Woah, what a long couple of days.
Tuesday (22-02-2005) I discovered I had to go to Halls Creek and Derby to do some work. Just so you know, Halls Creek is over 600Kms from Broome.
So anyway, I start the drive at 10am or so. I get as far as Willare roadhouse (about 200Kms or so from Broome) and stop for lunch. After lunch I drove about half an hour down the road and I notice something is amiss. So I pull over in the middle of nowhere and check things out. I get back in and drive on a bit and I am shaking about. So I stop and check things out. This repeats for about 2Kms or so. Finally I stop and start to try to figure out what I am going to do.
About this time, a customer of the shop, who just happens to be coming back from Fitzroy Crossing, notices me and the car and pulls over. We decide the best course of action is to go back to Willare, so he gets going and promises to come looking for me if I don't show up in an hour or so.
I got back to Willare and the customer continues onto Broome. I ring the boss and explain what happens and they arrange to come out to me with a rental car so I can keep going. There are no car trailers available so it takes them 6 hours or so to get to me, by which time it is dark (not a good idea to drive in the dark, cows wander onto the roads!). So I stay the night.
Wednesday I get going at 7am. With a 10 minute stop for fuel and a call to the boss, I get into Halls Creek at 11:30am. I am there for about 3 hours getting the job done, then get back on the road. With another quick stop in Fitzroy Crossing (I promise sometime soon I will find a map to show everyone the distances involved!) I get into Derby at about 6pm. And man am I tired!
Thursday morning I get moving and I am at the Derby Post Office at about 7:15. 2 and a half hours later I have done as much as I can on the job (we need a part) and I go back to the motel to get my things. Then I drove the 300Kms back to Broome, arriving at 1pm.
So, in the last couple of days I have driven about 1500Kms. Not to shabby I think. I got to see a bit of the Kimberly - it is not as dry as you think, there was scrub 90% of the way. I got to meet new people.
I got back to Broome to find 5 phone messages and 3 SMS's. I had been out of reception since leaving Broome (Crappy Vodaphone and their lack of infastructure!). I also had a fax waiting for me at the shop.
So today, Friday, is my last day in Broome. Tomorrow morning I will vote in the State Election and then get on a bus to Hedland, so I can start my NEW JOB on Monday.
That was my week, how was yours?
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