Friday 5th Sept
What a day today!  We have just arrived at Esperance  (6:30pm) after  leaving Dudinin at 8 this morning.  Driving all the time with just fuel stops that doubled as food stops, and 15min for lunch.  I’m re-naming this the Weight Loss crossing – there’s no time to eat!  The Bradfords were driving up one long hill after another  from the time we left Dudinin.  Today our speed was 1km a minute – slow going – second gear work over these long hills.
Each of the three Bradfords completed the 430km trip without any trouble at all. They used no oil, but each is returning a different  fuel consumption, varying from 25 to 36miles per gallon, with the red Bradford AND being the best. We have several theories for this, and we’ll keep you posted.
On the way over from Dudinin to Esperance, , we passed Lake Grace and Lake King which are semi-filled with water, after recent rains,  but no bird life.   The country is all lovely and green, with wheat, lupins and flowering canola (yellow).  At the top of the high rises, the Bradfords are going slow, and we have a vista that extends for several kilometers in every direction.  Just  magnificent.
At Lake King we almost had a disaster.  We pulled in for fuel, and as Ollie opened the driver’s door on WAIT, a caravan came through the drive and pulled the door completely open, with Ollie hanging onto it.  Ollie was OK, after much shouting at the driver to stop, but the door post was ripped from its mountings inside the cabin. We can get the door closed with some difficulty.  Repairs will be done tomorrow.
After the 430km, all the drivers are quite tired.  We have to really drive the Bradfords, and can’t relax at the steering wheel.  We also entered the realm of road trains today, which create turbulence as they pass, and this tosses the little Bradfords around a bit.
Tonight we are here at Ian and Billie Stewart’s home , and tomorrow will bring more adventures for WAIT, AND and SEE.
Susan and Bill