A Road Less Travelled

Part 4

A miracle

How bad can that bit of water be, it is such a short stretch... even though I had stopped to think about it, I never got out of the car and checked this 'bit of water' for its depth – a bad mistake! I slowly drove on and was shocked when my car quickly sank way deeper into the murky water than I had anticipated. Next thing, I had water gushing in through the gearbox! Gripped by a sudden wave of terror I reacted wrong and slowed down even more, which stalled the engine while I was still in the middle of the causeway. In an instant I had gone from feeling blissfully excited about being on such an adventure, to being in the ice-cold grip of fear – this was by far the dumbest thing I ever did!
What if I am stuck here with a broken-down car, in the middle of water? What if it rains more...? I can't camp on the back of my car here. No one knows where I am, nor am I expected at a certain time by anyone – no one would come looking for me, not for a long time, that was for sure. With water still gushing in through the gearbox, my feet sitting in a growing puddle of muddy water and with (luckily) not the faintest idea about how engines work... I tried to start the car - but that didn't work. Try again. Jock... no jock...? Anyone with any car knowledge would not even have considered trying that. As I was later told by several mechanics; there was no way an engine can start up again, once water was sucked into it and stalled it... hence the 'lucky, I didn't know that'! I just kept trying and praying that I can drive out of this water and out of this dangerous situation. I tried a few times, since this car was very tricky to get going even at the best of times, and this was obviously not one of them. (I always used to joke that I never have to lock this car, because no one will be able to drive it away anyway...). It was a fickle car.

Then the unthinkable happened; another try, and this trusted faithful machine sputtered back into life! I just witnessed a miracle and didn't even know it!

I was overwhelmed with relieve and so much gratefulness - how blessed I was! I felt as if someone had been watching over me – thank you universe! Thank you guardian angel!

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thoughts; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder (G. K. Chesterton)

It was beautiful to drive again, hearing the deep steady hum of my car once more– we were off again, this great car and me - off towards the next thrill.

Still shaken from this terrifying situation, I soon faced a new dilemma. Only a few kilometers further down this road that was merely a small strip of bitumen in a vast see of water, I was forced to pull up again. The road disappeared under the glistening but still surface of water again and seemed to be taking a turn towards the right, where I could see it surface in the very far distance. It would have been about 400 meters away. I didn't want to take any chances this time... but staying here, caught in the middle of all this water? This wasn't a very good spot for camping either...
I decided to check out the water. Feeling well protected in my beloved steel-capped Dr. Martens, I waded the whole distance through the water and back, taking it very slow and not wanting to miss any possible hazards. But the road turned out to be intact and nowhere deeper than up to my ankles. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, I heavy-hearted decided that it was 'safer' to drive through the water than to stay here... I was very nervous when I started up the engine once more. How much more suspense and excitement can one person handle in a day? And it wasn't even lunchtime yet... After letting the engine thoroughly warm up, I headed into the water again. This time I kept a steady speed with my gaze fixated to where I could see the road again – I just have to make it to there and all will be well... I believe I was holding my breath the whole time!
But I made it through without any further dramas and a sigh of relieve. Now, I just wanted to make it to Camooweal and have a well-deserved rest. Camooweal is the first town across the border into Queensland and the next and only town on my trip since leaving this morning.
The drive went well, with only a few puddles here and there on parts of the road, and no other scary moments. Soon after being welcomed into the Sunshine State by a big billboard, I arrived in Camooweal ...or so I thought.

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