Ducted up…
As a bit of an introvert I usually prefer to be camped somewhere quiet on my own when I’m off on my adventures, especially since my excursions are a big part of my need to escape the city and have a break from people. I like to lose myself in finding interesting & abstract shapes and textures in the landscape with my little drone crew.
Over this last year I came to realise I had probably isolated myself a little too much so set myself a bit of a challenge to re-engage a little more.
Over a shared breakfast the next morning I was told about a place called Jokers Tunnel, just outside Yalgoo. Having decided the pickings where I was looking to fly were a little slimmer than I had hoped for and knowing I would soon be out of action for a couple of months at least, I changed my plans and headed back towards Paynes Find and a rather large lake near there, travelling along the road to Yalgoo.
The sun was shining, the sky was a brilliant blue and I was playing leap frog with the many road trains travelling that day. It was a gorgeous day to be on the road :)
I spent a couple of hours exploring along the backroads to Mt Magnet, climbing up around the reddish-pinky & orange hued granite rocks that make up that stunning landscape.
Realising time was really getting away from me I continued on my way, stopping only a couple more times to capture the picturesque-ness of the flooding along the roadside.
Slowing for roadworks I ducked suddenly as I reacted to a fast flying object hurtling towards me, somehow kicked up in front of a road train heading in the opposite direction.
Dammit!! As soon as I was able I pulled over to check out the splintering glass of my windscreen, bigger and messier than my usual stone chips. Having learned my lesson over my years with Jack I carry a fistful of those small clear glass stickers for those randomly kicked up stones. They seem to be particularly attracted to Jack’s windscreen.
Thank god for duct tape huh! Lots of a roll later, I had thoroughly secured the inside and outside of the damaged glass.
Checking the weather forecast I could see a bit of a storm was forecast to hit near where I was headed and so with a pretty broken windscreen I made the call to head back to Perth after all - only a short 5 hour drive.
I didn’t really want to chance sleeping up in the tent with me moving around, cooling night temperatures and a storm all putting my windscreen at more risk. At this stage I could easily see out it given the damage was to the far left of the glass.
With the wind picking up and hurling branches across the road in front of me, and the rain gods smashing rain down on across the land it was a ‘fun’ drive home down unfamiliar backroads right on dusk and into the night.
The duct tape held up brilliantly with not a single raindrop getting through.
I’ll add the Joker’s Tunnel to that long list of locations yet to visit or to get back to.
Another trip for another day.