.
Took an extra week off after
Easter like half of the
population. Had a great trip down through the
Deua National Park & South East Forests and decided to com
home via the Northern part of
Kosciuszko National Park. Spent a very restful night at the
Blue Waterholes off Long Plains Road and then headed
home via the Broken Cart Trail. A very
well named track as it turns out.
About 3 km down the trail I hit a small ripple in the surface to hear a loud crack and to have the breaks on the Camper Trailer come on which brought the whole to a sudden halt.
Climbed out to discover that this little ripple in the track surface had broken a spring. What a joke after some of the roads we had been over in the past 5 days. Not to worry some bush fixes needed, but on closer examination found that the broken end of the spring had wedged itself up behind the spring hanger.
Out with the trusty winch, able to tell the better half, “this is why I had to spend all the $ on it”. With the trailer attached to a nearby tree, tried pulling the axel back, but no matter what I tried, no go.
Out with a piece of cord & get the distance between the eyes of the spring hanger, shove the CT into the scrub & head for Tumut, only 103 km away. Is there anywhere in Tumut where I can get a replacement spring?
Next thought, the guy at the caravan / trailer place has a large car trailer, so why not hire that and recover the CT that way.
Another 103 km back & 2 hours of winching & shoving, helped by a great couple in a Nissan, we discovered that My CT wheel track was 50mm to wide for the car trailer. Letting air out of tyres only made is 70mm to wide. So back into the scrub with the CT 76 head for Tumut again. Another 103km.
By this time it is getting dark so on with the trusty lights to discover that high beam &
driving lights are US. So 103 km of roos &
Brumbies later we find the first Motel in Tumut & crash for the night.
Up early and found Alby, the tilt tray driver in
Batlow who is only too happy to come to my rescue. Another 103 km to the CT, Alby takes 3 min to load it & back 103 km to Tumut where the CT is still sitting waiting for a new set of springs to come from
Melbourne. So with my pride in tatters we drive back
home without the CT. Never had to have outside help before.
The up side of the whole saga was that every person I meet during the saga was wonderful. All willing to help in any way they could. Other plus is that the spring went now & not in July in the Flinders Rangers.
Chow