Flinders Ranges National park (NP)

Before I tell you this part of my trip, let me explain to you the huge story of my car….Flashback the Tuesday 2th June in Nildottie. We still working at the potato factory for one day…and surprise my car started to make a strong noise!!!!
On the moment I was not really scared, normal the noise was just during a short time when I started the car. Arrived the departure of Nildottie (4th June), we took the road and unfortunately the noise still continuous. So we decided to stop in a garage and easily they found the problem: one of my belts was fucked!!!
Until here, that was not too bad, just little strange because we changed already the belts one month ago, maybe the work was not so well done (that was our first conclusion with the mechanic). But, because they are a big but (the real start of this story) when they tried to put the news belts they couldn’t put the both. They said me that my polishes are not good aligning, and even if they put me a new belt the problem would be still here. In total logical, I asked which type of work needs my car to fix definitely the problem, and they answered me something like “a big work, where you can spend lot of money”. So we decided just to put a new belt even if the problem was still here. The mechanic told me it’s not to dangerous to drive, just I will need to change the belt over time.

After this episode we took again the road until Adelaide without any problem (and any noise!).
BUT the following day, when I started my van, it still made the fucking noise without explication. So I decided that I would have to do a double check the Friday, just before to leave for Perth. Bad decision for me, because when I went on the garage Friday afternoon, they didn’t take the time to check good my car (it was close to 5 o’clock and the beginning of a long weekend until the Tuesday), they just told me something like: “you can make the tour around Australia with this car […] it’s one of the bad things that could be happen to a car..] I’m not sure that we can fix your car […] we can try but you can spend couple of thousand bucks ($)…etc”
So imagine how worried I was after this type of news, especially when you think be ready to take the road.

After that, we resolute to try to have another opinion the Saturday, just to be sure and have a longer check. We tried maybe ten garages before to find one where we could go...and just in one quickly look, the mechanic said me something like “that’s not a big problem just let change the belt of place and that should be alright”…Imagine again how I can be confused after that, it was approximately the opposite of the last day. Then we trusted him (without really any other solutions) for the ridiculous amount of 50 $ for maybe half an hour of work (great long week end!!)…However, even if it was really expensive I can say that was true, until now we didn’t have more noise.
After theses episodes, even if the noise disappeared, I was still little worried about my car and finally I decided just after Flinders Ranges to do a general check over of the vehicle, just to be sure to take the road safety…and of course it was the happy case!!!
Anyway, now I can say that I have a good car even if sometime it’s do some strange noise (it’s certainly my paranoiac side, now when I hear any noise; I’m so alert, poor Pierre).
Special thanks to Pierre who has been supportive thorough out all my complaints during this time!!!
Well after this anecdote; come back to Flinders Ranges National Park (NP) where we passed three days. Just to be set, it’s certainly the most famous (and too much touristic) NP in South Australia. However for me it’s one of my favorite (even if the weather was not so good) for its diversity of landscape. Some parts are really dry and remember a little the morocco’s mountains, and in contrast to some other who are very green as our Pyrenees.

For the trip until Perth, as I maybe already said we will be 6 peoples: Fabian and Cecile (who have the fours wheel drive), Zoe and Jim (the two English guys that we take on lift), and of course Pierre and me.

This few days was the occasion to meet more Zoe&Jim and took some good fun with us during the different walks that we done and where we saw some beautiful scenic.
And it’s after this episode that we started the famous road for Perth that I expected from long time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nildottie

Nildottieeeeeeeeee……..the place at the middle of nowhere….

So, just after left Adelaide we took the road to Nildottie..the famous potatoes spot!!! We worked in factory potatoes (Oakville potatoes) where we stayed 8 weeks.

During the first time, we were in the Greenway Landing, a campground close to the Murray River (the third longer river of the world) with two German’s guy (Guido and Robert). As of our arrival we made some good parties we the other guys of the factory. I think I don’t have to explain you what the main objective was during these parties, just imagine with the pictures!!

Guido little drunk on a beautiful bicycle!!!

Eoghans (called Owen) an irish guy, the control quality of the factory.

Richard, an australian guy, one of the factory's supervisor

Just after the departure of Guido and Robert, we met Cecile, Fabien and Elodie, some Pierre’s friends with who we took some good time. For example one of this picture it’s a typical French dinner: cheeses, bread and wine, that was so graeeeeettttt.

At the beginning we still were on the campground but we decided quickly to move in a house. Now, for sure I can say that was the good choice!!! If for you it’s the beginning of the summer, for us it’s the opposite. Here, the temperature can be really cold at this season, trust me. At the first time, it was not so horrible (and certainly fun) to lived outside : took it’s shower with the “lovely” breeze, did your laundry and wash yours dishes in the “beautiful” river…..BUT after one month of this “wonderful” lifestyle that started to be a little disturbing!!!!So, it’s for that we decided to join Owen on the Heather’s house.

On the factory, the work was always the same: select potatoes, select potatoes…..and surprise select potatoes. It’s for that sometime we tried to take some fun….like to surf on the potatoes.

Sometime, when that was quiet at the factory we had worked on the lettuces. Advantage: we worked outside; disadvantage: we broke our back.