Newman - Disaster, Dump Trucks and Dongas

Well we left Kumarina with the plan to pass through Newman top up the tank and on to Karijini but as the best made plans go the gods had other ideas, about 100k out of Newman we stopped for a photo Op and was greeted with the horrible smell of burning grease and a wheel hub so hot that we could have cooked steak and eggs on it for dinner. So off with the wheel and a couple of burnt fingers later no obvious problem could be found, it was time for the experts namely a call to the RAC and a flat bed tow truck was dispatched all we can say is praise mining companies that install there own mobile towers that allow clowns like us to get themselves out of the poo.

So back to Newman with the demoralising 1 hour drive following your mobile home on the back of a tow truck. We left the camper at the repairer with a "we will get to it tomorrow" confidence building speech and went to find some accommodation. Gen was always curious as to what a Donga was like when I was working in the mines and me being one to never deny my darling wife delivered in the form of Capricorn Roadhouse.

Call from the repairer the next day informed us the wheel hub had blown a seal and grease had got where grease should not go and something else has locked on causing the lovely cooking smell. Good news is that we got to it in time and a new seal and regrease is all that was required but the bad news was they could not get a seal in town and had to get one from Perth with the "should be here tomorrow" confidence building speech. So me being one to never deny my wife gave her another 2 nights in the Donga  and we proceeded to see the sights of Newman.

So day 3 whilst seeing Terri, Bindi and Bob Erwin (see 1 week on the road and I am name dropping already) at the golf club over lunch we get the call the mobile palace is back and ready to roll. So 1 last feed at the roadhouse and we are off the next day for round 2 of the road to Karijini.

The lookout that greeted us with the smell of grease

The tilt truck of shame

The most demoralising view a traveller can see

Newman in all its glory

The Dmax makes her first Pilbra water crossing