Day 8 – camp 3 to camp 4

Sleep comes easy after a hard days slog on these unforgiving tracks called roads over here. 

Mornings are clear and windless. Cold too.

As soon as the sun comes up it gets warm almost immediately.

Bookwork is an essential to determine the days program from the changes made to the route from the 48-hour reconnaissance teams who run the track to ensure that it’s in order or otherwise. We rise at 5.00 am and get this out of the way before breakfast.

The track today is all gravel travel off main road stuff, 341kms of it. We anticipate that it will be the same as the day before.

Our start time is 9.35 and leave the camp on time heading to camp 4.

As it turns out the track started easy with the organisation cancelling 4 of the 9 STC’s.

The road was still rough with so many gullies ruts and river crossings. But the road was more forgiving.

The scenery was magnificent. With mountains and lakes laying so still at their feet.

There was no way that we could get to the TC’s within the allocated time periods. The average speeds are in the 70kms on these roads. We elected to stay cool and just do the best that we and the car could take.

Other drivers were more ambitious raced past, only to pay the price later on. Many failed along the track, not out but injured somewhat, and requiring repair at the camp.

We did well and though we didn’t break records I. The short sport section, we got on within 10 minutes of the finish time (late no penalties).

The car was fuelled up the day previous and planning ahead we filled the spare tank in the boot. A good thing too as we would have run short had we not

So, the day was good, and Denise didn’t seem to have suffered any damage. We refuelled at the camp and parked Denise outside our tent. 

Stephen, being cautious, checked under the back of the car as usual noting that the rubbers in the spring hangers had worn again, and noticed too that a U bolt holding the right rear spring to the axel had sheared off!  This could have had devastating consequences had this not been seen and made good. It meant a couple of hours work to make good under the car. Hard, hot and tedious work but not difficult in the execution, and we carried spares.

Then a shower and dinner. Dinner not so good in camp anymore. The quality has really gone downhill.

It was a good hard day and by playing it the way we did will pay dividends. It’s the story of the hare and the tortoise, we’re the tortoise if you didn’t get it.

Got our riding instructions this evening so set to get going tomorrow.