15th Feb.

The last few days have been utter madness, completly insane. No method, no fatal consequences - only a wad of cash down the drain.

So it begins; I was hunting round for a car. First was rachael, how I wish I bought her car. It was an old-type holden (which is vauxhall) that was going for $2500, but she'd bring it down to $2000. Then there was the Irish guy with his $950 XF falcon, which needed to be registered in about a month, which is an extra $200 or so. What compelled me to buy a car? I still don't know. The adventure, freedom; my plan was to take it across to the east coast for the 20th, as the festival I had to work was the 21st. Harry kept pointing out the cons far outweighed the pros. Anyway, met a girl called Heidi with Dreadlocks, her car was a Nissan Pulsar, from 1990. She was an alright girl with dreadlocks, from Perth, the car was from WA. We took it out for a test spin, I immediately reversed badly and very slowly hit a concrete pilon. It was on the soft bit on the side of the car so dented it. She had taken the thing from Perth up to Darwin and had hit a cow at night. So half the front was abit battered, the light was intact but the glass had smashed. They had another glass case in the boot, and said it wouldn't be a prob, prob wouldnt even be pulled over.
So the car went fine on the road-test, automatics are easy as hell to drive.
So the deal was finalised, I would buy it the next day. Her french boyfriend would fill it up with coolant before handing it over. It came with an atlas as well.

Me and Harry had spent most of our nights in Darwin at the cinema; saw The Wrestler, Slumdog Millionaire and Revolutionary Road - the last on the day he was leaving, depressing as hell. Anyway we saw it and he had to leave on 12th as his flight was early morn on 13th. It was raining pretty heavy. He got on a thrifty shuttle bus with some other passengers. Touching moment and all that. Now he's in sydney - he was the wise one. He left me the guitar. Hopefully to see each other in Brisbane, is how we left it.

So the next day, Frenchie came over filled the Nissan with coolant, told me to watch the temp. gauge, make sure it didn't tick over to H(hot). I thanked him and paid a $1000, they'd reduced the price from $2000. Anyway, all the roads to the east coast were flooded, or so I heard. And I'd have to wait weeks in darwin or some bollocks. I didn't care and just decided to go down the stuart highway which goes all way down to Adelaide, back the way the Ghan came!
My plan was to either get across at Port Augusta, or go across at Alice, if the Plenty Hghway was to re-open. So I took off. The first thing that happened after a bit of a drive was that damn temp. gauge ticking over. So i stopped a few times to fill with coolant. It didn't do much, so stopped at petrol station. The guy knew a thing or two about cars and helped me out. Pulled up the trunk and took a look. The radiator was bone dry so filled up with water.
Anyway I got scootering.
Onto the stuart highway and took off, after awhile the traffic dies down, the highway starts as four-lane but quickly dies down to two, with the occassional overtaking lane for 500metres. So I came out of Darwin heading towards Katherine and Alice. Pretty soon, it was just me, the road and the occassional car. The spped limit was 130km/h! You get used to gunning it around 140 pretty soon, I even got used to 160 at a stage but then realised and slowed down. Averaging 140 I guess, dunno what m/ph that is mind. So you wizz past the towns on the map, each one nearly as hour apart probably, the sheer scale is something else! But these towns are basically a petrol pump at the most. I found that when going found the temp. gauge was fine, but when slowing down to stop it went right up. I left bout midday, probs 1 or 2. Got to Katherine for 7:30. This was bigger town, lots of Abo's. I had brought bit of bread, tuna and some dried fruit with me. I had dinner in car. I kept going - which was a mistake. It got dark pretty fast. The next stop was Martaranka. The old temp. gauge ticked over when slowed down. I would go to a mechanic the next day. Driving at dark is shit scary, I must have killed 100 frogs and was petrified of a cow maneouvering itself out.
So found a nice motel, $80 for the night! Whilst in Katherine there was BAckpackers! Anyway it was pouring iot down. I only got two pairs of shoes and my blues ones got soaked through.
I stopped at the bar/restaurant bit, which was nice, there was some another gang of aussies, having beers and laughs. I had couple of beers, whilst waiting for the rain to die down. The family who ran the motel all came out and had a roast. It was real nice. A cute girl came out who was the daughter of the women who ran it. I had all sorts of revelations; thinking how this was their everyday life, whilst I was at my home in UK, they was living out in this wilderness! Amazing. Rain backed down, got into car and drove round to room. Had shower, put on some crap Jackie Chan film and went to sleep, set alarm for 6:30 next day to awake. I felt like the travelling had really begin; the sort of feeling you get which is mix of excitement and nerves; its all mixed with the scared truth of the unforesseable future. Anyway, happy I slept. Nothing, though, nothing could prepare me for what would happen the next day.

I was dozing till about 7:30. Got my stuff together, got changed, into car and went and paid at reception. Had light breakie and went to see Mechanic along town. Told him the problem. Every time I stopped the radiator started spurting red-hot dirty water and steam out of vent. I told all this, he filled up the radiator with water, like petrol boy had done, gave me a couple bucket things of water to put in trunk and advised me to fill out every 20km, or at least have a look at her. He told me to get it fixed in tennant cos he couldn't touch radiators or something.
So it was alright for awhile. It was an average of 70km to next town stop. Stopped at each one, and gave her water. Met trucker at Dunmarra, he was good fat bloke, looked bit like a trimmed santa clause with his white beard. He told me way I could get across to Brisbane. He knew exactly where the roads would be flooded. I filled her up; spent altogether bout $100 on gas so far. Stopped at ELiot, filled up radiator, whilst some lonely Abo guy came to talk. After Eliot the desert begins, out of nowhere the arid soil of Alice was back; but its the only desert with so much grennery, green shrubbery, grass, tress. Pretty flat land. They'd be swamps every now and then; Adelaide river which was a sight, a prety powerful beast, that whizzed by. I was driving with window down to keep me concentrating, sunglasses on, gum, and when needed lift, sloshed down a red bull. It was kinda fun at first, gets real monotomous, bored and I'd only just begun. Didnt bother with A/C as takes up fuel. Radio didnt bother, for one thing no stations and had my boom bucket on seat next to me which i'd been blasting out trance music the day before. I stopped quick hard a few times and it had taken bit of a bump against glove compartment.
By this stage Ipod battery had run out. So the only music, the roaring of the wind in my ears, as she gunned 140 down highway.
I stopped at place called Rennie Springs, again just a gast station, had tuna sandwich lunch. Nice dutch girl at counter said I'd manage to get to Tennant Creek with half a tank, it was 130 km away, so though better to ask. This is where I stopped to make some notes of voyage in my journal.
I took off. At times it fills like your flying, the speeds are good. Some lovely views, rock fomrations rose in the distance. The signs which freaked me the most were the "WARNING - UNFENCED ROAD. BEWARE WANDERING STOCK" - I took it about 120, round these bits. Its amazing when 100 feels slow. Anyway, the sun was bearing down and a heat wave was all across the road. It had been for a few hours. Forgot to mention - the heatwave looks like water sometimes, which I slowed down for as the day before when driving to Mataranka, I hit some flood water, slowed down to bout 100, but sill felt it. Im sure the tires didnt enjoy.

The most amazing effect is when theres a heatwave right at the end of what u can see of the road ahead, and it goes the same colour as the sky so it looks road just flows into thwe sky, and there green shrubbery fading either side of the road, just fading into the distance and replenishing itself as you drive.

Anyway, the road started feeling real soft. It started rising and undultaing, arrow signs warning of sharp turns. These werent sharp but very gentle. I was still down to about 100, and enjoying looking out at the view of the desert at the top of these rises. Anyway noticed a green nissan sprtscar behind me, one of those fast-and-furious car-types. I sped up, doing about 140 and he still overtook me. I felt like I hadnt really been driving and was too cautious. So I took her up to 160, but was still thinking, don't just follow that guy, he'll get himself killed - and seeing scenarios in my head, where i'd see the green car in a heap of rubble on the side of the road. Anyway, he had taken off so fast was unable tosee. I was still gunning her at 160, the road feeling softer and softer. I shudda known.

Then it happened. Suddenly the car went out of car and was skidding, as I was going at 160! It went flying to my right, whilst I grappled with her - did 360 in the dirt, which luckily took alot of the mementum out went straight on the dirt and stopped before small tree. The only thing I was thinking was "dont roll over" - I almost expected it to do so after my last experience. There wasnt a scratch on me. As the window was open heaps of this dusty arid soil was all over me and the inside the car. I was lucky to be alive. I got out to assess. The back tire had gone, there were bits of rubber all over the road behind me. The front tire was bit buggered as well. I was about 30km from Rennie. A trucker approached, I waved him down. He had a look, I explained, he said I was lucky not to be a statistic. I got all my stuff out, loaded it in his truck and he took me to Rennie. I didnt no what to do. He was a funny guy from melbourne, long white hair, and wearing funny goggles. He kept telling me stuff about how heavy the snow falls. I was more in shock, couldn't really understand him. He told me someone above must like me. So back at Rennie - told the dutch girl what had happened. Got me stuff off. Luckily there was a guy who had been working on the roads but had the week off. He had all the road gear and was gonna help me, he gave me much needed bear. He just seemed to be drinking all the time. He was only a young guy, 27, blondie, and we got on well. He took me to car to have alook. We took off crappy tire, put on spare tire and then took off front, went back to rennie to pump it up and then back to car. She, somehow still went. He pulled her back b4 getting front tyre off mind. Anyway, he gave me advice to stick to 80km/h till got to Tennant, which was till 100k away. HE said even if lost another tyre, going at 80 I wouldnt loose control. He had look at radiator, just said it needed clean and take off cap completly to help it cool. Well I thanked him and went, aticking to 80. After bout 20k temp. was right up to H again. I stopped and tried to fill up radiator. Steam was coming off her and the engine now as well. EVery time I put in some cool water, the radiator would take it down for awhile but then would shout it all out, followed by hot steam. I went another 20k and same thing happend. This time aload of steam came off engine. I thought it wasnt worth it, the engine was gonna blow. After trying to fill her up with water I decided no more, needed to leave some for me as I was stopped in middle of nowhere, with no cars coming, not even truckers. It about half five now and I sat in the shade of the car to the left. I had 2 red bull cans, enough bread and apricots for ahwile and some water. I resisted the need to panic, I knew a car would come along sooner or later. I was ready to go either way, back to Rennie where their was a motel, or forward to Tennant. After bout 10mins a britz campervan came going to tennant. I stuck my thumb out, they flew past at first, but then saw I was in trouble, they stopped and reversed, asking have you broken down. I told them the thing had gone, I needed a lift to Tennant where I'd find a hostel. They agreed to help me. They were a lovely Irish couple. Once moved all my stuff in back of their camper, I went to move car off road and into desert abit. It was the right choice, the damn thing wouldnt even start this time. So the irish guy pushed it as i wheeled it down into pathway.
It was a far-distance to tennant, and I was exhausted. They were trying out camping and were only here for a 5-week holiday. Werent expecting me!
We got to tennant, which is good, cos its alot bigger, a sort of proper town. Its like a long-thin town like berko, but run down, with grafiti, Abo bums everywhere, bits of yard for sale, closed down shops, few banks and newsagents and a small supermarket. Anyway, I got to a backpackers, which is an alright place. They guy who runs it comes across as racist. It got everything you need. Theres a bar acriss the road. WhichI had a few drinks at last night.

So yes I was pushing her too fast, but I had no idea that was gonna happen. Thats $1000 down drain not to mention petrol money, oh well, you live you learn. And i was lucky to be alive.

So I've bought some food, the hostel is cheap, but my plan is to carry on-its all one can do right, as in try and see if they're any flights going from nearest airport which is ALice(ill need to bus there) to the Gold Coast so I can get to festival and work. I believe harry arrived fine in sydney.
But Im not hurt just shaken - so no worrys. If flights are ridiculous I can book a greyhound to gold coast, at least then I'd be able to see stuff, but Im probs gonna stick to flying.

Anyway, a real whirlwind of events, Im gonna go cook up my lunch once walked back to hostel. But thats whats happened in an incredably short amount of time the whole things fucked. Well, hell, the short amount of time driving was fun, but theres no way im driving here again. The great people who helped me out made it an experience. But this is travelling - its all part of the package. I just want things to slow down now, which they have. Well, whatever, things will get back on track now.

Thats whats happened.