OK...... My thoughts at this point ARE...........?????? ( Not printable!! Temperature still rising in vehicle when travel at 100ks) Barry is doing the "Silent thing" he does when worried.
We arrive at Charters Towers at a Road House which has a free camp... or so we thought. We are told we can no longer camp at the back of the Roadhouse altho there are several Caravans parked there. However I
Favourite Road House
smile sweetly and say that we need a diesel mechanic in the morning hence our stopping here to speak to Truckies who hopefully will have some suggestions.
The Attendant says there's one next door. Stay over night but you didn't hear it from me?? "A winks as good as a nod" as they say. .... We pull over into what we think is an appropriate place and more or less set up so we can spend the night. Next thing we know a Road train pulls in ( 4 trailers) and turns within 1 mtr or less from Geri....
View from Geri's Door..felt a lot closer
We move to a slightly better place... Some Road trains are still pulling around approx 1m from us... ..so by this stage Im thinking they maybe doing so on purpose... Who knows but we are here to stay as it is 7.30 and we are STUFFED!!
Sleeping was OK as from 10.30 to 5 am we were not disturbed by Road Trains......
Next Morning we speak to our Favourite Diesel Mechanic from Nowra who is Mortified about the temperature and speaks to the Charters Towers guy saying its under warranty and alls good. He will pay for it. However it takes us 3 days to have the "bolts tightened" and the "Gasket ring" replaced ( my abbreviated version). The people in the Caravan Park 1 km down the roadhouse were very supportive as was Neil McArthur who was the local bush poet at the CVP and appeared every night from 4.30 to 5.30. We had heard him before and his is GREAT!!!!
Favourite Mechanic
So we lined up for 2 nights and had 2 nights of meals cooked at 12.50 per head for various bush charities. Soooo all was not lost... And we didn't need to pay for the repairs & we had entertainment while helping to support some local charities!!!
Camp Kitchen at Charters Towers CVP.
On the 3rd night we get Geri back ...ready to leave around 4pm. The CVP Owners suggested we stay "free of charge" and leave in the morning..... Gotta LOVE the people of the Outback for support in times of need.... ( as we were YET to experience in large quantities)... But Baz was on a roll we were LEAVING.... However we only traveled 40 ks to a free camp we had previously used... All Good......
We are heading to Cobbold Gorge and Undarra Lava Tubes... Yay!!!!!!! Our holiday is about to commence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...We think!!!!
We pull up about 11:00 for morning tea on side of road . Baz says .."geeeeez its cold". I didnt think so but you know ... You dont take too much notice. We continue onto Oasis Raod House at The Lynd . Last stop before Cobbold Gorge. We fill up Sub tank and go into the Road House to Pay. Barry looks a tad strange!!!! The lady behind the counter is concerned as he tries to take out the credit card to pay.
Morning Tea B Cold but we dont take any notice
He is shaking ALL OVER VIOLENTLY... Diabetes we think.. We take a reading and he is VERY LOW 2.3. Most unusual for Him as he is normally HIGH. Try to get him to eat but finds it difficult... a couple of jelly babies help but he cant get warm. Laurel from roadhouse says the usual ambulance is out at a property so "We should call 000 now as it will take 1.5 hours for Ambos to get here". He is given a bed to use and by this time B is uncontrollable with shakes and agrees.... so we do. ........ An hour later 000 rings back to see how he is doing ?? By this time he has warmed up but still looks "grey". they say the ambulance is only half an hour away and the HELICOPTER will be there just after.... HELICOPTER?????? Oh Sh@#t .!!!!......We
say we dont need a Helicopter but 000 say its on its way... better to be safe? Barry did turn BLUE around the mound and in the extremities and I think they were thinking heart attack.
By the time everyone arrives ... 2 ambos (as they could not contact the 2nd ambo to tell them to turn around) and the Helicoptor ... B's vital signs are perfect except his temperature ..39 deg. We were feeling EMBARRASSED but the medicos were saying better to be "safe then sorry". Mind you he looked as if he had been hit by a BUS.... Sooooo Off he goes to Cairns Hospital ... Air lifted!!!!! (
And I forgot to take a photo!!!!!!!; Don't you hate that when you dont think of everything!!!)
The Ambos and Roadhouse staff were wonderful... All giving me instructions on driving etce etc as I had to drive into Cairns.... Actually I could have gone with the Helicopter... But it was easier to drive in as we would have a vehicle. I was not allowed to leave the Roadhouse until I'd had a
good cry and a cuppa. Of course I obliged with both...... Then I drove for a couple of hours and pulled into a CVP for the night
A woman travelling by herself in our vehicle did create a few inquisitive looks but people were helpful when they heard the story... ( so Much for Barry saying "Dont tell anyone!!!!!... Any way he began to tell a few himself ...
so I'm just putting my thoughts down here... I'm NOT TELLING anyone??)
All Barry's tests came back normal in the Hospital and he was discharged at 9:15 that night to stay in a motel.
I picked him up at Midday Sunday after 3-4 hours drive. I was not pushing it as I was still monitoring Geri... THANKFULLY all was GREAT in the Mechanical world!!!
Still feeling like he had been hit by a Bus and very wobbly we rang some friends who often visit their unit at Trinity Beach this time of the year ...thought we may catch up during the week. They were still in Orange but said to use it. What a wonderful Blessing to have good friends....AND TO HAVE THIS UNIT as we were to find out.
Just across the Beach at Trinity Beach...JUST BEAUTIFUL we decide to stay for a few days. 
