Thursday 17 October 2013

2013 esCarpade Day 5 - Coffs Harbour - Comboyne - Muswellbrook

Day 5 rolled around, and the boys headed bright and early to the Coffs Harbour Game Fishing Club for breakfast, with a particularly shiny Booger Mobile!!


Looking the goods!!


Someone put a dummy on Booger's bonnet...  Booger spat it!!


Breakfast...


Booger Mobile all alone, waiting for the school visit (other cars not attending the school visit had already left!)


Tony checked 808's oil while he waited...


Damian and Cara traded glasses... it's a good look, for sure!!


Puppeteers briefing the school visit crew...


Motorcade to the school visit...


Damian grossing out one and all!!


Kids collecting lollies!!


More lollies... and water cannons!!


Narranga Primary School...  Legends!!


Kids lining up for the puppet show...


Puppeteers Amy (with Deano, on the left) and Alice (with Kylie).


Deano checks out Kylie's head... it's smooth as a baby's bottom!!


Deano looking for people...


Kylie looking at Deano!!


esCarpadians getting ready to do their song for the kids!!


And thanks from the school captains...


Fred makes a grand exit, throwing lollies into the crowd...


Angus had an awesome time at his first school visit...


Time to go... 


Because the morning stage was so long, the esCarpadians who did the school visit had a lovely trip down the highway for about 160km before either heading on the dirt for the last little bit, or straight to Comboyne for lunch.


Little tree bridge to make a wildlife corridor.


Mario following Booger Mobile.


Over some bridges...


Watch out for stunt trucks!!


More bridges... this one going into Macksville...


Pretty!!


Angus took the opportunity for a quick snooze!!


More bridges...


A longer, flatter bridge...


Team Afro on a bridge...


Turning off towards Walcha - Damian's speed - 31km/hr in the 40kph roadworks section...


808 following along...


Team Afro, Booger Mobile and 808 decided to stay on the bitumen...


Go, go, go!!


Turns out it was a good choice, as Damian had a recurrence of the fuel problems that plagued the trip on Sunday...


Bonnet up to cool down at the lunch venue...


After lunch, Damian was going to head down the bitumen, but was advised that the best way to go was actually following the route notes...  So onto the dirt they went!!


Winding around...


Climbing...


Past some breakdowns...


Past more breakdowns...


More climbing...


A little bit of bitumen...


And a 20 km/hr speed bump...


Glorious day...

 
Boy this is a long drive!!


OV1 decided to catch up to Booger Mobile...

 
Booger Mobile had been going beautifully since lunch...


Heading towards some hills...


Very narrow bridge...


Climbing up through the Barrington Tops National Park.


Boy these hills are steep...


Still going strong...


Climbing higher...


Nice, winding roads...


And little bridges over rocky streams...


More climbing...


And...


Crap.  Booger Mobile came to a grinding halt.


Checking for problems... seems it's starving of fuel.


High Rollers were back on the road and passed Booger Mobile...


Back on the road again, Booger Mobile seemed to be fine (after sitting and cooling down for about half an hour).


Eating up the rest of the climb...


Awesome scenery...


Damian looking worried...


Angus keeping them on track...


Up...


Up...


Up...


And away!!


Every time the boys thought they were finished with hills, another arrived!!


But what goes up, must come down!!


The sun was beginning to set...


Past some more breakdowns... the steep climbs were really taking their toll on the field!!


High Rollers got a flat tyre...


Brett showing his best side on the roof!!


Hoping to get out of the park before dark - some of the potholes were becoming pretty nasty!!


Dingo fence...


And down...


Down...


Down...


Past some cows...


A bit more up...


The scenery was spectacular...


Down...


Are we there yet?


And off the dirt and back onto bitumen...


The joy was short lived though...  again, the fuel issue resurfaced...


Night fell...


Heading to Muswellbrook in the dark, reading route notes by torchlight.


The final 70km of the journey took the boys around 4 hours to complete, arriving in Muswellbrook just after 9pm.  The fuel problem was severe, but the boys found that reving at around 1800rpm would keep Booger Mobile moving... this, however, meant a top speed of about 45km/hr going downhill, and 7km/hr (in first gear) going up hill... 

It was a long journey!!


Damian consoled himself with the thought that it could have been worse - at least he managed to limp Booger Mobile to Muswellbrook under it's own steam...


It would seem that this problem will need to be dealt with before the big drive back to Brisbane... The boys are unlikely to be back on the dirt in the morning - Damian will need to get under Booger Mobile and try to resolve this fuel issue once and for all.

There have been lots of suggestions on how to fix it...  Time will tell which one will work!!

No highlight video tonight.  Damian apologises for this.

2 comments:

  1. Even with the fuel issue it looks like you had a good day....Keep travelling safe and stay happy. J

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  2. Looks like a great day was had at the school and Damian snot eating trick went down a treat,and the puppets did a fantastic job.
    Then it was back on the road for Team Booger Mobile,with lots of beautiful scenery pictures along the way,but alas the fuel issues reared it ugly head,time to do a major at the next stop thats for sure.
    Well done Team Booger Mobile was a long and tiring day but you made it in the end.
    Looking forward to the next exciting blog and here is hoping you can solve the Boogers fuel issues

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