Well, we made it to Keith… mostly

We made the climb out of the Adelaide Hills for the second time without issue and on to the Freeway heading south following the same route where the car last went into ‘Restricted Performance’ mode. Being somewhat lacking in confidence that the issue was finally resolved, a careful drive got us very close to the point where the car last failed. Something inside me was unsettled and, as it happened, with good cause. Just 2KM further on a passing Road Train ‘sucked’ the driver’s side extended wing mirror clean from the car sending it spinning across the road. There was no safe place to stop and we just had to continue.

Having previously had one of the caravan tunnel doors sucked clean off, the score now stands at: Road Trains 2 – Us 0.

Coonalpyn

We made it to Coonalpyn, home of the painted silo and stopped for a coffee and a bite to eat. Coonalpyn is also home to some impressive mosaics located between the silos and car park. Previously Coonalpyn had been the point we had to wait for the recovery truck to get us back to Adelaide but we were feeling a little more optimistic and our next stop was only 65KM away.

We set-off again through open countryside all a pale yellow from recently harvested crops. We were now in new territory once more and eager to see what else is out there as we continue our big adventure.

Keith – We made it!

It was just a relatively short drive from the Adelaide Hills but we had made it, mostly without issue. It was good to get off the highway and away from the northbound trucks.

The Keith Caravan Park is a lovely spot, close to the shops, plenty of drive-through sites and well maintained and we no longer felt threatened by the huge gum trees that were reaching over us at Belair and the greater potential for fire. It’s good to be immersed within a National Park but with the priority on protection of the trees and wildlife you feel public safety is secondary. You only need to see the number of trees with dead limbs ready to fall in a stiff wind to feel more than a little concerned walking near them. Even while we were at the caravan site we twice heard the creaking and thud as a large branch fell earthward. You certainly need to pick you car parking spot with some thought of what hangs above.

Time for a Coffee!!

We can confirm the Henry & Rose Cafe at Keith is just as good as we had been advised by fellow travellers. They bake great cakes and brew a very good coffee too. An adjoining shop sells a wide range of decorative crafts and clothes with a French Country feel. It’s clearly popular with the locals and comes with our recommendation. If you’re heading along the highway, pull-over at Keith and take a break at the cafe.

Confidence levels in the car may be returning but we have much more driving to do yet and more challenging too as we head further south and then over the border into Victoria – our sixth Australian state on our Big Lap.

Today we’re taking the car and caravan on the road to see if the replacement turbo shut-off valve has resolved the issue with the engine going into ‘Restricted Performance’ mode.

Taking to the Hills

Our campsite at Belair National Park in the Adelaide Hills is, not surprisingly, surrounded by some considerable climbs on narrow, twisting roads. Just the sort of thing we need to put some load on the engine and then onto the freeway to accelerate from low revs. It appears the acceleration is key to triggering the fault and occurs at the point the second turbocharger kicks-in, or is supposed to, to provide more ‘oomph’. So, time to hit the road.

The climb out of Belair is quite daunting with a very steep drop into the valley on the left, overhanging trees and drivers in the opposite direction who seem completely incapable of staying on their side of the solid, double white centre line around even the most gradual bend. With such a steep climb, though, it’s good to see that a number of slow vehicle pull-overs have been provided to ease the frustration of following vehicles – something we readily made use of.

On to the Freeway

Reaching the top of the climb and all good so far, now for the freeway, which is a mix of long descents and equally long climbs. The car had no problem keeping speed and seemed to pull better uphill than it had previously even happy under fairly high revs. I tried dropping the speed and then accelerating to force a change of gear and kick the second turbo into action and all behaved as it should. Promising.

Returning back to our base we were pleased the issue hadn’t reappeared but the real test will be when we get back on the road tomorrow and head south to continue on with our trip. It was a long time before failures last time so, as the saying goes, time will tell.

Next stop Keith

Tomorrow, hopefully, we’ll be passing through the location where the car faulted with a brief stop for coffee at the Silo Cafe in Coonalpyn and on to our next overnight at Keith where we have been advised of a great cafe called the Henry and Rose. And our next destination – the town of Naracoorte to visit the World Heritage Listed limestone caves.

Many Thanks

We’re very grateful for all the time and effort of Land Rover Australia, JLR Customer Relationship Centre and especially Solitaire Land Rover’s Service Manager and his team in Adelaide for going over and above in getting us back on the road. Thank you!

After having extended our stay in Adelaide for another two weeks while waiting delivery of a replacement car, kindly being supplied by Land Rover Australia, we just received totally unexpected news. Out of the blue, a call from Land Rover in Adelaide informed us that a set of replacement parts had just arrived for our car – as much a surprise to the Land Rover dealership as it was to us. We could soon be on our way again!

All fixed?

The faulty turbo shut-off valve has been replaced and the car road tested but for a real world test we need to take the caravan back on the road again to try and simulate the conditions that previously left us in ‘Performance Restricted’ mode.

So, time to hit the road…

Our time in Adelaide should have come to an end by now. We should have been exploring the south coast of South Australia but circumstances have changed over which we have little control.

Emergency Unit

Catherine ended up being taken to the Emergency Unit at Flinders Medical Centre by ambulance with anaphylaxis following a serious allergic reaction to some unknown source and then a second visit when the symptoms returned. Hopefully blood and allergy tests will be able to identify the trigger. In the meantime she has to keep an EpiPen with her at all times. And then it was my turn with my back going into spasm leaving me in severe pain for at least the next week.

Out of stock

And then there’s our troublesome car and the main reason we’re temporarily stranded in Adelaide. Our MY19 Land Rover Discovery 5, billed as the most capable 4WD drive car ever, though reliability, in our case at least, is not among its best credentials. Having had the transmission cooling system replaced when just a couple of weeks old, a failed turbo cut-off valve on the very first day of our trip around Australia, plastic wheel arch trim falling off and now we have another failed turbo cut-off valve. But this time it’s the end of perhaps the first Disco 5 attempt of the Big Lap of the country in one go.

We’ve been advised there isn’t a single replacement cut-off valve and its associated parts available anywhere in the world and one would have to be sourced from the production line, which, if possible, could take weeks to make it over to Australia. So it looks like our just 1-year old car will be returning to Sydney on the back of a tow truck… again.

We have no intention of giving up on our trip after 9-months on the road. Land Rover are trying to supply us with a suitably equipped replacement vehicle being shipped half way across the country so we can continue our trip, and in the process prove to all those naysayers with Toyota Land Cruisers that a Land Rover really can make it around Australia. As they say, time will tell.

Bush Fires

And finally, the devastating bush fires, although changing our travel plans considerably, have made us even more determined to complete our trip through the remainder of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. More than at any recent time the people and towns affected by the fires need support and one way, personally, we can help is to visit and spend locally; buying from the small shops, cafes, restaurants and markets along the way.

All the funds being raised via charities and online donations will help to rebuild what has been lost but visiting the affected communities that rely on tourism and passing trade is equally important.

Again, our heartfelt thanks go to all those brave people in the RFS and CFS who are repeatedly putting their lives in danger to protect us and people’s property.