Nullarbor, part 2. Straight lines over a frying pan.

16 March 2012

Day Eight. 14-03-12

Daylight saving wakes me up. We’re 45min behind , this is Central Time. I get to the WA-SA border and the Quarantine Officer has me thrown out all my fresh produces : half a kilo of carrots, a handful of beans, a lettuce, even the garlic and the onions. I eat the remaining apple and banana while the paperwork is processed. Welcome to Western Australia.
The Nullarbor Plains make a natural barrier for the fruit-fly so it’s forbidden to bring into WA any fresh product that may carry either the insect or its larvae. That includes honey, nuts, seashells, etc… Tough!

Further on, another 45min back to the clocks and this is the real Nullarbor, from latin “no trees”.

Indeed, as I cruise the plains, the vegetation and the scenery changes drastically. From a mix of scrubs and trees which normally forms the Outback, I’m now sailing through a sea of green bushes, no taller than a foot. It goes on for miles and miles, and miles. The odd Road Train, campervan or caravan I pass wave a friendly hello as to say “good luck mate it’s bloody hot out there”. The area gets on average eight inches of rain per year! That’s not even a cuppa a month! Good thing I’m carrying 60L of water as I can feel the heat outside. The air-conditioning is of course still not working, since the whole cooling system has been flushed and replaced by fresh water. I’m in luck though, the wind has turned and it’s now blowing from the south. That relieves the engine somewhat and I can get to 100kmh, a very normal speed for the truck. It’s hot inside, hotter outside. I’m drenched.

This road is one straight line after another, and the longest in Australia, one of the longest in the world too. 147km dead straight. Well at least I can read a book…

The color of the sand changes from yellow to a dark red, finally I make it to Norseman. Civilization! Well, sorta, it’s a mining town, small but friendly. One shop, a couple of banks, a couple of bars. That’s it. Big, huge trucks, massive truck! This is real Outback scenery now, red sand, gumtrees and eucalyptuses. The friendly mechanic confirms the head gasket is cracked, but another trick seals it : flush the system again, refill with fresh water, bring to temperature, flush 200mil out and pour in a bottle of Chem-Weld. Bring to pressure and wait. Voila! The head gasket is temporarily fixed.

He assures me Toyota engines can run for years with a cracked gasket, they won’t blow up or warp anything, just check the water level every day and keep it under 2200revs. Right. Still. I have 80.000km ahead of me so I’ll get a quote in Perth then decide.

On the good side of things, petrol stations and roadhouses in the Outback have free shower and toilets 24h/7. Great. I need a shave though. Later. Campsite out of town, it’s all quiet under the stars. This is still awesome.

I still have a dark mood when I prepare dinner, then go to sleep with million questions in my head.

What should I do?

Distance today: 773km, total: 3911.