We did basically all the tracks in the park including the one to Sensation Beach on the south coast. We found a set of huge tyres still with the axle in place so don't know if they re off a truck or an upturned tractor! Well I thought it might get a few good shots for you guys playing on them which started out well warming up on the lower one. I was able to drive right over this one with plenty of clearance and without lifting a tyre. So thought I would do the taller one but as I started to drive up changed my mind and thought to do both at once. Well this turned out to be a bad idea because I just missed out on having enough clearance to clear it so when I tried to drive off the now unweighted wheels just spun.
Going well until tried driving both at once and it just touched when going right over and stuck.
The problem was that we had only seen one 4x4 all day and that was no where near here and my winch was with my camper back in camp over 10 kms away. I did have a shovel with me and my new exhaust jack that I had not yet used. So I lifted one side right up and packed the sand under the wheels but could not do the same on the other side as the tractor tyre was in the way as well as the exhaust. So I lifted the whole rear up under the tank to pack one wheel but could not do the same under the front skid as it would slip out. I was staying to worry now as the tide was coming in so I stuck it under my axle and got my wife to watch it as it when up. I got her to throw some sand under at the same time but didn't know that the bag had expanded enough to be on the exhaust pipe! Well suddenly it would not go any higher and slowly started to go down so madly tried to get a bit of sand under it before it dropped back into the hole.
See the tide coming in! Exhaust Jack was going well until I melted it. 2 hours later someone arrived.
I tried to drive off it but as I had not got it clear of the tyres it just started to sink again. Well now with a hole in the bag and the rubber mats melted over it we were in a pickle. I had a repair kit with me but with the rubber melted on it around the hole it would have to be all cleaned off first before I could. So I sat there in the searing heat scaping it off with my ignition key while I sent my wife into the dunes to look for anything we could place under the wheels along with the floor mats. I knew at least that it would not sink any further into the sand with the tide coming in as it was resting on the tyres. I just hoped that the tide was not as high during the day as it was the night before as the tide line was still 30-40 feet up the beach from me. Well luck was on our side as 2 hours after getting stuck my wife suddenly came running over the dunes to say she had spotted some 4x4's and had spoken to them and told them what had happened. They had a good laugh about it and said they would have me off in no time. They had just come down for a quick look at their favourite fishing spot off the point so it was very lucky for us. They were the Parisi Family with Antoni in a 100 series and his dad which pulled me off in a GU patrol. He only had to pull until I had my front wheels onto the start of the tyres and I was able to just drive it off the rest of the way. Thanks again guys and if you are ever in Adelaide drop in at their restaurant at 613 Magill Rd. Magill.
Cummings Lookout and a nice sunset over Anxious bay.
After Coffin Bay we headed up the west side of the Eyre Peninsula towards Ceduna at the top. We did a nice cliff top drive outside of Ellison and saw some nice surfing going on and made camp behind a dune opposite the boat ramp at Anxious Bay. Had a beautiful sunset soon after and was surrounded in a camp by old tractors that had been used to launch boats and then left to rust when they broke down. Next stop was Baird Bay where Lisa had found on the internet before we left that they took you out on a boat to swim with the fur seals and dolphins. It is a funny little town with only a few houses and the beach as the main street! The last house is where you book to do the tours from but there is no signage to tell you that. We had such fun swimming with them and even had them nibbling our toes and played fetch and chase and tug of war with them too! You have to remember that you are there for their amusement so the more you play around doing somersaults in the water the more they hang around.
Taking a boat ride out to swim with fur seals and dolphins and the start of Goog's track.
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