Thursday 5th

11.27am and still stuck in Nullarbor. We now know everyone here intimately, all their life stories and their personal problems etc etc. And they know all about us. It was time to leave here about a week ago.
The mechanic 'Mick' finally got started about half an hour ago so I think we should be mobile soon.
When 'Mick' finally showed up it was a challenging moment for Ken and I? how best to handle the situation:
'Where the f............ have you been? we've been waiting for 19 f.......ing hours you PRATT'
'We're GOLD members of the RACV you wanker'

OR:

'Hi Mike, you poor bugger, you must be run off your feet. Sorry to trouble, but would you be kind enough to have a look at our vehicle please Mick'
'Can I hold your tool for you Mick'
'Would you like a cup of tea Mick'

And of course we did none of those things, well, maybe a little. Mick turns out to be a good bloke and at least he knows his stuff.

see ya Dave & Ken

Ken & Dave having a wonderful relaxing holiday together

Ken & Dave having a wonderful time in the desert

Tuesday

Depart Mt. Gambier - 8am

MURRAY Bridge 12.30pm

Fuel - 49lt

Klm - 381 km

= 12.6 lt per 100km

Blowout rear left tyre on our way again at 4.30pm

Crystal Brook 5.15 pm 

Having two new tyres put on. This is a huge dose of déjà vu as we spent 24 Hours broke down here in the Falcon in 69. 

Left 6pm

Pt. agusta 7.10pm

Fuel - 45 lt

Klm - 385

= 11.6 lt per 100 kl

Left PA 8pm

Arrive Kimba 10pm and stop on park bay at side of road  

Total Distance Tuesday = 930 km

Wednesday 

Left Kimba 6.10am

Woodina  7.15am

Fuel - 29 lt

Klm - 263 km

11 lt per 100km

Left  7.50am

Ceduna - 10am

Km - 211

Lt. - 24

11.4 lt Per 100km

Put on 2 new front tyres in Ceduna. We now have new ryes all round. 

Left Ceduna 11.40am

Nullarbor - 3.11pm

Klm - 300

Fuel - 39 lt

= 13 lt per 100km

Girl from Sri Lanka - Marriva

Strong winds

Car broken. Bolt on power steering pump snapped and we can't get it off with the tools we have. 

We will be staying here tonight. 

RACV Job number 1170

The above is a brief summary of the trip so far. 

To try and explain just how this trip is unfolding is very challenging, there are so many surprising facets to it. Traveling along with Ken along a route we last traveled, together, 44 years ago!!!! 44 years ago? thats a life time in between.

The detail that comes to the surface as two individuals who are comfortable and relaxed in each others company, and sit for hours and hours together is amazing. 

I'm not going into detail here as it's by and large personal and only meaningful to the individuals. It's more than mear words, much more. I will say this though, to book end two similar trips with the same participants and 44 years in between, well it doesn't happen every day does it.

Pommie Pete and his van? 

Wow, is the only way I can put it. I never knew Pete and have only Ken's descriptions to draw on. But hold on a minute, that is so, so far from the truth. To spend time in his van is like spending time with the man himself in many ways. There are so many knick knacks, switches, catches, small additions in the van that tell so much of how Pete must have viewed things. Items that make life in the van simpler, more efficient, more comfortable. He loved that van that is obvious. It's an unfolding affair that we are delighting in.

Ken  & Dave's old stories. Working on Swan Brewery on the banks of the river. My first day on a building site, jumping into knee deep concrete in bare feet and shovelling away. The crane jib collapsing and crashing down in-between Ken and I. Swan brewery stopping our beer allowance and us being very pissed off about it.  This could go on and on and this is not the place for it.

Blowing a tyre just south of Crystal Brook:

The tyre blew with a horrendous bang just as we had overtaken a road train with great difficulty. We were about 50 metres in from of him as the tyre exploded. We managed to slow down in a straight line, the poor sod in the truck had to loose all his speed as well, which he did very well and with good grace, he had observed our predicament. 

Now here's the uncanny bit. Ken and I spent 24 hours in Crystal Brook in 69 broke down with the Falcon we were in. 

A funny incident springs to mind of the breakdown, well, funny from my point of view. Ken was lifting the cylinder head and carbies off the Falcon and petrol drained out and soaked his short just around his middle area. Within a few seconds he was jumping and running this way and that like a demented maniac, shouting and swearing as he ripped off his shorts and y-fronts, even then, half naked from the waist down he tore around at a great pace holding his manhood in his hands till he found a tap to lie under and ease the burning of his balls. They were tender for a day or two as I remember. It'd did help matters much that every few miles we traveled for the next few days I kept bursting out in laughter until he threatened to knock my head off, then I had to suppress my mirth till he wasn't looking.

However, back to Crystal Brook. Neither him nor I had been back into Crystal Brook since that memorable day, until, we had that flat tyre and we had to go into the place again for two new tyres. Thats quite stunning from our perspective. I must admit, I was waiting with baited breath to see what he would conjur up this time.

We are holed up at the Nullarbor hotel at the moment, but that story will have to wait for now.

see ya  K & D

Crystal Brook magic
In 69 Ken and I spent 24 hours in Crystal Brook broke down. We pulled the head off the Falcon's engine a put in anew head gasket. Neither of us has been there before or since. Until today.
We had a classic tyre blowout just south

Monday 2nd Sept.

Ken & I ensconced in a grotty motel room in Mt. Gambier. Cyril has been banned to the van by management.
The ferry across to Queenscliff was stunning today. Warm sunshine, glassy sea set the scene for the day. The drive up the Great Ocean road was, as always breathtakingly beautiful.
 The Toyota was a revelation for me at least. It purrs along at a steady pace, never missing a beat. It doesn't have a boot full of power to zoom up the hills, you have to use the gears. On the flat sections it will happily cruise along at 100km. The fuel usage on the hilly sections was around 12Lt per 100k's and on the flat sections we are at about 10Lt per 100k's. Tomorrow we will get a better idea on what it's Hwy consumption will be.

Trip log

Sorrento ferry 9am

Torquay fuel stop 11am

Repaired mud flap

Fuel = 31 lt

Kim - 245

= 12.6 lt per 100km

Mt. Gambier 6.10pm

Fuel - 45 lt. 

Klm -443

=  10.1 per 100km

1969 year

Bell bottom jeans, long hair, antiwar demonstrations, Vietnam, Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon, Sharon Tate murdered by Charley Manson's mob, Brian Jones from the Stones dies, Elvis Presley No 1 with 'Suspicious Minds', Seiko sold the first quartz watch, movies - True Grit, Easy Rider

No personel computers, no mobile phones, Builders Labourer's wage $50 per week, Glass of beer 18c pot 24c

20 year old men had to register for the national service lottery.

Different world then

It's not my fault

Leaving home March 1969. 

We are driving a 1963 Ford Falcon lent to us by our Dad. 

We originally planned to do this trip in Ken's VW beetle, which was a bit under the weather due to the fact that Ken (We) had flogged the hell out of the thing as only young men can. 

The V dub was a genuine 'Herby' inasmuch as it had a spirit of it's own, catch it when it's blood was up and it was a monster as was proved late one memorable night on the road from Apollo Bay to Lorne after we had been chucked out of the pub. I'm still sworn to secrecy about the time that trip took until Ken's kids are bordering on becoming grandparents. Needless to say Hans Coburg and I still wake up screaming some nights.

However, when the dub didn't want to play it was a cow of a thing to get going, no amount of cajoling and threatening could get the B...... to move, but Ken and I had unshakable faith in Dad that he could manage the mongrel so we unhesitatingly hopped into his Ford Falcon and buggered of for a year in it. Thanks Dad.

Ken arrived at Sorrento about 5pm Sunday as planned. His camper van is a 1984 Toyota with a diesel engine. It was left to Matt and Leanne of Archer's Creek pub fame and Ken by 'Pommie Pete' a friend of theirs. Ken: 'Pete was a gentleman, a friend to one and all. A very intelligent bloke and intellectual to boot. Pete had served as a ships engineer in the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy. He has seen the world. His van reflects his engineering background'
As a result of this gift, Pommie Pete is on the dashboard with us on our journey, in a cheese carton tied up with baling string. Pete's wish was to have part of his ashes spread over the Indian ocean. Ken's mission, which he has excepted is, to chuck Pete in the Ocean when we meet Pete's old mate Lyndal up in the West.
In the meantime Ken is the custodian of the van whilst Matt and Leanne are away in Africa ( They obviously have never heard of a 'Kenepic'

Kenepic: a Kenepic is the kind of mayhem that comes out of left field when least expected. It arrives with dazzling speed and leaves the recipient stunned and dazed,,,,,, often permanently. 
A Kenepic has many facets and is extremely quirky by nature. It has only one consistent factor? Ken is always involved.

Ken 1969
                                                         Dave 1969





 2013 Ken & Cyril (He's the 3rd Amigo)

Ken and Cyril have hit the sack,,,,, together. So, let's see what tomorrow brings.

Departure will be Monday morning from Sorrento, Victoria. Have a coffee and breakfast at Stringer's cafe, then catch the ferry to Queenscliff.
We expect to take about a week to get over to Perth and up to Karatha. The object of the trip (every trip needs a goal) is to visit Ken's son Jordy and his family in Karatha.
In 1969 we traveled in a 1963 Ford Falcon station wagon. This time we are going in a 25 year old Toyota camper van that a friend of Ken's left him when he karked it last year. I'll get more details from Ken when we're on our way.

This is the blog of Ken & Dave's 2013 trip to Western Australia and back again. The last time we drove over the Nullarbor together was back in March 1969. Ken was 23 (Now 67), Dave was 19 (Now 64)

Dave 2013