Desert Adrain's Birthday

We stop on the edge of the beach due to the tides and intend to push on tomorrow. We haven't got as far as we hoped but it is the way it goes and at least we are in one piece with all of the cars. We went through a village about an hour before setting up camp and had to pay fees for the sleeping in the national park. Outside the office was a carcass of a whale that had died after it hit a banana boat breaking its skull. We are the object of great interest and the children are all asking for cadaeu. There are several attempts to pry off the tennis ball stuck to the bonnet but to no avail.

To get to the area where we are staying we have to power through some very soft sand. At first attempt I get us bogged down and the BBs bog down just to our right. CH pull us backwards out of it after I do a load of shovel work. The BBs are also pulled out and Colin has a go with the motor. He hits it well and travels a good 500m further into it but still isnt clear. As We are digging him out the others come back to see what is going on. Over the radios we tell the BBs to "one the count of 3 put a brick on the accelerator and only take it off when they hit the zebra bus" Adrain adds "Just F**king go for it" and after the ribbing they do just that. Seeing them plough through the sand they look like a real rally car and their engine sounds evil (probably not a good sign). With help and lots of pushing we get ourselves clear but the effort is taking its toll. Luckily we only have to do a couple of KM before where we camp. Getting to the camp area involves going in as hot as you can and then stamping on the breaks before you overshoot and end up in the sea. We all get in on the first attempt and start to set up camp.

Unluckily Minty (BB's car) has a ruptured fuel line and is jacked up using and exhaust jack, this takes several attempts as the car keps moving in the sand. Paul calls his mate back home to find out what glues we can use with petrol and receives a text back on Brian's phone to use the evo stick. Paul is upto his waist under Minty working and is being filmed working by the BBs. The progress is slow but hopefully it will allow us to keep going. We have been assured that the beach drive wont be so hard on the cars. Some of us go for a swim in the sea to refresh after the days slog. I am feeling absolutely shot and the cool salt water feels great my body is definitely not happy though. Everyone's humour had run very short by the end of the drive.. As we are cooking dinner several vehicles pass at high speed on the edge of the surf, we will be doing this tomorrow.

The day has been a slog and we drove through a sandstorm as well as hitting some massive dunes. We got some great pictures of us and the guides on the cars on the slack side of a dune. We have been apparently following a road and are lucky that not many people have been along it to churn it up. My thoughts are "my Arse" right up till we pass a sign in the middle of nowhere.

While we are cooking we see loads of beetles and they bloody fly as well which is not sporting. They are also attracted to the ark lights, so we move their position out. One of the guides is also running a temperature and not feeling too special. Dierde fills him a hot water bottle (its a heart shaped one) and a tent is put up for him, loosing his skills would be worse than loosing several vehicles.

Adrian is doing the cooking with me helping and as its his birthday we do rice pudding for desert. You don't feel hungry when doing this sort of travelling right upto tasting food then your stomach wakes up and your ravenous. At least by not eating much I will loose some weight. We are so shattered we dont put the hammock or the tent up and opt for sleeping in the car. I pass out before Colin and the rest are chilling out having a beer.