Port Augusta to Adelaide and around town.
Big Boy Ben (henceforth BBB)the tow truck driver phoned when he said he would, arrived just a little bit before he said he would and had the broken Discovery loaded with van hooked up in no time.
Not that I’m one to overview the activities of professionals toiling in their own domain, but if I had not alerted BBB to the fact he had tried to hook the van up under the frame as opposed to on the tow hook, we may have had a bit of a brokenvanality on our hands. Still old BBB was a great bloke, had driven all the way from Adelaide, leaving at 4am.
BBB assured us he would not be that far behind us when we arrived at the van park. He even suggested we pull over with him to munch on a crocodile burger washed down with camel milk at Harry’s Diner not far south on the journey to the capital city. Salivating at the opportunity, we elected to keep a keen eye out for a bakery instead.
We piled into Panther, with Henry the travelling dog taking centre rear position having clear and uninterrupted view forward just in case there was a B-Double he need to scare away or something similar. The trip south was uneventful. We again marvelled at the environmental destruction by virtue of wind generators, backed up by their solar mates nearby.
After not to long we realised that the only way we were ever going to arrive at the van park on the same day of the same week as BBB was if he stopped. Thankfully as we flashed past Harry’s we saw the tow truck parked up. BBB was no ‘slow tow’.
A lacklustre pie with some other three point below par bakery offerings at Port Wakefield filled our bellies for the final push into the biggest town we had seen for quite a spell. Adelaide is one of our favourites. It has the country town feel we hope it never loses.
Thanks to our resident local, Sue, we picked our way through the afternoon traffic to Christies Beach van park to find her van safely on its site. BBB had arrived, delivered and gone. We dropped G-String before heading to Triumph Rover Spares not more than six google minutes away.
This place should be called Triumph Rover Toy Store. It’s not often I get excited about a retail opportunity, but picture rows and rows of Discovery’s, Range Rovers, Jaguars and Defenders. All just waiting to offer up parts to enthusiasts.……..like me!
Sue sorted her car repair with Mark or was it with one of the five or seven Ian’s they have working there. Either way, the service was off the scale fantastic. G looked around the showroom and selected a dash mat for Puma while Trev and I got a guided tour of the wrecking yard by a Landrover fanatic. I came away with a replacement front air dam cover and a set of side steps I’d wanted for a while.
Sue’s car was diagnosed as having a split inlet manifold that is described in the official Landrover workshop bulletin as a ‘Prick of a Job’. Still it had to be done with a completion date of maybe Saturday or Monday. The offer of a workshop drive car was welcomed by Sue and Trev. It was welcomed with open arms when the keys to a pretty slick 2014 Jaguar were thrown their way. No ridiculous insurance conditions. Just a reasonable ask to fill it with fuel to where it is now on the gauge and please don’t get a speeding ticket. Service at its best.
The night was cold again forcing us to consider plans inside. Apparently tomorrow we will be visiting wineries. I think I might go and visit Triumph Rover Spares again!!
Friday morning turned out to be the start of a brilliant day. Not to cold, no clouds and hungry bellies. We piled into the Jag, because we thought the cool factor was higher in that than our dirty, filthy dirty Panther. Arriving in McLaren Vale we found Oxenberry Farm. The breakfast was huge and semi-enjoyable. Trev set the scene for the day though when the lovely lady asked how he would like his eggs. He simply replied “Cooked”. Well she asked!!
Off we went to see a well know winery that is typified by a ‘Cube’. We know why it is called the cube for we travelled the four sides of a rectangle at least 16 times before finding it although we could see it the entire time.
The cube is part of Daren Burg’s winery. (no you do not say that way and it’s not a blokes name, but if you say it like that you will sound informed). Bottom line is this place has spent a squillion on building a structure made of cubes of glass that is about four stories high to house high end art. You are welcome to go in to have a look; for $30 a head. You are welcome to have a wine tasting for $20 a head. At the end of the day we took pics of funny beings made from gum boots in the yard and were done.
We strolled the streets of the Vale for nothing in particular finding me a barber before heading back to the van park.
Later on G and I went back to Triumph Rover to pick up our parts, walked the beach marvelling at the desalinated water plant before drinks and chippies time appeared on the clock. Trev and Sue told us that whilst we were away the lady friend of the very fit looking man across the way with his beautifully polished Dodge RAM, had provided direct and public competition for G-String as she bathed in the afternoon sunshine.
I decided it was a good time to take advantage of daylight saving so fitted the newly acquired sidesteps to Panther. Let’s just say next time I do it I won’t even begin unless I have someone at least as competent as Trev to help and a few hours to waste. It should take no more than half an hour each side!! But it does. My library of useable swear words is now devoid of 17 quality items.
By almost 10pm G and I had had enough for a day.