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The Runaway Wheel!
Daily life can be very exciting here in Vanuatu. At the start of the Pentecost Maewo trip I had the chance to go on a short tour of some of the dispensaries and aid posts further inland. I, along with about five Health Department staff, piled into the back of a servicable ute and off we went along the dirt roads.
The centre of the island is a mountain range and the road runs along the top so it wasn't long before we were considerably high up in the mountains. Sitting in the back of the ute, thinking about how illegal this would be in Australia, I was just ducking tree branches when the thought came to me for no apparent reason "I wonder what would happen if we lost a wheel right now?"
Maybe I had subconsciously heard a distinctive rattle or something, I do not know. But as I lifted my head and looked out at the road beside the ute there was a wheel running along beside us!!!
I called out to the driver in agitated bislama "Hey, weel blong you, i run away!" Immediately the driver braked hard and the truck ground to a halt with one wheel hub scoring a furrow down the centre of the dirt road.
Much consternation ensued and as members of the group wandered off to look for offending wheel nuts that had fallen off allowing the wheel to escape, I wandered off in the other direction to find the wheel. Amazingly it had come to rest in a ditch about 150 metres further on. The other side of the road was an almost vertical drop to I don't know where. If the wheel had taken it into its mind to go that way some poor unsuspecting villager would probably have scored a truck wheel straight through his thatch roof several hundred feet below!
When I returned to the vehicle one wheel stud complete with nut had been found. The other three that had sheered off had vanished without trace and there were no more nuts to be found. The driver claimed it wasn't a problem as he had some spares. Amazing I thought. Just the type of breakdown you need to be prepared for and thus carry spares!
Anyway, eventually the truck was jacked up, the bits and pieces straightened and the wheel hub returned to the axle. But it wouldn't fit. After a while I managed to explain to the driver that he needed to release the brake so the brake shoes would allow the hub to go back on. He immediately went to do as I suggested when I realised that no one had chocked the vehicle and we were on a significant grade. Now I had visions of the truck running away from the wheel......
I quickly found a couple of large rocks and chocked the front wheels. Still the hub wouldn't go on. The brake cylinders were rusty and had overextended and wouldn't allow the brake shoes to release. After some levering I managed, with my very basic mechanics knowledge, to get some movement and the hub slid into place. I was an instant hero. Fame is readily acquired here.
Then, the wheel was returned and the driver went to get his 'spare wheel nuts' - from the other wheels!!!! Just as I was wondering whether the safest option would be to pray and trust God for safety or to just walk, a much newer truck came along. Many words were exchanged in bislama and the multitude piled into this truck to continue the journey. But not before I had checked all the wheels for wheel nuts, much to the mirth of my travelling companions.
Later that day, we acquired yet another truck for the return journey. I had of course carefully checked this one too for a full compliment of nuts before alighting. I was just settling down in the back when I realised that I needn't have bothered. I could actually see the wheel nuts on the closest wheel straight through the holes in the floor. What a convenient addition! Now as we rattled our way home the thought came to me "I wonder what would happen if the tray separated from the chassis at this point". I quickly cast it from my mind - it doesn't pay to think random thoughts like that here in Vanuatu. They just may come to pass.
I turned my mind to enjoying the view as we drove along the edge of a cliff with the sea glistening 1500 feet or more below......
- comments
Li Wow! What an adventure Da :P I'm glad you survived all of the excitement. We had a fantastic skiing trip. I picked it up really quickly and was in a level 4 class (the level Paul started in) before the end of the week...and I only had one serious crash :D Did you get my picture message? Love you all heaps. Look forward to hearing more of your adventures. Li