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A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... or...
Once upon a time... or...
In the beginning...
Don't all the best stories start this way? Well, I hope you'll forgive me, but for this blog I'm going to depart from the usual story telling routine and stick to the facts. Hard and fast, and straight to the point! This isn't the daily 'what we're up to' blog, this is an account of the events of the last couple of days, in chronological order, that tell the story of our run of bad luck... It's been a doozy... Buckle up, it's gonna be a bumpy ride... (and all the other cliches). The normal blog will follow, this one's not only for everyone out there (family and friends) who want to know what's going on, and what is yet to come, but it's also a written account of what happened, for our own purposes... For everyone who has sent texts and emails, or made phone calls of support, THANK YOU!! If we haven't returned your message, or call, please forgive us, it's not deliberate, our minds have been slightly preoccupied. I hope this will help set your minds at ease... Here we go...
It all started when:
*Wednesday 9th May: We left Coober Pedy early. We arrived at Erldunda at 12.30pm and based on what we saw, we decided to push on to Yulara. About 3 hours solid driving later, a warning light appeared on the dash. The book said continue driving at approx 100kph and it should go out in 20mins or so. No harm if the light isn't flashing, it's a normal process (A DPF burn for all you motor boffins...). 15 minutes later, approx 8km from Yulara, the light began flashing, and was joined by an engine warning light. The book said "s***!! Call the dealer!!", and the car went into 'limp home mode', and restricted driving to 50kph. I said "Screw the book, we're 8ks from the resort", and we crawled to our site... Once set up, we began making furious phone calls... First call to NRMA Premium Care, told them who we were, where we were and what was wrong with the car, and they leapt into action. At about 4pm, we received a call from Ayers Rock Auto telling us they were coming to collect the car, but because it was after 4pm, they'd come over at 8am the next morning, to avoid after hours charges... Great response, very encouraging... Another call to NRMA, and they went through our entitlements and policies and procedures, and we were able to begin sorting out what to do... We decided to hop on the free shuttle bus to the resort shopping centre to organise a hire car for the duration of our stay (three days), while our car was being looked at. Arrived at shopping centre to discover it was 6pm, and all the services were closed, only eateries still open... Returned to shuttle bus stop to discover that the bus finished at 6pm, and we'd caught the last one TO the shopping centre. No more busses... Had to walk back to the campground, which was no big deal, just another example of our run of luck. We got to see the sunset on the rock from a lookout, which was nice, and went a long way to lifting our spirits. Also, due to Facebook, news of our issues had spread quickly, and supportive texts and calls began arriving, which was also nice.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Later that evening, Jo confessed that the bad luck was her responsibility, as she'd taken a rock from the 'Breakaways Reserve' in Coober Pedy, which is a sacred aboriginal site. (It was a pretty rock) Note: We were told NOT to remove anything from said site, as it is rumoured to bring bad luck, and they'd had other tourists send items back, to return to the area, to try to lift their bad luck... THIS IS TRUE!!!
Thursday 10th May: Tow truck arrived dead on 8am to take Pixie (don't ask, it's the nickname she's been given, and I don't like it any more than you do...). The guy was really nice, told us not to worry too much, they'd discuss it with the dealer in Alice and try to sort out what was wrong. The repair shop would call us later in the day to let us know... So, we decided to go about our holiday as normal, and rang a helicopter tour for a flight over the rock. Booked it at 10am, and they picked us up from the campground. Was an awesome trip, but has been covered in an earlier blog. Since all of the hire car companies were at the airport, we stayed there to get a hire car for the rest of the day. We ended up with another Pajero from Thrifty, on a 24 hour rental for $92 (a great deal, reduced from $225, which we laughed at). Drove from the airport thinking our luck had begun to improve, and again, through Facebook, bragged about our good luck in hiring a Pajero. This one got nicknamed Prudence (don't ask me why, I don't know, and I don't like it any more than you do!) Spent most of the rest of a great day driving and walking around the rock, when Auto shop rang to talk about Pixie. No luck. No tests resolved the problem, and the dealer is stumped also. Needs to be towed to Alice to go on a diagnostics machine, but dealer couldn't look at it until Thursday. Raced back to the van to make more furious phone calls. The NRMA agreed with the auto shop that it needed towing, and also agreed that the caravan needed towing. They also agreed to car hire for our trip and the duration of our extended stay in Alice. The tow company said 5am Saturday, and we said 'no way, how about tomorrow?', to which they said 'OK, 7am'. Jo rang the park in Alice to let them know of our earlier than expected arrival, and possible extended stay. They said no problem, we'll sort it out. That was sorted, and NRMA rang us to tell us they'd managed to hire us a car from Hertz, which we could collect from the resort shopping centre at 8.30 in the morning, to follow the truck and van to Alice. They'd organised the car for a week, and we could leave it in Alice when finished... AWESOME!! Luck was going strong again!! 20 minutes later, NRMA called us to say the quote for towing was $2700, which only left $300 for car hire etc, which wasn't enough. so we had to pay the difference. Oh well, so be it! We then drove our Thrifty hire Pajero to the rock for a spectacular and stunning sunset, and an awesome dinner, which had been organised by some beautiful friend of ours (you know who you are...hands up the guilty party). Dinner also included a surprise birthday cake for Jeremy, (from the same beautiful friends), and at the end of the night, we didn't even have to pay, it had all been taken care of!! It's then that we realised, even with the worst luck in the world, that you can still be shown to have the best luck in the world, by the grace of the friends and family you keep close to you... Our depression lifted, and our faith restored, we returned to the caravan in a much better mood. (We love you, our beautiful friends! You know who you are, put your hands back down!) Our mood swings were very similar to a rollercoaster ride...
Friday 11th May: Tow truck arrives at 7.30am and collects van to tow to Alice, with Pixie on the tray. All good. We jump in Prudence the Thrify hire Pajero, and f*** me, the b**** won't start, with a dead f****** battery! Can you sense my mood swing here? I'm getting angry with the boys, and beginning to lash out, when I remember it's not their fault... It's Jo's fault! (She took the rock, remember?) I stay angry at the boys though, cause that's a fight I can win... So, we decide to walk to the shops for breakfast, and organise collection of the Hertz hire car, so we can drive back to the Thrifty pajero and transfer our stuff, and arrange someone to come and collect that car from the campground. Or abandon it, I really didn't care!! Hertz opens at 8.30, so we have breakfast first, and wait for them to open, and then when they do, they have NO RECORD of our hire! I suggest there's a mistake, and you should look again. Same result, no reservation under East or NRMA Premium Care. So I go outside, and call NRMA again. (Outside so I can use more colourful language if necessary). They say they made the booking, and they'll look into it for me. I say, you bet you will!! After toing and froing, there is another car available, but it won't be ready until 11.30am. Ok, by now, we don't care if it's a 1970's Lada Niva, we'll take it! Jo calls the caravan park again, to explain we won't be arriving with the caravan, and are they able to assist the tow truck driver to get our van on site? They say, again, no problems, he'll have to disconnect outside, and they'll bring it in and put it on site. Don't worry about it, just look after stuff on our end. I'm stunned, and don't mind admitting, that I don't think I'd go that far for someone... So, we walk back to the empty campsite, other than the broken down friggin Pajero sitting there mocking us, which we've still got until 12. So, this time I call Thrifty Roadside Assist, and leave the details with the lady, who asks me to hold the line while she makes arrangements... A short while later, she comes back to me, and there's utter confusion!! She's rung a local mechanic to tell them that Mr Peter East is broken down at Ayers Rock campground, with a Pajero that needs a jump start. He's on site 135. The mechanic is totally confused, because he's currently got one of his tow truck drivers towing Mr Peter East's pajero and caravan to Alice Springs, and that breakdown was yesterday! Can there be two Mr Peter East's, both with pajeros? No, because they're both on site 135!! Eventually they worked it out, and it was a Thrifty assistance call, which means it must be a hire Pajero that's broken down this time... Hahaha... Big fat joke! Yes, we're famous at Yulara with our bad luck Pajero drama, everyone has heard about it... Anyway, mechanic comes around just before 10am, in his Toyota Landcruiser, and suggests we should look into getting one of them. I laugh and go along with his stupid joke, all the while wanting to punch his face in, but he's really another nice bloke, and just wants to help out. We get going, and drive to the workshop so they can replace the battery. Not our responsibility, but we had time to kill before getting the Hertz car, so why not? The mechanics and receptionist at the workshop all come over when we arrive, to hear the story, and find out what's going on, and we end up being there for quite a while, chatting etc, and they're all a really good group of people, and I tell them so... We are very impressed with their service and their helpfullness... Anyway, 11am rolls around, and we return to the resort shopping centre to collect the Hertz hire car and drive to Alice Springs. We leave the Thrifty Pajero in the same shopping centre and drop the keys in the key return box, as we were told to do by the lady when we hired it. Our Hertz rental is a brand new (15000ks on the clock) Ford Territory petrol, and we love it. It looks new and it smells new, and after our diesel, it goes like a bat out of hell!! Jo's made sandwiches, and we decide to drive straight through to Alice with no stops, other than toilet type ones. It's about 4 and a half hours we've been told, which would get us there by 4.30pm. We stop at Erldunda for a loo break, and the lady from Thrifty rings us and asks where the Pajero is, as she's been told we've taken it one way to Alice Springs (by the mechanics). Jo tells her that we parked it at the shopping centre and left the keys in the drop box just as she told us to do, and the lady is reassured and all is ok again. The trip we did will be covered in todays 'proper' blog, but we arrived in Alice at 4pm, and our caravan was brought in and we set up, and that's where we're up to now, as I write this. Our Pajero is at the dealer, waiting for them to look at it on Thursday, but I'm going to talk to the park owner to see if he knows him and can pull any strings for us... When we know more news, I'll be sure to update you all, as I'm sure Jo will do through Facebook, or texts etc... For now, we intend to make the most of our time in Alice Springs, the itinerary is now out the window, and we go day by day... Jo is leaving tomorrow, and she's going to return the rock to the Breakaways Reserve in Coober Pedy, to lift our curse, and she'll be gone a while.... she's walking!!!
Love to all!!
- comments
Jen Thats so funny....i was going to say last night....what have you done to deserve this. I even said to Shaun had they killed a baby bird or something. All the best for the next few days.
Aunty Min OMG, if you could only see the 3 of us (Me, Granny & Papa) rofloao, tears running down our cheeks (& those with week pelvic floors, legs also) I hope yousend Jo with 2 pairs of shoes, or a short skirt (that might get her a lift & save good shoes & some blisters! Again pmsl, owh Jojo, you didn't!!) Well to kill your theory Pete, Ummm well, how do I say this?, Ummmm Mum & Dad have made it here & thye're ok, rocks & all, are you with me? I don't think it's Jo's fault. If so Granny better watch her back BIG time!! Granny said to tell Jo, she's now s***ting herself, as they've still got 321km to home :-/ Fingers crossed for them (bahaha) Glad you enjoyed your dinner, that your beautiful friend (flicks hair Fabio style) arranged. Isnt it awesome! G & P are still only eating 2 smal meals a day since their vist there! Hope it sorts out, Granny said she can feel in her waters Pixie (that is a perfect name for a gold Palero, what's wrong with it?) will be ok. Papa says, she'll come good, you just see (he must own Pixie's younger brother, who's just come out of the closet, named Perben - Danish for stone.) But you go w papa's way of thinking, it'll make you feel better. Although an upgrade to a Toyota would make you feel freakin' awesome, but to each their own :-P We'll talk soon, hope it all sorts out. I'm confident Brendan & the gang will envelope you into the fold & make you feel much better. Keep us posted. I could always call a bakery in Alice & organise a cake. :-D MWAH
monbro hi Pete,Jo, Jeremy & Dylan, i was picking up thai for dinner last night and your story of bad luck was talk of the day. Amy) She said she was going to send me your blog details on monday from work. Sounded like an interesting saga so i rang big4 to get in early. I bet Jo is happy that there is not 2 mr peter easts at site 135 as one is more than enough haha. remember disasters that you (obviously )can write about become part of the history that helps in your development. The trip sounds awesome and now that i have logged in i will follow your quest. The rock has to go,maybe post it, leave it in the hire car, send it by courier, or drive back whilst waiting for pixie ( the name suits the colour)You could always send it to Tony as i only said to him this morning that i suppose that he is probably sitting our sunning himself all day on a rock somewhere down the back of the park whilst Pete is away. The weather here has been like the Mediterranean over the last few days.
Anna Dean and Kee You dont know us but your blog has just popped up as i logged out of our blog. Cant believe how your story is so similar to ours. Our campervan broke down and had to be scrapped 6 weeks after buying it. We also stole sacred rock from ayers rock!!! We will be returning it asap!!! Good luck with the rest of your trip.