To Coen and back to Charlies Goldmine

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We left the Eliott falls after having a lovely swim in the morning when we had the falls all to ourselves once again. As we got onto the road and we saw we had another 110km to get to Bramwell Junction, which was the next place to get fuel and we were running low. This is pretty bad position to be in considering where we were! Now we had lost the Mo Jo we had to rely on Tank alone and Shenton free wheeling down any big hills which is quite difficult given the tracks! We pushed it all the way past the Empty sign but we did make it, thankfully, I really did not fancy walking to Bramwell with the can to pick up fuel.

After Bramwell we had another 200km to get to Coen where we are going to camp for the night. We only got about 7 km down the track where there are big dips and creeks to cross when we saw two vans had stopped at the side of the track. Both of these looked brand new and both looked overloaded, rammed full of stuff with tinnies (Oz for aluminum boats ) on top and 4WD trailers being towed behind. We stopped to see if they were ok and we saw that the first van was basically broken in half. The driver had not seen a dip, hit it too hard and the cars chassi had broken in half! The guy looked really shocked and we did feel bad for him, we wanted to take a picture but didnt think it was fair. It just goes to show how bad these tracks can be and how well Shenton and the Tank have done so far but we still have a way to go yet before we get onto normal paved roads! I just hope shaving the Mo before we got back was not a mistake.......

As we do the next leg of the journey we start to see more and more vehicles on their way up to the Tip, we nearly run over a few snakes on the way and we arrive at Coen to fill up the Tank but it is Sunday and everywhere is closed so we will have to wait until tomorrow! Even the sexchange hotel is shut so Shenton cant change himself back ....

Charlie is pleased to see us and we have loads of fun chatting with him. Shenton pans for gold and pretends to find a nugget that Charlie has slipped to him, like I am going to fall for that one!. Charlie made us some food with the real taste of the Med, here in the middle of the wilderness of Oz, and we listen to more of his stories which are really fasinating. Shenton had a look down the old mine shaft that is now filled in and now is a home for snakes and bats. That evening we watch a movie with Charlie called "wolf creek" This is a freaky film about backpackers getting abducted and killed, great just the kind of movie I want to watch while sleeping in the van...... needless to say I woke up the next two nights screaming and scaring the crap out of myself and Shenton.

Charlie has loads of cool inventions and one is what he calls the "donkey" this is an old oil drum which he has welded a chimney to and this then heats the water by burning wood for the home made showers, a very interesting smell as you have a shower. Charlie is really one of the last prospectors and I can imagine what it was like years ago if the town was filled with characters like him.

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