It's The Wrong Way Without Lang Kidby!

14th May 2009

Well, well, well, the trucks have started to fall to bits! John and Fiona Hedges in the 1941 Ford Heritage listed utility developed distributor problems which Dale thinks is a real concern. They still haven't found the problem. They had to be towed on and off the Crete ferry.

Ferry loading is done with clockwise precision, so this caused a frenzied arm waving, yelling, shouting, radios going, communication panic from the deckhands as they tried to turn around on the deck.

Worse still, David and Maggie Mottram in their Chevrolet Mapleleaf have broken a rear main leaf spring, which isn't surprising considering the potholes! Although still drivable whilst crabbing to the left, he decided to remain behind to try and replace it in Athens . It's sad to leave them behind, but Dale would've continued onto France with it where help and spares will be available.

Other truck problems include Mike and Karen O'Sullivan with their Chevrolet Blitz blowing an oil line over the exhaust which ignited. They were able to spurt a fire extinguisher through the hatch in the bonnet of the cab and instantly put it out. Karen noticed the fire, because she had been pouring water over the bonnet to keep it cool while travelling up a 20 km winding mountain path over the mountains on route to Sfakia. They had stayed behind to help Nigel and Lisa file the leading edge off the brake linings of their Chevrolet Blitz 2X4. Brakes were grabbing all over the place, linings too long so borrowed an angle grinder and chamfered them off.

LEAVING PIREAUS PORT ATHENS FOR PATRA FOR FERRY BOARDING FOR ANCONA, ITALY

This morning, fearing yet another frustrating drive trying to find our way from Pireaus Port at Athens, around Athens to Patra via Korinthos, Lang was asked if we could follow him. Lang said, "Don't follow me, I'll see you in Patra." So we fragmented and headed off and hours later, after making 5 wrong turns, driving through all stop signs, and stop lights, doing 3 point turns amongst the traffic etc, we kept ending up back at one of the many wharves. Eventually, we were on the right road! It's moments like these, that one or the other of the group "loses it!"

Quote of the day goes to New Zealander, Ray McKinney who after a stop for a photo call remarked to his wife Jenny, "Shall we move off? We can be the first to be lost this time!"

ITS A LONG WAY WITH LANG KIDBY

"IT'S A LONG WAY WITH LANG KIDBY" to music "It's a Long Way to Tipperary," by Karen Bracken. Lyrics written by Karen Bracken and Dale Barnard.

It's a long way with Lang Kidby, it's a long way to go,
It's a long way with Lang Kidby, so take your CB radio;
Goodbye, dear old Aussie, farewell Kiwi land,
It's a long, long way with Lang Kidby, but ain't it just grand!

Pack up your Navman in your old tin truck, and Go, Go, Go,
Get out your maps and turn your CB on to UHF four 0;
Directions will be far and few, you won't see Lang for dust,
So, pack up your Navman in your old tin truck, for Normandy or bust!