Left Birdsville on Monday and travelled up vial Betoota to Boulia fully intending to take the Plenty Highway to Alice Springs.
First off, the girl manning the Boulia Information Centre didn't know didly squat about it, the surrounds or road conditions, but then again we can't expect an emigrant to know our country, especially when her English was difficult to understand, I thought I had a call centre!
At first all went well, out over the Donnahue Hwy to the Qld-NT border and onto the Plenty Highway.
After 70k's sugar turned to shit, big time. Our so called Light Truck tyres are highway usage and far from suited to these roads. My mistake in the end I suppose as I should have insisted on a lung tyre, the lowest tyre pressure I could use and have the side wall bulge was 60psi ! far from optimal out here, well once they get hot it is over 70psi and then it delaminates.
The whole tread strips off and buckles the mud guard up under the tray, tore the stabiliser leg off it's mount and generally creates mayhem all round, at least I could stop in time before it deflated and wrecked the rim. Checked the other side and it was showing serious signs of problems as well. Couldn't believe it as we were only travelling at 60 - 70 k's/hr and the worst part was we hadn't got to the worst section of the road yet! OK spare on and backtracked to Toobermerry Station at the border as they advertise tyres etc.
Wow ! $30/night unpowered and $100 for a second hand tyre! Needless to say they have you by the short and curlies with no option but to cough up. Second rate facilities and the workers start just after dawn so everyone is up. Best thing I got from there was a night photo.
Kath and I considered our options and decided the best and shortest dirt road was up through Urandangi to Mt Isa and get proper tyres, yep - none in town ! order from Townsville and get here late Friday so Saturday fitting, The you beaut Hema Map HX-1 GPS has decided to go out in sympathy with the tyres and stop charging, so will have to take that to the Distributer here tomorrow and see what can be done, it is only 9 months old so is still under warranty.
So all in all it has been an eventful couple of days, it can only get better from here, we hope.
We will spend a couple of days exploring around here and get the history of the area, mine tour etc so all is not lost
Stay happy and keep smiling.
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