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Serendipity Strikes Again, Fortunately! Friday 16 Nov 2012
Naughty Back Tyre. Port Augusta to Wudinna, SA.
Dave and I set off from our comfy Port Augusta cabin at 8am, with nice cool weather for riding. We have been very lucky with good weather at this time of the year; this makes exploring/hiking so much easier for us.
Today our plan was to ride to Streaky Bay for a few days' rest before heading across the Big Paddock to Bunbury region. Our first detour this morning was to Iron Knob, which is about 66km from Port Augusta. Although there are signs that many of the houses in this little former iron ore town are occupied, we didn't see any humans. The main deserted dusty street had a warning sign about emus. We did a couple of bog laps of this town and I went to the local dunny, still leaving my helmet on. Then I realised while muttering happily away to myself while on this rural throne, that my helmet speaker was still switched on, so Dave out on the road could hear his wife's happy biological sounds. Oh the wonders of modern communication!
Our next stop was at the little roadhouse town of Kimba. Dave hopped off his bike at the petrol bowser and immediately lay down on the ground next to his back tyre….not a good sign!
He stood up looking sad and grim….the back tyre on the big Honda was close to the canvas. It had not long ago been brand new; we got it fitted in Mt Isa Queensland, 6,000km away. At the time I had said it looked like a silly tyre because it didn't have enough tread on it; it has the fancy name of "Continental" and was the only one Dave could get fitted at the time. Anyway, it was looking rather parlous now we were halfway to the Nullarbor on the Eyre Highway, in a tiny place with no help!
Looking worried, Dave went inside the servo to pay for our petrol. Just then, serendipity kicked in for us lucky Mighty Intrepids. I have been gobsmacked several times on our big trip how Guardian Angels turn up at the perfect time….if we had been 30 seconds earlier or later, we would have missed our lucky opportunities that always save the day, and probably our lives.
Just as Dave went inside to pay, a rumbling big race- car covered in signs came to the bowser next to us…it was advertising fund raising for leukaemia support in Adelaide. Three men got out and looked at our bikes and trailer. I pulled off my helmet, as I could see they were wanting a chat about our travel outfit. I said "We have to turn all the way back to Port Augusta 160kms because my husband's back tyre is stuffed and there's nowhere else to sort it."
Turns out one of the blokes had a connection with a tyre place in Wudinna which was 100kms ahead of us, on our way. He pulled out his mobile phone and spoke to his boss….yes, a motorbike tyre could be sent overnight by truck to Wudinna to be fitted for us. No need to go a longer way, backwards!
So after a couple more phone calls to get everything sorted, the right kind of tyre that Dave wants is on its way, no silly slick-looking Continental tyre.
Kimba town has a "Big" that Dave was looking forward to adding to his photo collection: A Big Galah, tall as a building, and pretty pink. Dave said that he was in the right town, because he felt like Big Galah himself for not realising that his back tyre was wearing so dangerously thin. Well, you wouldn't expect it to be, as other motorbike tyres have a better life. I suppose towing a trailer does shorten a back tyre's life, but we won't be buying the same brand as the last one!
So instead of Plan A, which was for us to be setting up our tent in pretty Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula coastline, we are doing Plan B, which is being in a nice motel room at tiny Wudinna, costing $110. Has a working TV, our own bathroom and a comfy double bed. Luxury. I had followed Dave's motorbike from Kimba to Wudinna, as he was going cautiously along…..for the first time in our big trip we had cars passing us! We rode just below the 100km speed and slower on corners, no need to have a tyre coming to grief at higher speeds.
Now we just have to hope the correct tyre is ready to be fitted tomorrow morning; I'm sure it will be. Dave has just phoned "Grumma" his mechanic back in Perth for some finer details on how to get this back tyre fitted correctly. He has arranged to be with the Wudinna farm tyre fitting mechanics tomorrow….they ususually fit huge tractor tyres looking at their workshop. But we have been assured by our Fundraising Guardian Angel men that we will be well looked after.
Then, we will be more safely moving forward! Thanks to Serendipity again.
Mrs Mighty Intrepid on her Deadly Treadly.
PS: The "Big Galah" turned out to be very appropriate; I had been suspicious about how the new tyre was wearing very fast and in hindsight should have replaced it in Port Augusta hence I feel like a big galah.
Big Galah Dave
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