Back into the subject of our Wilderness Adventures (with no house and no amenities) in the Top End of Australia – Just getting onto the 250 acre block was proved interesting – the flat bit was too muddy and the steep bit was too steep, and it didn’t help that there was no driveway or any access tracks at all.
Greg had decided that we needed a backhoe. He thought it would be really useful. Personally, I thought it would be a waste of money and basically a toy he would play with, but he was right and I was wrong. The backhoe turned out to be the most important piece of equipment we could get. We used it for everything, lifting and carrying, digging holes (which saved me a heap of time in bodily waste disposal). It proved its worth on our very first morning, towing the caravan up the steep embankment that would become our driveway.
The backhoe was delivered to our wilderness block. It arrived on the back of a truck, which tilted down to allow the large vehicle off, then the guy and the truck left. It never occurred to us to ask for any instruction. Greg had a truck license and I had a semi-trailer (articulated heavy vehicle) license, and we both rode motorbikes. On the flimsy assumption that we “knew vehicles” we thought we had it figured.
On close inspection, we realized that it wasn’t as clear cut as we had supposed it would be. Never mind all the levers, even the pedal was weird – a three-pronged contraption that we’d never seen before.
There it sat on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, a beautiful backhoe, and neither of us knew how to drive it.
Bloodstone Sci Fi 
This has to be one of my favorite posts. The Backhoe is one of my favorite toys and love that have this great toy with not a clue how to operate it…yet. 🙂
It’s a marvellous machine! So I can understand your love for it. This post will be followed up with further backhoe adventures – I’m beginning to think I should write a book about my life in the Top End, backhoe, snakes, fires, shooters and all. 😀
You have a unique life… not to mention funny. Don’t dismiss the idea. 😀
Thank you. 🙂 I’m keeping all my notes and the snippets I write here. I think it could shape into something. After the sci-fi series, of course. I think you could write several books about cats! 😀
Working on it, but they keep using my “notes tray” as a litter box! 😉
LOL. Maybe they’re telling you what they think of it so far. Everyone’s a critic! 😀
Especially Bean!
The trick is to use flattery. MUCH MUCH flattery. Felines are sensitive to such things. Bean looks like a wise cat, to me, and I know that Dust Bunny keeps a diary, so you’re already on your way to Fame and Fortune. 🙂