So what do you think develpoment means?!

Trip Start Sep 12, 2006
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Trip End Sep 11, 2007


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Saturday, December 9, 2006

We discussed our new plan with the girls to take the Burke Development Highway and after some slight persuasion they agreed that it would be a better route as there would be more to see. After a couple of hours we all stopped at a Roadhouse for something to drink. When the girls got back in their van it wouldn't start. None of us could believe what was happening... we were basically in the middle of nowhere and this was supposed to be a good van! We called the campervan company and were told that nobody would be able to rescue us until the next day unless we could make it to the next town somehow. Lynn spent the next 2 hours trying to sort this out for the girls over the phone as being English it was easier for her to explain what was wrong. After having no luck we decided to try and jump start the van which seemed to work, we were all very apprehensive about leaving the road house as we could get further in to the middle of nowhere and break down again...with no roadhouse to save us. We realised it was either give it a go, or sleep in our cars overnight in the heat... no thanks! So off we went and luckily we made it all the way to Normanton. Although we only just made it.... this road is called 'development highway' because it is exactly that... under development! 80% of the road is down to one lane and the Road trains don't stop for anyone. We lost count of the amount of times that we were literally run off the road!

When the girls gave the campervan company a call back to say we'd made it to the next town they told them they weren't even meant to be on that road in the first place as its 'dangerous'! This wasn't explained to them when they picked up the van and seen as it was the only one of two routes to get to Cairns you think they might have! After an hour or so of arguing with the van company we then discovered that it was actually written on the very back page in tiny writing... these people are never bloody wrong! After a very stressful day we all needed to calm down so that evening we went to the Purple pub for a drink and a much needed swim in the pool at the campsite although we spent most of the evening grovelling to the girls for making them go this way!

After all this their van then seemed to fix itself and started with no problems so we all decided the next morning we would leave and once they got to Cairns they would have it looked at where it would be free to repair.

Whoever told us to take the Burke Development Highway... joke! So far we are not impressed...
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