My first taste of life on the road was providing me with a good understanding of our new motorhomes capabilities and shortcomings. We were about to see how well the engine and cooling system stacked up.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
We were at the base of Mount Ousley which is the easiest way up to the top of the Illawarra Escarpment and then on to Sydney. It is the least steep of all the mountain passes and duel carriageway all the way to the top, but it is a 6km long climb and enough to test any cooling system. I moved into the left lane as soon as we reached the foot of the pass and slowed down changing into second gear. It was then just a matter of keeping the bus at a constant speed and wait.
I was impressed. We not only got to the top without any rise in engine temperature or mechanical problems, we did it with ease. Once I had the bus set up at its optimum speed the constant grade allowed us to cruise easily to the top. We even had to overtake some trucks to keep our speed constant.
At this stage we were quiet hungry. we had been on the road for a few hours and had been on the lookout for somewhere to eat but had not found anything along our travels that was open. I had decided to take us around the southern outskirts of Sydney and up the M7 to get us heading north again, so I knew that we would be able to find a place to get a hot meal twenty minutes up the road at Appin. How did I know this? We were on a trip down memory lane as life on the road was taking us straight towards the area that I grew up in.
At around 7pm we pulled into the side street next to the Appin Pub which had plenty of room for a bus to park . I was spent and famished after concentrating and driving for the last two hours or so. It was time for a break and a change of driver. Appin was still as I remember it. It is approximately 20km from the edge of Sydney’s urbane sprawl in a peaceful rural setting with a country pub where the meals and service are just as good now as they were sixteen years ago when I last went through there before I moved to Queensland. If you are ever passing through Appin there is plenty of room to park even the biggest motorhome and stop for a meal at the pub.
Life On The Road Was About To Hit A Roadblock
We set off again with Geoff driving towards Campbelltown on the outskirts of Sydney where we were going to get on to the South western motorway and M7 which was going to take us around most of the city as we made our way to the Newcastle Freeway. Everything was going well until we got to Pennant Hills in Sydney’s northern suburbs and it started to rain. As soon as Geoff turned on the windscreen wipers the left one disappeared below the windscreen and the fuse blew. Luckily the rain was not to heavy so we could see well enough to drive to a service station and pick up some new fuses. I also pulled the wayward blade back up onto the windscreen where it seemed happy to stay and refueled the bus at the same time.
We departed Sydney with the the windscreen wipers working ok in the light drizzle and me sitting there happy that we had made it through Sydney before morning and I had easily fixed our first mechanical problem. Or so I thought.
What challenges lay before us? You will find out in First Taste Of Life On The Road part 3 as our trip home comes to an end.
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Cheers,
David Wood
New Life On The Road
Good to hear you made it up Mount Ousley ok… can be a scary feeling when you’re in a vehicle that you haven’t tested going up those mountains and there are lots of trucks going up as well. Enjoying your story and looking forward to next post.
Carolyn recently posted..How To Make A Cardboard Snowman Craft
Yes it was a bit scary. I had memories of how many trucks can be on that road at any time but the bus performed well and I was extreamly happy when we got to the top
Hi David,
A life on the road sounds like a fun way to travel and experience life and Australia and it many wonders it has to offer. I hope your journey offers you plenty of great pleasures and excitement.
Christopher recently posted..Plastic Surgery Gone Wrong!
Thanks Christopher,
We are all looking forward to the adventures that our journey will bring and shareing them with everyone.
I was driving up Mt Ousley on Wednesday! Would have been cool to see you!
Kristy recently posted..Free Hugs in Sondrio- Italy Inspiring Videos
We will have to let you know when we are there next. We are planing to visit the south coast again sometime after Christmas
Sounds like a great start to your trip and the bus holiding up well (not counting the fuse). Those local country pubs are hard to beat. Love to see more photos as you progress.
Benji – passionate about Margaret River recently posted..Where can I find the best Margaret River restaurants
Thanks Benji, The trip did start out well and we will be posting our thoughts and photos on many of the places that we visit.
Great story David, I love hearing about life on the road. I spent 10 years with my parents travelling Australia and it was fantastic. Can’t wait to hear of your next advetures.
Jackie Stenhouse recently posted..Infant Baby Car Seats
Thanks Jackie, Hearing how much others have enjoyed and gotten from travelling Australia makes all the work that goes into preparing for a life on the road feel a lot more enjoyable.
You are so incredibly brave. Id want to test htings out for about a month before embarking to make sure it all behaved. Love that carefee spirit and it will do you well for your travels!
jayne recently posted..Best Fabrics to Choose For A Massage Table Warming Pad
Hi Jayne, We hope to be doing a short test trip over Christmas before setting out on the big adventure but all the unplanned stops will just add to the adventure.
Beautiful trip for life on the road apart from the fuse blew. I also faced the same problem when driving my normal sedan from Melbourne to Adelaide. Mine one was the whole driver side wiper broken in half that nothing to do with the fuse and it was very heavy rain. So scary!
Wilson Tiong recently posted..5 Natural Sleeping Remedies To Sleep Like A Baby
Thanks for the comment Wilson, It can be quiet scary when the drivers side wiper breaks. It makes it hard to even see the edge of the road to pull over safely.
Hi Lisa.
Talk about A Trip Down Memory Lane. Drove cabs in Campbelltown and it was always a pleasure to get a drive out to Appin. Wonder if campbelltown sprawl will ever engulf country Appin.
Keep us all posted on the bus progress.
Cheers
John
Hi John,
Although the urbane sprwl has spread south it is still a long way from Appin. Hopefully the powers that be never let it happen.