissed this a tyre wine, as the Pilbara had chopped the tyres around a bit.
This was followed  by a slight scrapping sound at slow speeds, by this time I was well and truly committed to the Nullabour.
Things went from bad to worse fairly quickly, with howling winds listening to noises was nearly impossible with the window down, so onward it was.
200 kilometres west of Ceduna the brown smelly stuff hit the fan, coming close to losing a wheel.

Add caption

When I ground to a halt the centre of the tyre was resting on the tray tiedown rail.
I was more concerned with getting my bum off the road than taking pictures so you will have to use your imagination here.
With no drive I had to think quick as I was hanging out onto the road, so into 4x4 and the front wheels dragged me clear.
At this stage a nice Truckie stopped to see if he could help. We jacked up the wheel and backed off the brakes to be able to push the axle back in.
The wheel bearing was absolutely shagged................
As luck would have it All this happened right adjacent to a rest area and within the last mobile phone coverage for about 150km.
With no hope of continuing we nursed the vehicle into the rest area for the night, followed by frantic phone calls for a towtruck.

not a pretty sight

 Next morning the Flat top came 51km out from Nundroo to collect me.
Unloading the camper in the campground the off the ute went for be looked at.

Once apart it wasn't a pretty sight.

not much left....

  
Now, after six days stranded in Nundroo following is the points of interest  list...............







That's correct .....blank......there are no points of interest in Nundroo.

I must admit though, Wayne at Davis Motors, Nundroo did a good job getting me going again, the ABS sensor is shagged and I need to replace this when I get a chance but all going well so far.
Before blaming the vehicle though, it was pointed out to me the other day, that a lot of people have done the trips, and been to the places I have been.........but how many have done it in the same vehicle?
I think it's done a pretty good job considering.
I am heading across to Mildura to spend a little time on the Murray, considerably poorer than I was..... 
Bye for now

Carnarvon to Kalgoorlie

Hello all
From Carnarvon I headed North to Gnaraloo Station and Red Bluff

view from camp at Red Bluff

 Red Bluff was stunning, and the surf was massive, the waves were 'dumpers' and all night and day was like a thunderstorm with the waves thumping on the shore.

surf at Red Bluff

sunset at Red Bluff

After Red Bluff I decided to head inland to try to escape the constant strong winds.

heading inland

I wanted to visit the Big Bell townsite ruins near Que.

Big Bell sign

Big Bell Hotel in it's heyday reportedly had the longest bar in Australia.

Big Bell Hotel

Big Bell Hotel

Big Bell Hotel

It would have been a Grand building back in the day, with all the fireplaces, arches, and tiled walls.

The old kitchen

roadside wildflowers

Next stop was the Superpit at Kalgoorlie.

Kalgoorlie Superpit

The dots you can see on the access road exiting the Superpit are dump trucks carrying 250 tonnes each.

dump truck in the Superpit

 Next update will be across the Nullabour, and a few hiccups along the way, including my first major mechanical problem and the 6 day wait for parts and repairs.

Bye for now.