After much deliberation over many months, Steve’s insulated 40ft, high cube container arrived at the factory to be filled with stuff. It was dropped at the factory to be packed ready for the trip to it’s final destination, as the Cripple Creek Imperial Hotel and International 5 star Resort. The container was packed with anything and everything that could or might come in handy ie some wooden gates. The actual use of 2 x 6ft wooden gates on 80 acres wasn’t exactly obvious at first, but who can know what will be handy and what wont.
The Coynes side loader arrived and collected the container which we estimated would weight over 10 tonne. We loaded up the bikes and headed to Cripple Creek. Foresight had us stop in Warrigal and grab some supplies …. a quantity supplies that would ordinarily be seen as way to much for the time frame of dropping the container at the farm. But history has bitten very hard, and bitten more than once.
We got to the gate of the farm and the first hurdle, which we were already prepared for. A few trees had to be ‘trimmed’ in order for the truck to drive in through the gate. The second hurdle came faster than either Steve or Ross could have imagined in their worst nightmares. Even after discussing where he need to drop the container, the driver headed in a completely different direction and was bogged on an incline within seconds. The drivers immediate query as to whether the Navara was 4×4, left Ross speechless …. Navara Versus a bogged 20 tonne truck !!!!! are you kidding ?????
Ross then drove off in search of a machine to pull the truck out. We were concerned that the driver might try and drop the container where he was which would have been a disaster. We had to keep the driver calm and positive about our ‘fictitious’ rescue plans. We couldnt have cared less about the truck, but we needed to keep the container on the truck and rescue it as a package.
Whilst Ross was searching the hills for a rescue machine, Steve and the truck driver were tearing up the farm on the bikes. The pile of food and water we bought with us proved good foresight as it took most of the day to go through the selection of tractors before finally getting the truck out and container in its right spot. Within minutes of the truck leaving the property, the rain started. Within 15 minutes of the rain starting, had the truck still been stuck it would have remained stuck.
All the waiting time left some serious time to test both the motor bikes and motor bike riders. The Honda ran like a clock, but the Kawasaki suffered from its reluctance to start …. something that probably would be remedied with a tune and service.
There was a high ratio of riders parting company with their respective bikes as limits were tested by both machine and rider capabilities. Our limits were extremely low, but they were tested non the less. There was some blood, some aches and some bike damage …. but there were huge smiles all round.
Container (long video)
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