Setting Off from Victoria: Delays and Mechanical Challenges
It was a windy, rainy day in July, and finally, I was on the way to Queensland to escape the winter in my Fiat Avan Ovation, called The Elephant, with my Cavalier King Charles, Moritz, by my side. The trip had already been delayed by three weeks due to a broken cool water pump. Thankfully, this happened within 30 kilometres of a town and not in the middle of nowhere, so I was able to call roadside assistance for a tow. A new water pump was ordered and eventually installed, reducing my trip budget severely.
I made it to Hillston in New South Wales on the first day, where I stayed with other grey nomads at a free parking spot. At midnight, two huge cattle trucks turned up, resulting in rumbling feet and mooing through the night. It robbed us of sleep. Especially when, 15 minutes later, a refrigerated truck joined the group with its motor running. There was no escape from the noise. In the morning, I noticed that three of the other grey nomads had left during the night.
Breaking Down in the Middle of Nowhere
The sun shone, and my spirits lifted, but not for long. After driving 100 kilometres towards Cobar, a peep and a red light on the dashboard suddenly alerted me to a problem. This time, it was in the middle of nowhere, and the long road was empty.
