10 July 2007 - Blog by Deb

Below is a blog update, from Deb...

I am sitting in beautiful 22 degrees (it is 9.20 pm) waiting with Dave for Nicole Kidman's jet. Dave's company is handling the entourage's needs, so he has to sit in wait.... could be anytime between 9.30 and 11.00pm. Apparently she is off to Fiji for some R&R after filming up here.
We have certainly had an adventure getting here and have learnt (the hard way) about service in the NT.
Our car started having troubles as we approached Tennant Creek, but as it was a computer issue the mechanics couldn't assist. So we coughed and spluttered on, approaching a town called Elliot at dusk. We decided to abandon our journey and stay the night. What a dodgy hole that is!!!!! There was definitely something DEAD under our "cabin". We ended up bringing the dog inside, to protect him from the mangey, old camp dogs.
Unfortunately we had to leave the trailer behind at the police station in Elliot....which apparently means very little, security wise.
The car spluttered on to Dunmarra Roadhouse, where we received a tow to Daly Waters (a RACV / NT depot). Once again, no mechanic that could assist us.... We stayed overnight and paid for a truck to transport the car, the dog, Dave and I to Katherine (where it was rumoured they had a scanner that could diagnose car computers). Mmmm. 5.00pm and $500 later we were dumped at the Katherine cattleyards.
Another overnighter (Dave only killed 3 cockroaches in the room that night) and then we hunted for the illusive computer. It only took a visit to each and every car service centre in town, to be redirected to guy we had originally spoken to. Did he just forget he had a diagnostic computer?!?! When told the part wouldn't arrive for another few days we decided to hire a car and drive to Darwin without our car, putting it on ANOTHER truck to follow us later....
The car has arrived today, Dave has returned to work only one day later than expected and I am learning to take each second as it comes. We will collect the trailer on the weekend and hopefully it will be like Christmas when I open all the tubs. Otherwise, I might just have another story to tell....
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