Well, despite our best intentions of a relaxing pack up with just an hours drive to our next destination (Paronella Park), it all fell to pieces…
Clare and Ethan had started a slow pack, when I innocently went to kick over the Prado to create some shade for Harps to play in…tick, nothing, tick, nothing, tick, nothing…She wouldnt start!! – I sensed some issues in the days earlier with her not starting first go, or delay in kicking over, but with no issues encountered during the long drive the day before (Cooktown – 600kms round trip), thought nothing more of it.
Paul and I were on the case and after the initial checks and Pauls best efforts, we still had nothing. The trusty RACQ were summoned to the park, and after a snappy diagnosis, our fears worstened with the ordering of a tow truck. A short time later, the Prado was on the tray and heading for the local automotive specialists…
Throwing our plans into disarray, numerous calls were made to Toyota and the workshop where she had been taken. Despite assurances the Prado would be sorted by the afternoon, with the diagnosis confirming the alternator had died, it didnt happen. Apparently alternators for the Prado 150 are hard to come by either new or second hand. Toyota confirmed a new one would be 3-4 weeks coming from Japan, and the search for a reconditioned item came up empty. Attempts to source one from a wreckers just to get us going also proved futile.
Paul was on the case and had his contacts scouring Sydney for one to get us out of trouble. Eventually contact was made with Reece from Brookie Spares who indicated he had what we were after and could courier it up (with a 1-2 day turnaround). Unfortunately by the time this was organised, the Cairns workshop had closed and we’d have to stay another night. As inconvenient as that sounds, we all agreed at least we were in a large city, not 300-400kms out of town as we were all day yesterday…
With the staff here at Coconut very helpful and understanding, extending our stay has not been a problem. In true Riff2Tip spirit, Team Dmax sacrificed their travel time and booked in for an extra night as well. Its dissapointing for all of us that we’ll miss Paronella Park as I know the girls especially were looking forward to it.
At this stage it’s a waiting game, and we wont know much more until the morning, so off to the pool it is….
Rookie mistake of the day – despite Anthony’s request to upgrade the NRMA insurance a number of times before we left I neglected to do so (it’s in my name so he couldn’t do it). Sadly this oversight has come back to bite me with a big I told you so………
Interesting fact of the day – James cook named the Cape York Peninsula after the then Duke of York and Albany (The Grand Old Duke of York) – go sing the song – he had ten thousand men, he marched them up to the top of the hill and he marched them down again.
Riff to Tip 2014 