Report May 17
By David and Rick

The new team  – Rick and  David – A fresh challenge and great adventure…………
The two of us receive the key of the responsibility for the back up Landover.
Dirk and Trudy to assess the new Team………….We are just proud.

full team

In keeping with the established routine Dirk was in te proces of transfering our names onto the Landrover. However things didn’t quiet work out…..
Some of the letters would not stick ……… possibly the labels where too old.
We breathed on them to soften the adhesive…… to little effect. Out came the hairdryer….. to better effect…. but still some letters would not adhere.
So using the next team names we cut out the missing letters and put them in place individually. Voila!

team name

Finally on the way……..

on the road

What a pleasing coffee break!
An acquaintance of Dirk’s, Maurice and Rosa, whom he met at the Perth Veterans Car Club, had invited us to visit him on our way North.
He had the most extraordinary collection of more than 17 vintage cars and carriage’s. What a joy!

Maurice and Rosa place

Here Dirk and Trudy in one of their cars letting their imaginations wander.

Dirk and Trudy

Getting into the routines. One of the first things to do is seeing up the tent……. Not so quite as simple as you, nor we, might had thought.

first campsite

Needless to say, dinner is a most important daily routine. Trudy fulfils her part in the event beautifully.

first diner

Report 14 mei
By Dirk

After us departure in Brisbane on the 9th of April and driving 7500 kilometers/4600 miles we arrived in Perth.
We are warmly received at the Veteran Car Club in Perth.

warm welcome

The club asks if Dirk needs some parts for his T-Ford, because there is enough.

Model T stuff

In the afternoon we have the opportunity to see something of this big city.

skyline of Perth

Tomorrow we say goodbye to our team Sjaak and Coby and we pick up our new team Rick Nicolaas and David Bailie.
They travel with us the next weeks from Perth to Darwin.

Report May 8
By Trudy

We leave for Denmark and drive through green meadows and beautiful forests.
The Model T-Ford spins a bit and Dirk cleans the ignition. A man stops at our Ford and tells us that he has heard us on the radio this morning. He thought it was a nice report and now looked at the Model T-Ford.

ignition

After the cleaning and lubrication of the ignition the Model T-Ford snuggles further through this beautiful environment.

landscape

We go through a forest with large trees and also pastures with Dutch cows.

forest

cows

On the way Dirk calls Chris and speaks a place where he will wait for us.

phone call

We drive through a fairy tale forest with gigantic trees. Some trees are completely hollow from below and Trudy really wants to be in it. With the Model T-Ford this tree we can think of a fairy tale and tell our grandchildren later.

big tree

Chris and David receive us in a beautiful Jaguar and Trudy jumps in the Jaguar and David climbs into the Model T-Ford.

arrived

David and Dirk in the Model T

Report May 7
By Trudy

Good morning!!

goodmorning

What happiness, it’s nice weather, the wind is gone.

nice weather

During the coffee stop Dirk replaces the fuse of the head lights and lubricates the drive shaft. The land is covered with a layer of sand. If you see it from afar, it looks like a bulb field with a bit of imagination.

sandy

By email we know that Jim and Kaaren who we met in Tauranga in New Zealand are in Albany and they wait for us along the way and have invited us for lunch.

meeting Jim and Kaaren

friends

At the road-house we have an appointment with members of the Veteran Car Club or WA Albany. There is a road-train parked and with the Model T-Ford next to it is easy to see how big it is compared to our Model T-Ford.

road-train

arrived

There will be a reporter from the local newspaper and a reporter from the ABC (radio and television).

interview

The reporter takes us to a beautiful spot on the mountain and makes his recordings there.

ABC filmset

Meanwhile, the police have also arrived. They had seen us drive and found it very special what we do and approved the T-Ford.

police

Report May 6
By Trudy

We say goodbye and the Model T-Ford leaves his sleeping room.

depart

It rains a bit and it blows very hard. Fortunately, it stops raining, but the wind stays. We are looking for a sheltered place to drink coffee.

coffestop

There are gusts and when a truck comes by we get a blow. Dirk has fortunately strong arms, because he has to steer a lot. All I have to do is make sure I’m not out of the Model T-Ford. We can talk to each other but can not understand each other.

long way

The sand flies over the road like a sand storm.

sand storm

We don’t have to pay the fuel in Munginup. What a surprise!
The last 60 kilometers to Jerramungup we count, because the wind whistles over the bare grain plains and it is not a nice ride.
Sjaak and Coby rent a cabine at the campsite and we can place the reports on the website from the wind.

cabine

Report 3 to 5 May
By Trudy

From Norseman to Esperance is still 300 kilometers. We see beautiful trees but also burnt bush.

tree

burned bush

There are many salt lakes here. Many lakes are now dry plains.

saltlake

A nice sign longest the road seems special for us.

sign

We arrive in Esperance

Esperance

Where at the first roundabout we are welcomed by Merle and Norm Hanks.

arrived

They take us to their home where the Model T-Ford gets a nice place to sleep again. (We also)

welcome

There are also friends visiting. Dirk gets a special beer and we tell our stories.
In the evening we make music together.
The next afternoon there is a club meeting of the Veteran Car Club or WA Esperance Branch. Dirk has made the button on the Model T-Ford.

club button

The Model T-Ford is being watched with interest.

looking

We get a delicious dinner.

diner

And Dirk gives a presentation about the Model T World Tour.

presentation

We receive a donation from the club.

donation

The next day is a holiday. We go to Lucky Bay with the Chevrolet of Norm and Merle and the Model T-Ford.

on the road

We are lucky because we see ostriches.

wildlife 1

At the Lucky Bay we have 2 special meetings.
We met Louisa from the Netherlands

Louisa from Holland

And we met Jacky, whom we met in New Zealand.

Jacky

We have lunch together.

lunch

It is beautiful on the Lucky Bay and we also see kangaroos and small animals.

Lucky Bay 

wildlife 2

wildlife 3

Report April 29 until May 2
By Trudy

Today is the day we start the journey on the Nullarbor, 1181 kilometers long. At the campsite, Dirk checks the rear end oil first and sees that there is iron on the magnet. That is why the oil must first be removed so that he can check the rear end.

control rear end

After the check and with the new oil, we will travel again. We have heard many stories about the Nullarbor, it is 1181 km long and there are many road-trains.

road train

Nullarbor 1

There is even a courageous cyclist on this road.

Nullarbor 2

The landscape changes. First we see sheep and grains and then jungle and large plains.

landscape

The road is indeed long, I do not need to read a map.

straight road 2

Beware of crossing animals !!

sign

We leave the road and find a beautiful place to camp.

campsite 1

campsite 2

Coby takes care of the breakfast, Dirk takes care of the Model T-Ford. A stemp is crooked but if it is straight again we get in and leave again.

Coby’s kitchen

breakfast

We see pieces of the ocean and it is so beautiful.

ocean 1

LandRover

At Border-Village is the border of South Australia with Western Australia. Fruit, vegetables and meat can not cross the border. The custom officer want to take a picture of the Model T-Ford.
In the Road house the clocks shows the different times in Australia.

border

The whole road is to the west and at the end of the afternoon we have the sun low in our eyes.

going west

We camp in a beautiful spot again and the next day the road is very straight.

stright road 1

straight road 3

In the evening the full moon and the moon illuminate our camping spot.

full moon

In the morning the birds come to visit and we continue on the long Nullarbor.

visiters on the campsite

We saw a camel, but I could not take a picture of it. In the north of Australia we will see them more often, so I have another chance.

landscape

On the Nullarbor there are also several places where the Flying Doctors can land.

Flying Doctors

After four days we arrive in Norseman. It was a beautiful ride. We are back in the civilized world. That feels completely strange. It’s easy to go to a store where they sell everything, which we make a 3 star dinner at the campsite.

Norseman

Report 28 April
By Trudy

This morning nicely dry packed. The Model T-Ford is ready for the next three hundred kilometers.
The road to Ceduna is long, all the way across the A1. Easy, I do not need to read a map.

Highway 1

We are overtaken by a lot of big trucks with multiple trailers, the Road Trains.

Road Train

On the way the Model T-Ford is getting hot.

hot engine

But my feet are not getting so hot anymore now that the floor is extra isolated.
During a coffee break, Dirk sees that the dust seal of the left front wheel comes out, allowing the dust to enter the wheel bearing.

He puts the dust ring back in place.

dust seal

At the campsite in Ceduna Sjaak and Coby rent a cabin where Coby makes a delicious meal on a primitive stove.

nice diner

A wonderful end of this long driving day of 325 kilometers.

Report 27 april
By Sjaak en Trudy

From Gladstone to Kimba we drive through a sloping landscape.

mountains 1

mountains 2

In Welmington we stop at a toy museum.

Wilmington Mueseum

cars

We are going to Port Agusta for our phone and then the world is flat.
To come to Ceduna we can choose from 2 routes. We take the shortest.

Ceduna

The road is long but not bare. In the distance we see an A-Ford arriving.
Stop!!
We meet 2 men who makse the journey from East to West.

east to west

They also make this trip to raise money for a good cause. Information at www.East ToWest.com.au

meeting 1

They talk about their journey, show us the route and look to our route and are very impressed.

meeting 2

In Kimba we see a large image of Australia and take pictures of it.

Kimba 1

When we arrived at the campsite a man asked me: Why are you riding with an open door?
I told of the warmth of the Model T-Ford engine and a little later he gave me special insulation material that Dirk immediately put on.

warm feet

isolation

Report April 26
By Trudy

We stay one day at the campsite in Gladstone. It is flat here and a beautiful workplace.
Dirk has no day of rest, because he put 6 new tires on the Model T-Ford.

tires

Coby takes care of the laundry and Sjaak and Trudy make reports.

laundry

report