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Lyndhurst Eclipse in a Soarer |
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Lyndhurst Eclipse in a Soarer |
Ahh yes the Eclipse - sounded good, Tim and Clym were going to
ceduna in a hot WRX and I was invited. They were leaving on the Monday - no good for me -
I had a presentation to the Master Builders Association on the Tuesday. The air-cond on
the Soarer had packed it in again, it was booked in at Highgate for a fix - looked like a
leaking hose. Packed the car on the Monday night all ready to go. Picked the car up ready
to go but the compressor was stuffed - need to get another one - this took the wind out of
my sails - didn't want to drive across the Outback with no air-cond - and the latest
weather report was clouds - a long way to go to not see the eclipse!
So I rang Tim and told him I was out.
Meanwhile Linton knew I was going and had managed to get a couple of days off - Linton works at the weather buerau as a hydrological hydradynamical engineering meteorologist and assured me that Lyndhurst would be clear no sweat. Tim rang back and told me it wasn't that hot so don't sweat the air-cond. Linton rang me and encouraged me to go so what the heck - Lyndhurst was closer and we could get there in a day easy. So it was back on.
Wednesday Linton turns up at 5:15am on his red postie bike, I'm ready to go - so we take the car into Adelaide so that Linton can leave instructions to workmates which basically read "see you in 2 days". The night shift weather boys are full of encourgement - "better bring your own dub rub and a spade" - means there will be no toilets and "It'll will be bumper to bumper traffic". So we head off - leave Adelaide about 6.30 am. Getting to Lyndhurst is easy - just follow the road North until the bitumen turns to dirt and your there.
That's me (Peter Scott)
And Linton
Bumper to bumper traffic? - Er no.....
The thriving metropolis of Lyndhurst
6 hours non stop from Adelaide and your there.
That one pub on the right and servo on the left is everything.
Turn right into the main street - all these cars and the tent on the rigtht - just for us tourists.
Linton thought the Soarer a smooth and comfortable drive - the Active suspension on normal is very comfortable for long trips.
The mighty Strzelecki Track - not too many Soarers, let alone UZZ32's, have been for a blast down this track - A couple of miles down here to get to the four day eclipse dance festival on the right.
Wasn't that hard to get a campsite - just head off the road and find a piece of outback to yourself - we like the view from here so this is where we camped - well not camped so much as stumbled back in the dark fully beered up looking for somewhere to fall over. When I'm blasting on long trips out of town I fit the stone shield - unfortunately it has the genuine prettyboy Lexus "L" emobossed on the front - I hope no-one thought I was trying to make my Toyota Soarer look like a Lexus just to impress people!
Plenty of toilets on the left - semitrailer full of them - no need to bring your own dub rub! That little verandah on the right was just about the only shade in the whole place - so we sat there for 6 hours drinking Coopers and talking bullshit.
Steve on the left, Dan on the right saying "Let me finish my cheese n tomoto sandwich before you take that photo!" - sorry Dan! Both from UK
Shanani (film studies lecturer UK) and Ollie (book publisher UK) - very interesting people. Maybe I'll see them again at the Cairns eclipse
Waiting for the big post eclipse bbq
All the exciting types stayed for a week at the
dance festival - a bunch of tents in the middle of no where
I sort of made fun of the eclipse the whole way there, you know the usual "just shut your eyes for 30 seconds and save the trip blah blah blah" - but when it actually happens, and all those people around gasp, cheer and clap - and you see it for real - well, things change - it really is quite special. Now I understand why people chase the eclipse and travel to see them. I'm a convert now - see at the next one in Cairns in 8 or 9 years, if you see a beaten up old Soarer it might well just be me in my Active - I'm going!
Linton don't need no stinkin' tent - he just puts a swag on the ground. I fitted the stock wheels for this trip. The car was great as usual - no worries.
Local car wreckers - people searching for a good spot - everywhere was a good spot.
These aren't my photos but they are at Lyndhurst
Well this one isn't - it was taken at Woomera- this is what is looks like in real life - a very fine ring - quite breath taking.
http://astronomy.trilobytes.com.au/2002/eclipse.htm
http://astronomy.trilobytes.com.au/2002/future-eclipses.htm