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Published: June 28th 2013
We headed off from Mallala this morning and got about 40 kms down the road when Rudi phoned and asked if we could come to Adelaide and sort everything out, so we turned about and headed back in.
Cruisemaster were very unhelpful and would only pay for 4 new shock absorbers so Rudi and Delores had to bear the brunt of the compensation and they really proved how they care about their customers. We have been very lucky that they give excellent after sales service. We came to a very amicable agreement and parted on very good terms with them. In fact the whole exercise was conducted in a calm and reasonable manner which is fantastic considering my volatile temper and you may not believe it but I live in fear of GMan's temper. We would have been very unhappy to have parted on bad terms. If we were dealing with one of the major brands they would have just told us to go away, how lucky we are.
We would have no qualms of returning to them when we win lotto tonight to order a slightly bigger van with a toilet / shower, now we just need the
numbers.....
One thing of note is that Rudi managed to find out that Cruisemaster have now changed the shock absorber that they use, strange that.
Our caravan is booked in to return to the workshop on 16 September and stay for 2 to 3 weeks so that the whole thing can be checked over and work done including all I listed yesterday. All the other clients have been contacted and it seems ours is the only van which did not have the plate in place.
Delores tells me when I write about what I am cooking she gets hungry, I think it was the boerwors and sweet corn risotto which got to her. But even better she was interested in our knowing about Boerwors the South African Sausage (they are South African) and she tells me that the ones we get from Woolies are not authentic. We now know where to go in Adelaide to get the real thing. SueB, SAinSA on Henley Beach Road if you are over this way.
Once our business was over we headed north. The country looks fantastic. When we left 10 weeks ago and there had only been 20mm of
rain from 1/1/13 to 20/4/13 and everything was crisp yellow. Apparently it has been raining ever since. The crops are developing well and everything is irish green.
Sally and Chris our house sitters wanted us to visit on our way through but we made the decision not to go so that the Princess would not be upset. We miss her so. Sally sent the lovely photograph of her sunning herself on the roof of the old bakery in our back yard.
We ended up at the Port Pirie Beach Caravan Park. Now PP is not our most favourite place in the world though it does have a great indian take away who actually serve our meals in-house. We have been going there since the week they opened and they remember us well and greet us with enthusiasm every time we turn up, knowing we travel 100 kms each way for a curry fix.
This park is an absolute delight. Small, right next to a beach, spotlessly clean, beautifully landscaped, an absolute haven. I will go to the Visitor Information Centre tomorrow to get brochures etc about the Eyre Peninsula.
When we got up on Friday morning
and wandered over to the water side of the park the lovely water scene surprised us. We are right next to the grassed Solomontown Beach, a prime spot.
Once here we headed off to the shopping precinct to go to the bank, the Reject Shop to buy some small scatter rugs to cover the floor of the van and cut down on the cold coming through at night a great change from having to turn on the air-conditioner and hit the dry cycle to dehumidify the air! A new mat for my side of Brutus seeing as I have had a major blow out in my floor mat. Then to the bottle shop. We have invested in a cask of port to warm us up on those nights when it is really cold. Of course tonight is has been mild so far.
Next off to Super Cheap Auto for a windscreen repair kit (spider with razor blade) recommended by Robert to fix the chip in the 4 week old new windscreen. When GMan does the job of repairing the windscreen and gets to the part about applying the razor blade I shall be on hand with the first-aid
kit open and ready. Any 70 year old man who hasn't used a razor since he was 19 years old is not to be trusted with an unguarded blade.
We invested in a gas cooker for use outdoors because cooking inside heated the van so much when we were in the tropics. Now we are cooking inside to warm the van up! Oh the vagaries of life. Talking of cooking I purchased enough vegetables today for two meals. We ate most of them so I will walk to the shops tomorrow for more.
We read with envy each daily report from the Oakleys who are still on track with the journey we planned together. We are happy with going off to WA to see friends and family for the second half of this trip as we planned to travel the great central road next year to do just that. So next year instead we can do the Savannah Way starting from the east and pick up most of what we have missed this year.
The boys are due for release from Juvenile Detention tomorrow. They have been incarcerated for uncouth and unruly behaviour in public. At least
it wasn't lewd. Knowing this pair they have probably picked up some additional skills like hot wiring cars whilst they have been inside.
I shall leave you with a lovely story we picked up in Katherine from Terry the auto-electrician. He had a call to go and fix a headlight for a couple. When he got there the vehicle was a 1960's station wagon under the control of an elderly couple. They had a mattress in the back where they were sleeping and they were camping in the simplest form of the word. They got talking as you always do. They explained they were on their last hurrah tour around Australia before settling down to old age. The lady then asked how old Terry thought she was. He said in your eighties. She and her husband Reg produced their drivers licences to prove she was 101 and he was 103! Isn't that magic. What wonderful stamina. The best bit is Terry said he didn't have the heart to charge them, a very small job and they inspired him, just as magic.
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Delores
non-member comment
Thank you.
Thank you Chris and Graham for such a lovely compliment the same must go to you both as well for been such good customers. When we started business we have always treated our customers the way we like to be treated. We are both so pleased of the outcome as you said we are doing this on our own all we want is happy customers so thank you again. Enjoy your next leg of your travels we are going to go buy our Boerewors & Mrs Balls chutney as you two made us more hungry so we are going to have a BBQ ( Braai in Afrikaans ) this weekend. Regards Delores & Rudi (Desert Sky )