Wed, 16th May, 2018 Bush camp south of Well 26 CSR to Bush camp between two dunes north of Well 27 CSR, WA (bog rescue & 3 years 9 months on road)

7am 13.3 degrees, clear sky and the strong south-easterly wind is back. We have started parking the truck so the back is protected from the wind for the shower and it makes a nice spot for breakfast too. Took photo of our camp as it was too dark last night – not a nice one, just a spot to stop.

Drove back to Kylie and Phil. They had a wonderful night’s sleep though are still worried about getting back across the wet again and also getting back over the sand ridges. Steve said he was sure he could snatch them up any of the ridges. The towing service is still coming but they can’t get onto the driver to find out where he is exactly.

We had a cuppa on their dry verandah enjoying the water views.

After much discussing the boys decided to try and get the car and van turned around at least. Much tooing and froing they managed it.

Kylie is still very hesitant about going back across the water – she likes the dry land. I said lets measure out the snatch straps and winch rope to make sure we can pull them out if they do get stopped again in the bog hole. Long way back to our truck.

Steve was happy with it all so they decided to give it a go. Phil drove and Steve watched out the window for him. Videoed that.

Unfortunately Steve was so concerned not to go too far towards the bog they went too far the other side and got bogged about the same spot but high bogged this time. Won’t say what Kylie said!! We had washed the Max Trax and left them on the spinifex to dry – now they have to get muddy again.

Now my turn to panic as Steve drove our truck down into the water so he could get out the winch rope and connect to the snatch straps.

Got them through the boggy bit and back onto the harder based track. More videos.

Steve unhooked and backed up. Phil started to come along the track then I looked across at Steve and thought the truck looked like it was on a funny angle. He got out and laughed – he was bogged now!! Got that on video too. He said he took his eyes of the mirrors for a moment to look at Phil and went off the edge of the track 6 inches!!

Connected the winch to Phil’s car and pulled the truck forward onto the dry line again using Phils Max Traxs but we then the back wheels bogged so he had to stop and put our Treds under them. Glad we bought those. More videos.

You can see the dry line and the very wet line. Left the Treds there until both vehicles were up on the high ground again. Pulled them out then one last play in the water to wash them off.

Drove back to where we camped last night to have lunch. Stayed on the track as it looked a bit damper where we had driven last night!! The wind is gusting badly again so this probably wasn’t a good spot for lunch as we ended up with sand in our sandwiches, let alone the flies!!

Headed back north up and down the sand ridges to Well 26. Filled up the water tanks for showers with lovely clear water. Videoed Kylie and Phil getting water so they have a good video to show their son too other than the getting out of bog ones.

I got the visitors’ book out again and turned the page. There was Kylie and Phil’s entry. I said did she want to put in an update!!

Found the comments in the end of another book of the two vehicles that were bogged in April. Interesting reading.

Phil spent time cleaning his wheels and brakes etc. Steve had the water pump going with the hose and spray nozzle so they could get into all the bits. Kylie got onto the towing company again to say they were out of the bog and at Well 26. They said their guy should be here by 1. But we said 1pm or am and what day as it took us two days to get down here from Well 33. They eventually heard from the driver and he was at Well 33 so Steve assured them we will be fine to get them over the dunes so she told the driver to turn around and head back to Newman. They will still have a big bill to pay but if he had to drive down to here to just pull them over some of the dunes it will cost them a heap more.

Back over the low sand ridges, eroded sections past Slate Range. We used the UHF to tell Phil of any difficult bits etc. As we crested a higher ridge and waited for Phil to come up we noticed wet areas we missed on the way down.

Up the first of the bigger ridges before Well 27. As we both did the sightseeing on the way south we aren’t stopping for any on the way north.

Travelling parallel with a ridge we spotted camels walking along the top of the ridge – a camel caravan. Got a bouncy video of them.

We can see our drag marks on the high centre of the eroded track where our diff was dragging on the way down.

More water trapped between the ridges we didn’t notice when we were heading south.

Past Helen Hill – Kylie commented too about which one it is.

Up a curved entrance to a softer dune. I had videoed it for the south to north bit and it was very rutted at the bottom so we couldn’t get a run up but we got up ok. Phil nearly got to the top so out with the snatch strap and we pulled them over easily. Kylie much happier having done that and it was all good.

One more snatch up another ridge then we continued on and Phil got up all the others easily with some guidance of where to go etc from Steve.

Down over another ridge where there was a run off track going up the other side of the next ridge – not much distance between these ridges. We pulled into the run off area and set up for the night as the sun started to set in the valley between the ridges. We are between Well 27 and the turn off to Separation Well. As we don’t expect anyone on the track coming from the south and most people seem to be turning off at Well 33 to do the detour we think we will be fine camping here.

The cold south-easterly wind which as blown all day has finally settled so Steve got a fire going. Had a great evening chatting, getting to know Phil and Kylie better. Lovely couple. They are so grateful for all our help – well Steve’s really.