cruiseroutfit
Well-known member
Expeditions 7 Australia - Part Five:
Camels, Cruisers and Cable Beach
We rolled into Broome just as the sun tucked below the horizon of the Indian Ocean. Our view from Cable Beach was unparalleled-- the sun, the sand, a passing trains of camels. We finished off the evening with a quick bath in the warm ocean waters. Going to Broome turned out to be a blessing for more than just the scenery and surf. Not only was it a fabulous beach town with some fascinating history, but it also, luckily, had a modern and well-equipped hospital. It turned out the stomach pains Bruce had been suffering a few days previous weren't just a simple case of indigestion but in fact appendicitis. He would need immediate surgery to resolve his woes. We set him up in the local Broome hospital, where he would ‘relax' for a few days. With flight departures looming, Greg, Kyle and Earl departed back towards Alice Springs, leaving Jeremiah and I with the Sherpa and Fernwey to watch over Bruce.
Broome Hovercraft Tour
Bruce was going to need a few days to rest following the surgery, so Jeremiah and I figured we would be good mates and keep him company. We made the best of our Broome visit, touring the back roads, taking a hovercraft trip out on the ocean, and sneaking things into Bruce's hospital room at every chance. Bruce didn't wait long to make himself at home, by day two he was on a first name basis with all of the nurses and we had to wait in line to get to see him. If you have met Bruce you won't be shocked in the slightest.
Bruce & JP getting a quick brew fix
After crossing Australia nearly twice, all of the E7 rigs desperately needed service. Scheduling maintenance work at a Toyota dealership in Australia isn't just showing up in the service line and dropping off your keys. The Toyota dealership in Broome was regularly 3 weeks out on an oil change, and the Alice Springs location wasn't much better. Scott was able to work some magic and get us all appointments in Alice Springs. Jeremiah and I would need to depart Broome a day earlier to get the Sherpa to the dealership, so it was time to motor. It was tough to say goodbye to Bruce after a month on the road together, but his plans had been altered in a whirlwind. He would be flying out of Broome, and then onto home in the US following his recovery.
E7 and camels
Mmmmmmmm... 1VDFTV Engine
Jeremiah and I didn't have much time to get to our appointment in Alice, so we burned the midnight oil. We made good time driving from Broome to Halls Creek, where we topped off the tanks and quickly grabbed some groceries. From Halls Creek we traveled the Tanami Road back to Alice Springs. This 1035 kilometer-long, high-speed dirt road crosses the arid Tanami desert and is frequented by the infamous Australian road trains, semi-trucks hauling up to 6 trailers, creating a dust cloud that blinds the road for miles. It's literally a king of the road scenario in which smaller vehicles just yield to the behemoths by pulling off the road completely during a pass and hanging tight until the dust settles.
Jeremiah transferring fuel from the Sherpa's fuel drums
Who dat?
Kangaroo's, everywhere!
To be continued...
Camels, Cruisers and Cable Beach
We rolled into Broome just as the sun tucked below the horizon of the Indian Ocean. Our view from Cable Beach was unparalleled-- the sun, the sand, a passing trains of camels. We finished off the evening with a quick bath in the warm ocean waters. Going to Broome turned out to be a blessing for more than just the scenery and surf. Not only was it a fabulous beach town with some fascinating history, but it also, luckily, had a modern and well-equipped hospital. It turned out the stomach pains Bruce had been suffering a few days previous weren't just a simple case of indigestion but in fact appendicitis. He would need immediate surgery to resolve his woes. We set him up in the local Broome hospital, where he would ‘relax' for a few days. With flight departures looming, Greg, Kyle and Earl departed back towards Alice Springs, leaving Jeremiah and I with the Sherpa and Fernwey to watch over Bruce.
Broome Hovercraft Tour
Bruce was going to need a few days to rest following the surgery, so Jeremiah and I figured we would be good mates and keep him company. We made the best of our Broome visit, touring the back roads, taking a hovercraft trip out on the ocean, and sneaking things into Bruce's hospital room at every chance. Bruce didn't wait long to make himself at home, by day two he was on a first name basis with all of the nurses and we had to wait in line to get to see him. If you have met Bruce you won't be shocked in the slightest.
Bruce & JP getting a quick brew fix
After crossing Australia nearly twice, all of the E7 rigs desperately needed service. Scheduling maintenance work at a Toyota dealership in Australia isn't just showing up in the service line and dropping off your keys. The Toyota dealership in Broome was regularly 3 weeks out on an oil change, and the Alice Springs location wasn't much better. Scott was able to work some magic and get us all appointments in Alice Springs. Jeremiah and I would need to depart Broome a day earlier to get the Sherpa to the dealership, so it was time to motor. It was tough to say goodbye to Bruce after a month on the road together, but his plans had been altered in a whirlwind. He would be flying out of Broome, and then onto home in the US following his recovery.
E7 and camels
Mmmmmmmm... 1VDFTV Engine
Jeremiah and I didn't have much time to get to our appointment in Alice, so we burned the midnight oil. We made good time driving from Broome to Halls Creek, where we topped off the tanks and quickly grabbed some groceries. From Halls Creek we traveled the Tanami Road back to Alice Springs. This 1035 kilometer-long, high-speed dirt road crosses the arid Tanami desert and is frequented by the infamous Australian road trains, semi-trucks hauling up to 6 trailers, creating a dust cloud that blinds the road for miles. It's literally a king of the road scenario in which smaller vehicles just yield to the behemoths by pulling off the road completely during a pass and hanging tight until the dust settles.
Jeremiah transferring fuel from the Sherpa's fuel drums
Who dat?
Kangaroo's, everywhere!
To be continued...
