6000km Solo in 2 Days
A hippie, goth, metalhead from another planet.
That is the best way I can describe my wife to be, Charlotte, the first time I met her 37 years ago.
Yesterday I sold her Kia Carnival, as she is no longer able to drive and replaced it with a modified Hyundai Staria, which has a tail lift for her wheelchair.
To purchase the Staria, I travelled 6000km roundtrip including a 2800km drive in 48 hours solo back across the Australian bush.
I found the car at a dealer in Adelaide, got them to send me a video and photos, paid a deposit, booked a flight and flew the next day (Saturday) after arranging cover for my wife.
I drove off in the car at 2pm and bought a sleeping bag, air mattress and 12volt cooler and left Adelaide at 4pm.
I had a schedule to keep, my eldest was booked in have all their wisdom teeth out at Midland hospital and one of my other children was booked in for a consult with a specialist at 5:15pm in Perth. Both appointments were on Monday. Today was Saturday.
Driving at night, in the rain, on roads I had never been on before with kangaroos hopping out randomly in front of the car was interesting.
Getting stuck behind and overtaking road trains on single lane roads, some of them must have been nearly 50 metres in length.
"Sleeping" in the car. I wouldn't really call it sleeping though. More like resting my eyes for 10-15 minutes in a rest area before carrying on.
But the thing that had my heart in my mouth the first couple of times it happened was the car going off track as it followed the grooves left in the road by the trucks with no warning.
I didn't see a single speed camera or police car in over 24 hours while in South Australia. As soon as I crossed the border into WA, and I am not making this up, I drove down the hill from the border, got on the straight. A police car travelling in the other direction flashed me, did a U-turn, and pulled me over for licence, drug and alcohol check. That's WA for you. Was only back in the state for 5 minutes and already getting pulled.
I had great chats with several people I met, one who had done the trip for over 30 years to see family every year.
The additional lights on my car must have lit up 5km in front of me, once I worked out how to turn auto high beam off. I am sorry to all the drivers I blinded until I found where it was buried in the car settings. I hate auto high beam; it never turns off quick enough.
Over 90% of the trip there was no phone coverage, no internet. I had prepared for this by downloading music and audio books to my phone, but the only thing that didn't work in the car was car play, just me singing, so no music.
They have recently changed the rules in WA for modified cars from other states. You used to be able to have it inspected over the pits and allowed to drive it on WA plates until it got approved. Now you must do it twice, before and after. Special thanks to the DoT official who fast tracked it for us.
If you see a Muppit in WA please stop and say hi.
Read more: Andy the Muppit