The Blue Mountains

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Meet Shocker. Shocker is a 1995 Mistubishi Verada. I know, before buying it, I’d never heard of anything like it myself. We named Shocker after the grand champion race horse that won this year’s Melbourne Cup on exactly the same day that we bought her. We thought it would bring us luck. For us, Shocker is many things; a means of transportation to get us to all the most amazing sights that Australia can offer (which are plentiful, but far between), a house in which we sleep whenever we can’t find a decent camping site and a place in which to store all our belongings when we go hiking or go out to a park to have a picnic. But most of all, shocker is a huge pile of trouble. On the very second day we’ve had her, we already received an 84$ parking ticket. About four days later, it started emitting slight, but still noticeable blue smoke, a sure sign that the engine is starting to burn oil and would slowly but surely degrade to a point where it would need replacing. Jolly good fun… So we are faced with a couple of options:

1-Mechanics have suggested we put in a “NO SMOKE” additive, a honey like substance that masks the problem and sell it to somebody else. Needless to say, I fear the karmic resonance of such an action.

2-Have the engine replaced with another one; a costly expanse but a really common thing that is done in these parts, where cars are kept well into their 300,000kms because of the total lack of rust. I could then drive it for a year and sell the car just before leaving at minimal loss. Good thing we got the car really cheap in the first place…

But don’t be alarmed; things are not all rusty nails and poisonous bite out here down under. By making sure that oil levels are always toped up, we’ve managed to come and see some of the most stunning mountains and canyons that I have witnessed as of yet. We’ve hiked more than we’ve ever done before and we had the chance to go to places “regular” tourists will never see. Why, just a few minutes ago, I almost stepped on a snake! Exciting! As I write this, we’re sitting in this desert-like little cove overlooking a 900m drop into a bird filled jungle. Rainbow colored parrots and scurrying lizards are common every day encounters around these parts. The sights and sounds are spectacular and I’m not going to let a little limping horse ruin all the fun we’re having.




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