Monday 14 May 2007

Stuck in the middle with you


Some say the narrow, bumpy, impossibly steep, potholed, muddy coastal track from Cooktown to Cape Tribulation is the worst road in Australia ‑ but for some dumb reason we’re sure they don’t really mean it, and even though all the signs say a four-wheel drive is recommended we figure we’ll be fine because, you know, “recommended” isn’t exactly “mandatory”and the Ford Territory rental at least looks a 4WD.

If only the fellas from Hertz could have seen us five minutes before this picture was taken. Customers of the month we most certainly are not.

The 19th river crossing of the day was to prove our undoing. Mired in the rocks and mud - with the water starting to flow in through the right-hand-side doors and the girls looking ashen in the back seat (“Mom! Mom! Our teddies are getting wet!”) – it took me just a moment to size up the situation, whereupon I immediately realised that taking a fancy-shmancy 2WD rental car on this road was about as smart as driving 5000km from Ontario to Vancouver without a spare tire. Which would be something we might do. Err, did actually do, if truth be told.

The moral of this story, though, is that everyone needs a Doog. Mothers who throw their hands up in the air and start freaking out (that would be mothers like me) are most definitely a hindrance.

SuperDad managed to wade across the river, flagged down a 4WD guy, ran back to us with a sturdy rope, donned Molly’s mask and snorkel, dove under the car and attached it to something sturdy, and then came up for air to give the guy on the other side the thumbs-up.
Smug Spouse he may be at times, but where would I be without?

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