The Big Lap - Decisions

This morning we had a good look at our options with Snubby.

There is a BMW dealership in Townsville with one mechanic.  He is fully booked all next week and then goes on holidays for three weeks.

Mick put the bike up on a jack and spun the back wheel.  There is a definite gravelly grating feel and noise, so it will not be an easy fix.

We have been counting our blessings. If the diff had seized while we were riding along it could have been really nasty. 

We are at the edge of civilisation as we know it and are about to venture into the wide blue yonder for about 8,000kms. OK, apart from the distance that is a slight exaggeration, but not much if something further goes wrong as a result of this.  

Realistically, we will not have time to get the bike repaired and make it all the way around Australia.

You can see where this is going.....or not.  Yes, we are getting ourselves and Snubby back home. 

The NRMA Premium Care cover has been wonderful.  They will pay up to $3,000 towards getting us sorted.  That includes the tilt tray to here and our accommodation.  They arranged a Uber Car to take us to the airport to collect a hire Nissan Qashqai SUV that we will use to drive all the way home.  They will also pay towards getting Snubby home.  

We also have some wonderful friends.  Our friends from Rockhampton drove 780kms to Townsville today in their ute. Snubby is now securely loaded on the ute and they will tow our little trailer.  Tomorrow we will go in convoy back to their place where Snubby and the trailer will be stored safely until we look at options to get them home. We will then continue to drive home and take things from there. 

We will still have about six weeks of our holidays to go, so we will do something, we just don't know what yet. It will probably be a Mick's Magical Mystery Tour in the caravan. We are not going to just go back to work. 

Mick has this theory that normally drives me nuts. He reckons that if it isn't planned it can't go wrong. Well, I hate to admit it, but in this instance it is kind of true. 

Meanwhile, there was no point in just hanging around our motel. We may as well have a look around, so after we collected our hire car we had to have some lunch.  Having heard so often through Jenny of Elefantz of the Hervey Ranges Heritage Tea Rooms we drove up there.

A car isn't quite as good for photos but it will do.  That is the Hervey Ranges.

There are some impressive rock formations as the road climbs. 

There is a lookout at the top. What a view. 

Here's our hire car, which is now full to the gunnels. I don't know how we had so much stuff on the bike and in the camper. 

The tea rooms are housed in an old split slab inn which dates back to 1865 and is the oldest building in far North Queensland.  The weather is a little cooler there than Townsville, with a lot of people wearing cardies and jumpers.  It was rather pleasant.

Most of the seating was in the shady garden. There were lots of people there, but it was still nice and peaceful. Our meals were simple but absolutely delicious. 

Off to the side there is a function section and there was a wedding getting under way. The bride looked lovely and it would have been a delightful setting for such a special day.

The building had some of its original features such as the old cooking area. 

This room shows the construction method nicely. 

I loved the photos showing the building in its past life.

It's stood the test of time well.

Our little break up there was just what we needed after all the happenings since we broke down.

Finally, tonight we saw a ghecko. We've heard them chirping away of a night, but this was the first we have actually seen. Illusive little devils. 

Tomorrow will be a big day, but it will be good to get things started towards getting home. We did travel 2779kms towards our trip, so that wasn't too bad.