- 3 months ago
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00:00This time on Outback Truckers.
00:06All the belt is jammed up inside the brake drum.
00:09Yeah, they're almost done.
00:10But I hate to be in a hurry.
00:14Car coming through.
00:15He's not stopping.
00:16Watch out there, go.
00:20You're a f***ing idiot!
00:23The big bulldust holes, because I'm top heavy,
00:25if I gauge the edge, this goes in.
00:30No, no, no, no.
00:33I hate my trailers rocking and bouncing.
00:38Here we are, back on the Duncan Road, I know well.
00:41Cross our fingers that it's not going to rain.
00:44Oh, my God, there's raindrops on my window.
00:48I'm trying to beat that rain,
00:49but the lightning keeps starting fires in front of me.
00:52It's just not good.
01:00Oh, go forward, yeah, go forward a little more.
01:04Go hard, left hand down.
01:06Straight up it.
01:08We're going to take this house up to Mackay.
01:11We're carrying two pieces of house up there in the convoy,
01:14and it was just cut in half because it was too big.
01:17House hauler Jack McRae has a monster mission ahead of him.
01:21This shift is a little bit different,
01:23because we're running two nights in a row.
01:25They won't let us travel the whole way in one hit.
01:28Running straight up the highway.
01:30Use the bypass at Gympie now, because it's open,
01:32so it'll be good to run up there for the first time.
01:35From Nuremberg, Jack will lead a two-truck convoy north,
01:40past Gympie, on its recently completed bypass,
01:44before stopping to rest at Marmor.
01:47They will then continue to their destination at Mackay
01:50using the notorious Bruce Highway.
01:53As soon as you're north of Gympie,
01:55the Bruce turns to single lanes,
01:56and it's got a real bad rep for truck crashes.
02:00We'll back it in there, line them both up here.
02:02I run the boys here,
02:03so we've got a couple of crews running.
02:06We've got a bit of pressure with the name.
02:08Everyone knows us now.
02:10As the team leader,
02:12Jack carries the weight of responsibility,
02:15representing the company and supervising the staff.
02:18Jack's my manager.
02:19He's my boss.
02:21Jack's pretty challenging sometimes,
02:23but he's very smart and very knowledgeable with his job.
02:27Rookie driver Andrew Tattnell is in just his second year
02:31at Mackay & Sons.
02:33Andrew's been going all right lately,
02:34so it'll be a big one for him.
02:36This one's probably the first ever since he's ever been for load.
02:40We don't often do two-nighters.
02:43I've only done a couple the whole time I've been here,
02:44so we'll just see how he goes.
02:48Tie the rest of it down to a bit more bracing,
02:50throw a tarp over it with some lights and signs,
02:52and then that's pretty much it for it.
03:01I just went around, checked all the tyres,
03:02made sure everything's all strapped down, tied down,
03:05so the house doesn't fall off that trailer,
03:06so we can get it from point A to point B safely.
03:09And, yeah, we're ready to go.
03:11Can you just watch my back corner, Andrew?
03:15Yeah, you're up.
03:17We have to drive at night just for traffic.
03:19We have to be off the road by 6am for our permits.
03:22We've got two police into one pilot out front,
03:24just because we're going to have oncoming trucks and cars.
03:27Coming up now, Oz.
03:28Yeah, you're good, mate.
03:29I hope I can get Steve down here to block it down to the lights, please.
03:32Our lead pilot was out front.
03:33We use him a lot,
03:34so it's always nice to have someone you can trust.
03:38I spot it, I stop it, if I can.
03:39Narrow bridges, broken down vehicles,
03:42kangaroos, cows.
03:44Pull off the road.
03:45We've got a nine-metre house coming at you, mate.
03:46Just over there, please.
03:59So you're going to the wrong side now.
04:02Oh, yeah.
04:06Coming out of here,
04:07you always go to the wrong side,
04:08just into this intersection.
04:10There's a couple of big signs on the other side.
04:15So the last one, two of you?
04:17Yeah, mate, just the two of us.
04:18Thanks for that.
04:19That's right, that's right.
04:21Maybe you've got those steels underneath too, Andrew.
04:24Yeah, yeah.
04:27I started driving trucks when I was 19.
04:32My dad's got a contracting company, so I started with him.
04:37When I first started driving, we were driving the old 18 speeds.
04:41And then, yeah, we eventually swapped everything out to these autos, which is great.
04:47Mackay and Sons use Mack Superliners with specially tuned motors running 730 horsepower,
04:54paired with specialist lift trailers.
04:57This trailer we've got now is one of our new ones, so it's got a lot of readouts.
05:01So I can tell how high I am, what angles the wheels are at.
05:05The chains are on the fly as I drive, so I don't have to be checking or asking a pilot any information.
05:10Costing an eye-watering $1.2 million, Jack's computerised trailer is one of the company's largest investments.
05:20They're pretty expensive, but you definitely need to make sure you've got the work coming in.
05:25The Gympie bypass, which has been being built for the last five years or whatever, is open now,
05:37and so it'll be nice to see how much time it saves us.
05:40Yeah, traffic's dry. You might have to move that arrow if you could.
05:44We've just got a little bit of road work.
05:46We've gave them plenty of warning, so they should be pretty good, hopefully.
05:50Now we'll just wait here a minute, they're going to lead us through.
05:59We can lift it over these walls, aren't they, mate?
06:01Yeah, it's just a fresh mat, that's the problem.
06:03He'll try, if he keeps us to the right, he should be able to miss that mat, wouldn't he?
06:08It's all fresh, the whole lot.
06:09Oh, the whole lot's fresh?
06:10Yeah, yeah.
06:13Bloody hell.
06:14Yeah, Jack, it's all new asphalt, the whole lot's soft.
06:22Oh, shit.
06:23Refer all our escorts and the police.
06:25All time delays cost us money.
06:27This is what kills us.
06:29We run out of time without permits.
06:31This bypass is supposed to save us time, but...
06:34Man, road's close.
06:37Oh, down we go.
06:38It's pretty easy to get sick of greasing, but it's a bad move if you don't force yourself
06:54to keep doing it.
06:56Because of this hold-up with the crane, I'm losing today the people that I'm contracted
07:07to next week.
07:09I have to be on time for them, and if I'm not, I then have to hire someone to step in
07:16and take my place, and then it starts to cost me money.
07:21Legendary Aussie trucker Steve Graham has come to an expensive standstill in the isolated
07:28tropical far north of Western Australia.
07:31This job is part of a serious set-up to keep some communities going through the wet season.
07:38What it is is an oversized fuel tank that's going into a little community called Ringers
07:42Soak out the back of Halls Creek.
07:44Steve is working as part of a team, using an 80-ton crane to install three fuel tanks
07:51in three tiny communities.
07:53But there's been a frustrating delay.
07:56The crane's hydraulic tank has got a split in it.
07:59They're going to race it into Halls Creek, get it welded and go back.
08:05Steve has already travelled over 2,700 kilometres from Perth to the Tanami Track turn-off.
08:13His tank needs to be delivered to Ringers Soak on the Duncan Road.
08:18But he can't unload until the crane is repaired.
08:22So that will have me sitting here for a couple of days.
08:28Everything's got to be lubricated.
08:30If you don't grease it, it's metal on metal, and it'll tear itself to pieces pretty quick.
08:35That's how a 30-year-old truck stays on the road and keeps doing its job properly.
08:40This engine cost me $64,000 and then I spent another $110,000 on the installation and new wiring,
08:52new filters, you know, so much.
08:55After stumping up more than $150,000 of his hard-earned cash on upgrading his ageing Kenworth,
09:03Steve can't afford downtime.
09:06A lot of it's about money.
09:08Calling subcontractors and friends and making new plans to cover the jobs that I can't do
09:13because I'm sitting here waiting.
09:15This tank's got to get there and set these people up for a wet season.
09:21Once the wet comes in properly, they're isolated.
09:24The last 15 minutes it's cooled right down, it's dropped 10 degrees.
09:28That means there's rain around, and lots of it.
09:31You get thunderstorms somewhere on that Duncan Road, the rivers are up, the black soil's gone to a quagmire.
09:37They've got long-lasting, bitter memories of black soil.
09:43That pin got bent and the chain was gouged into that pin.
09:48It'll be 13 years ago.
09:50On a mission to get into Columbaroo in the far north,
09:55Steve got stuck fast in the infamous sodded black soil.
10:00I had two graders and a front-end loader on them trying to pull me through.
10:05And guess what I'm looking at out there?
10:07Rain in the sky and black soil.
10:09You wonder some days I don't sleep at night.
10:24Her name is Vivian.
10:26She's a 2019 model C589 Kenworth.
10:33She's 140-ton rated.
10:35Triple road train, Outback spec.
10:38She's at home, which is on the dirt.
10:40In one of the dustiest, muddiest and most remote locations on earth,
10:46Outback trucker Hippo insists on a clean machine.
10:51Other drivers probably think I'm a bit insane.
10:55It's been known to get somewhere at 2 o'clock in the morning.
10:59It's raining.
11:00You know what?
11:01Truck's dirty.
11:02I'm going to wash my truck.
11:03I know within 15 minutes it'll be dirty again.
11:05But as long as I'm clean when I leave, I'm happy.
11:10Hippo's preparing for another extreme trucking mission.
11:14But this trip is special.
11:16I think that time of my life has come where it's time to hang up the boots
11:21and just take a step back.
11:23After 30 years of long distance driving, seven days a week.
11:29This is my last run.
11:31I'll miss a truck.
11:32I'll miss a job.
11:33Yeah, a bit emotional.
11:34A bit exciting.
11:35So I'm looking forward to this one.
11:38We've got two fully loaded flat tops.
11:49Four trailers in total here.
11:51One's stacked up.
11:52A lot of equipment to keep an eye on and make sure the chains stay tight.
11:57I always run my tyres according to obviously what I've got on.
12:02I've got a bit higher load.
12:03So just for a bit of stability, I'll pump up to 70.
12:07Anyone can come and stop on that road.
12:10The central Arnhem road.
12:12It should be called a goat track.
12:15700 k's of that is dirt.
12:17So it's pretty extreme.
12:19Starting in Nullanboy in Australia's far north,
12:23Hibbo is in a race against time to complete the brutal 728 kilometre journey to Catherine
12:31before the oncoming tropical wet season devastates the dirt roads,
12:36stopping truck access for months.
12:39This is the build-up near the wet season.
12:41Out here, storms will build up really quick.
12:44As soon as the wet season hits, that's it.
12:53You've always got to watch the road here.
12:59It's just constant challenges.
13:01To start with, we've got 700 k's of dirt.
13:04It is very isolated.
13:06You break down, you're on your own.
13:08At the moment, I'm just in first gear.
13:32I just get across these damn corrugations.
13:36A freight can move chain brake or, you know, strap brakes.
13:42I hate my trailers rockin' and bouncing.
13:46It's just insane how bad it is at the moment.
13:51With a high load, you can flip the trailer quite easily.
14:03Yeah, road's closed, so we've just got to whack.
14:05It is very frustrating.
14:07They're doing Tarsier work, so...
14:09They've got shit everywhere.
14:11They reckon half an hour.
14:13If it's half an hour, it's all up to them up there.
14:16It'll be 40 minutes, 50, who knows.
14:20It costs money and time.
14:22It's just unneeded.
14:24On a strict night-time driving schedule
14:27with their seven-metre-wide mega loads,
14:30Jack and Andrew are staring down the barrel of an expensive delay.
14:34We have to be off the road by 6am for our permits.
14:38We saved a shitload of time missing Gympie,
14:40and now we're just losing it all.
14:42Yeah, that's a point.
14:43You're clear to go, mate.
14:45Copy.
14:46OK.
14:47Sweet.
14:48Oh shit.
14:49I just bend that nerve a little bit,
14:50but there's enough road workers here,
14:51they can sort it out themselves.
14:52We're set to be Marmor before 6 o'clock.
14:55The convoy now has less than five hours and halfway
15:22The convoy now has less than five hours
15:25to make the remaining 424 kilometres
15:28to their scheduled rest stop at Marmore.
15:31Now we're back into the single lanes now.
15:33We're through the bypass.
15:35We're going to have oncoming trucks and cars now.
15:38Single lane road, we're taking up both lanes.
15:40If you don't give us any room, it can get pretty dangerous.
15:44Hopefully, no-one's asleep.
15:49Got a big one coming at you, Jack.
15:52This guy's in the guardrails.
15:55He's in a bit of a shit spot.
15:58I just lift up a little bit higher,
16:00and then I'll be able to go over it.
16:13Thanks, man.
16:14So really, I want to tell him he's a wanker
16:16for parking in a guardrail,
16:18but it's not worth the drama.
16:22Yeah, Jack, first bridge, jump in.
16:29These bridges are a bit shit.
16:31Just got to make sure you don't put the corner of your house on them
16:33as you go through.
16:34Andrew's pretty fresh on the shifting,
16:52so this will be a bit of a test for him, this one.
16:55Keep going, Andrew, I've got a lot of trouble.
17:02How'd it meet into those hills there?
17:07Half the spot.
17:10And good on the second bridge.
17:12It's only 10 to 2, so we're still pretty good.
17:27So, but any of the drama should be a mile more before 6 o'clock.
17:33Andy, you've got a car.
17:35I think we've got a parking bay.
17:38I think this is where I am, Dan.
17:43Good on, mate.
17:44I'll go.
17:48For sake.
17:50All the belt is all jammed up inside the brake drum.
17:54We've run out of time.
17:56Five-hour permit.
17:57And now we're supposed to be on the road now.
17:58It's not good.
17:59Just watch your eyes, man.
18:11Last night, there was lots of lightning around.
18:13There's obviously bushfires been started.
18:15There's a lot of smoke in the air this morning,
18:17but then there's build-up clouds.
18:19Forecast for the day is the worst for the week.
18:21Already delayed for two days on the edge of the Tanamai Desert,
18:27Steve is anxiously waiting for any news about the crane needed to finish the job.
18:33This is him.
18:36All right.
18:37Right, mate, no worries.
18:38Well, look, I might just wait here at the Lambert camp for you then.
18:42Well, that's really good news.
18:43The boys got out to Billaluna yesterday afternoon with the welder and the oil and stuff
18:47and started the repairs.
18:50They got the crane fixed last night and they left early this morning.
18:57I reckon we're going to get unloaded today.
19:02It's now a race against the oncoming monsoonal weather
19:05to get in and out of the infamous Duncan Road before the storm's come.
19:11Jeez, I just hope they haven't had any rain out there.
19:13Those big wheels will tear at the fucking pieces.
19:17Righto, it looks like we're ready to go.
19:18We best get moving.
19:23We're hitting the road.
19:25The rain last night seems to be coming from over in the direction that we've got to go to.
19:29I certainly don't want rain on that road because it's terrible anyway.
19:33Everyone wants to just get out to ringers,
19:36get this tech off and get going.
19:41We're just about to go on the dirt now.
19:52Here we are back on the Duncan Road.
19:54I know well of olden times, rough as guts.
19:57And I can see all this country's been burnt out.
20:03So we've got plenty of dust and smoke.
20:06But I'd rather have dust and smoke to deal with
20:08than a big thunderstorm pouring rain down on all this.
20:14By Jesus, the river's already flowing.
20:18And it's up a little bit,
20:20which means there's definitely been rain out here.
20:29This is like black soil through here.
20:32It's clay.
20:33This can be very, very slimy.
20:36If I get bogged after a day,
20:38ends up costing that much money,
20:40using other people to do the jobs that you've booked,
20:43that it would just cross our fingers
20:46that it's not going to rain.
20:47That's all I can do.
20:50Oh, my God.
20:51There's raindrops on the window.
20:56Oh, and it's slippery.
20:58At around 40 tonnes,
21:01black soil will beat me.
21:02These damn corrugations,
21:11the freight can move.
21:12Chain brake or, you know, strap brakes.
21:16This is where I'll go and do my first checks.
21:20If anything's going to come a little bit loose,
21:23it's in these corrugations.
21:26Now, unfortunately,
21:27when you've got loads like this up top,
21:29you've just got to get up here and check it.
21:30We don't carry ladders out here this high.
21:38It's all pretty good.
21:45Hibbo is fighting his way
21:47down the rutted, cut-up Central Arnhem Highway,
21:51desperate to get his load out
21:52before monsoonal storms hit.
21:55It's a challenge he's taken on
21:56hundreds of times over the last two years.
22:00This is probably the most special run of all
22:02because it will be my last run.
22:06I'll definitely miss it.
22:09The part where I don't enjoy much
22:11is there's no phone service.
22:12Like, if my daughters want to get in contact with me,
22:15that's the thing, like,
22:17they can't.
22:17I've got twin daughters.
22:21They're 26.
22:22I didn't see those girls grow up, unfortunately.
22:25I didn't see them, obviously, when I went home.
22:28For, like, 24 hours, if that, sometimes.
22:31Very proud of the girls, but
22:33probably never get back what I've missed out on,
22:35but, you know,
22:36at least I can get that with my grandson now.
22:38I've only seen him once,
22:41and he'll be one year old next month,
22:43so I want to actually be back home
22:46for his first birthday.
22:47Here on the central Arnhem Road,
22:56this is the only jump-up.
22:58Even though it's bitumen,
23:00I'll be foot flat to the floor
23:02using every bit of torque that I've got.
23:05Some sections of the road
23:06have such steep inclines,
23:08known as jump-ups,
23:10they've been bitumenised.
23:11But with a rig 53.5 metres long
23:15and weighing nearly 100 tonnes,
23:18Hippo needs every ounce of his skill to get over.
23:22Got three loaded trailers on.
23:24Just something so small
23:26can bring you unstuck so quick.
23:33You only get one shot of,
23:35and if you just miss one gear change,
23:39you're pretty much screwed.
23:40It'll bring you to a complete stop.
23:43If your brakes aren't working,
23:44you'll just start rolling back.
23:50It scares the shit out of me.
23:53It's very, very steep.
24:07We're up.
24:08There's a massive sense of, um,
24:15just relief, excitement.
24:17You know, you've conquered it again.
24:20Vivi, always give her a pat.
24:22You know, well done, girl.
24:23She's done a good job again.
24:25I've never failed yet,
24:26so I must be doing something right out here.
24:29No, no, no, no, no.
24:35My number one hate on this road,
24:39rock.
24:4010km's, nothing but rock.
24:47You've got a big boulder rock
24:49sticking out of the, um, surface
24:51up to that high.
24:53So that's where, um,
24:54we run into trouble
24:54because the rock's damaged tyres
24:57like ripped the sidewalls.
24:58Brutal, absolutely brutal.
25:09Can't get the hub off.
25:17All the wire from the tyres
25:18has caught itself up inside the drum.
25:20They haven't heard anything, so...
25:25They should have been done ages ago.
25:29Time is ticking away for Jack and Andrew.
25:32If they don't reach their first stop
25:34by a mandatory dawn deadline,
25:37they'll fall behind schedule,
25:39biting into the company's costs
25:41and reputation.
25:42Yeah, they're almost done.
25:47I'll find out for you.
25:48But they'd be in a hurry.
25:51An hour is a long time
25:53to be sitting there not moving.
25:55We've got pilots,
25:56all the police,
25:57everyone per hour,
25:59so they're not cheap.
26:03What are you doing still?
26:04It's bone two tyres,
26:06but it's all the belt
26:07and shit's all jammed up
26:08inside the brake drum.
26:09How much is still in there?
26:10Is it going to light on fire?
26:15If I lift it off the ground,
26:16it won't.
26:19Rear?
26:20Okay, watch it.
26:21Lock it up.
26:22Just lock it up.
26:27Yeah, we can keep going.
26:28We'll just lift it up for the night.
26:30Watch the trailer.
26:30It'll be a bit bouncy,
26:31but you just have to watch our trailer, man.
26:33Like, really, watch it.
26:35It'll be bouncy as...
26:36Is there anything coming off?
26:38Nothing coming, mate.
26:40Just keep an eye on that left wheel,
26:50make sure it doesn't start smoking.
26:56Two hours to go,
26:57so we're not going to be there
26:58until after seven.
27:00These cops are very good.
27:03There's conditions on the permit,
27:04but they are looking like
27:06they're going to be okay.
27:07We're here.
27:20It's time to have a rest, mate.
27:22Go get fuel and have a nap,
27:24don't eat,
27:25and then back here at 9.30.
27:26On night two,
27:34I'm hoping tonight's going to be a good little run.
27:36Not like last night.
27:37Last night was a headache,
27:39and there was a lot of dramas.
27:40We've got about four hours to go.
27:52It's going to be a slow start
27:54coming here through Rocky.
27:56Yeah, coming into Rocky now.
27:58Traffic lights and shit.
28:00Do I need the wrong side?
28:01I should be right, was it?
28:01You're going to jump the gutter,
28:04or are you going to...
28:05Yeah, I'll jump the curb.
28:09If you want to just hold that truck for me.
28:13Copy.
28:14Hi, mate.
28:15See, mate.
28:16Gotcha.
28:17Can you just stay there, please,
28:18if you don't mind?
28:19No worries at all.
28:22It's quite a steep little curb,
28:24isn't it?
28:26We've just been in correct side
28:28and out wrong.
28:29Traffic lights.
28:30It's still got tighter.
28:5140 minutes away now.
28:54We're about to come into the single lanes.
28:58From here till we turn off the highway,
29:00yeah, a lot of traffic.
29:01We've got two police
29:02and the one pilot out front.
29:04Two lanes at nine metres.
29:06Car coming through.
29:08He's not stopping.
29:11Oh, shit.
29:13Car didn't stop.
29:15Watch out there, car.
29:16You're a fucking idiot.
29:30Oh, my God.
29:36There's raindrops on my window.
29:39Oh, and it's slippery.
29:41Already behind schedule on their mission
29:45to install a vital fuel tank,
29:47rain is threatening to stop Steve
29:50and the massive 80-ton crane
29:52he needs to unload in their tracks.
29:55We just don't want to get bogged.
29:58The last thing I want to do
29:59is come over a rise
30:00and see that big machine
30:02stopped in the middle of the road.
30:05That would completely destroy my day.
30:12Those clouds seem to have moved away a bit,
30:14thank goodness.
30:15They're little showers.
30:17You go through it
30:18and now we're back on the dry again,
30:20which is good.
30:24Oh, shit.
30:25There's cattle coming in towards me.
30:27We don't want to hit these bastards.
30:34Weeners, they'll be as dumb as shit.
30:36Don't run in front of me.
30:39See what I mean?
30:40It's dumb as shit.
30:44They get excited.
30:46Don't want to be dealing
30:47with bloody half-dead cows
30:49and I don't want to damage my truck.
30:52We didn't hit them, that's good.
30:57We should be getting up towards
30:59the ring of soaked turn-off shortly.
31:02I get a really good sense
31:05of job satisfaction
31:06out of getting these tanks in
31:08and on the ground before the wet.
31:11Makes a lot of other people's lives
31:12a lot more comfortable
31:14and smoother during the wet season.
31:22Well, here we are.
31:24I've made it
31:25and that's a relief.
31:27Fingers crossed,
31:28I can get a smooth unload now.
31:31That means I can get out,
31:33get past this rain
31:34before it sets in properly
31:35and get back on the bitumen.
31:39There's the community over there.
31:41Hello, kids.
31:46It looks like
31:47the local school population
31:48was out to welcome
31:49their new fuel tank in.
31:51Thank you for a lovely, lovely welcome.
32:00During wet season,
32:01it's very hard
32:03because we get blocked off
32:04for about three to four months.
32:07Now we've got a big tank
32:09that would provide
32:11the whole community
32:12with enough fuel
32:13to power up each house
32:15and the store,
32:16the clinic,
32:17the schools.
32:18I'm pleased to see that
32:19off my truck.
32:21Without power,
32:22it would be very hard
32:23for the people out here.
32:25I'll move forward
32:26out of the way,
32:27finish packing up,
32:28which will take me
32:29five minutes,
32:30and I'm gone.
32:32The boys know
32:33what they're doing.
32:35Brilliant team.
32:36And there it is.
32:36It's on the ground
32:37and it's millimetre perfect.
32:41This chance of rain
32:43out of this,
32:43looking at the sky,
32:45I've got to beat this rain,
32:46so I'm going.
32:47See you, Steve.
32:48Thanks, mate.
32:49Race you back
32:49for the bitumen.
32:50Yeah.
32:58Shit.
33:01There's fires
33:01running in front of us.
33:04I'm trying to beat that rain,
33:05but the lightning
33:06keeps starting fires
33:07in front of me.
33:10I've just got to get
33:11past this fire,
33:13get to the bitumen
33:14as soon as I can.
33:14I've made it.
33:25Definitely a successful job.
33:26It's lived up
33:27to my expectations,
33:28but I've still got
33:30100km to go.
33:32I certainly do get
33:33job satisfaction
33:34when you complete
33:36a job like this.
33:38All three tanks
33:38delivered
33:39and in place.
33:40I was quite overwhelmed
33:43at the meeting
33:44we got at
33:45Bad Ringer's
33:46this afternoon.
33:47All of the kids
33:48lined up
33:48to welcome us
33:49and their new tank.
33:55Well,
33:56we made it, Mel.
33:57Let's see,
33:57another job done.
34:00Bitch,
34:00one's just up here.
34:02Trip's completed
34:03as far as I'm concerned.
34:04We've knocked it off.
34:14Two loads
34:15at nine metres.
34:17Car coming through.
34:19P's not stopping.
34:22Oh, shit.
34:23Car didn't stop.
34:26Watch out there, car.
34:27Ah, the cops got us
34:56to read, Josie.
34:57Are we getting a knock
34:58on the door
34:58in the morning?
35:06That'll be why
35:06they weren't stopping.
35:08We'll go get them out.
35:14We're about to turn
35:15off the highway,
35:16which is going to be good.
35:21Camp one beach
35:22we're going to.
35:23Bit of a zigzag
35:24through here.
35:26Hey, Andrew,
35:33are you behind me?
35:33Can you see that
35:34wire above me?
35:35Oh, yeah.
35:36Get out of here, mate.
35:43He's got a couple
35:44of power poles
35:44here to just zigzag
35:45through them.
35:46Let's peg it up
35:46a little bit higher.
35:51And just keep it on
35:51these mailboxes
35:52aren't ripping you down.
35:54Am I right, mate?
35:55I'm just watching those wires.
36:12I should be right now.
36:15Yeah, mate.
36:16It's all good, yeah.
36:17Hey, Andrew,
36:20just be careful
36:21if these wires
36:21on the side here,
36:22they've uncovered.
36:28Hold on,
36:29hold on,
36:29whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
36:32Come back a bit
36:33and come to your right a bit.
36:35You're on that power pole.
36:36Anybody going to call
36:44any numbers out,
36:44like how close I am
36:45in the shed or what?
36:47Am I going to hit
36:48that pole or not?
36:50If you keep that line,
36:51you'll hit that power pole.
36:55Yeah,
36:55100 million maybe,
36:57less now.
36:5850.
36:58Probably going to have to
36:59swing more to your right,
37:00Andy.
37:02Yeah, keep going
37:03with that, Andy.
37:05Come on, good, buddy.
37:08Back Andrew in first,
37:09put him down
37:10the bottom corner.
37:12He hurries the f***er up.
37:15Come on, good.
37:15I'm driving on, buddy.
37:17Finally, mate.
37:22All right, keep it coming.
37:25Back it in
37:26nice and easy.
37:28All right, keep it coming.
37:33You can hold it there.
37:35That'll do.
37:39Done.
37:40Shut down.
37:40Start again in the morning.
37:48Just crank everything up now,
37:50get the last bit of bracing off
37:51and then slap it together.
37:52So, 10 minutes
37:54and it'll look like a house game.
37:58Very exciting
37:59to see it all come to fruition.
38:01Finally here on our block.
38:04We're very happy.
38:05They've done an amazing job.
38:08There we go.
38:08It's coming together.
38:10It's got a beautiful
38:11veranda out the front.
38:12There's a massive deck
38:13out the back
38:13to take in
38:14the beautiful scenery.
38:17Nearly there.
38:17About a metre and a half to go.
38:19How cool is that?
38:20That was amazing, isn't it?
38:22It's good.
38:23Donors here,
38:24they're on the back deck
38:25having a look at the new view already,
38:26so they're pretty happy,
38:27it seems like.
38:28Second axle's all the way in.
38:30We have a house.
38:34We nearly have a house.
38:35A few more holes to dig,
38:37we'll get some concrete in them tomorrow
38:38and we'll be pretty much done.
38:40If you're loads top-heavy,
38:54drop,
38:54you can quite easily flip a trailer.
38:57Sharp rocks,
38:58old pierce,
38:59sidewalls and tyres.
39:00On Hibbo's last run
39:03along the infamous
39:04Central Arnhem Highway,
39:06the brutal road
39:07is throwing
39:07every obstacle
39:08it has
39:09in his way.
39:10This whole road,
39:11you've got to be on the ball
39:12all the time.
39:16When you get up top
39:17of your past
39:17sees the rocks
39:18then we'll smooth out.
39:24All good now.
39:26Got storm fans up here.
39:30Out here,
39:31storms will build up
39:32really quick.
39:33Like this is the build-up
39:34now of the wet season.
39:36The risk of
39:37that is obviously
39:38river crossing
39:39starting to fill up.
39:41Once they start filling up,
39:43it just changes
39:43this whole road
39:44so quick.
39:47That wind's picking up
39:48like
39:48there's a potential storm
39:50building up there.
39:53We'll stop up here.
39:55I'll just sleep
39:55and find that work space.
39:58Like I've got the kick
39:59single in the studio
40:00bunk there.
40:13A bit of rain here
40:14last night.
40:15Like to get that much rain,
40:17I reckon it's going to be
40:18an early wet season
40:20this one.
40:22When it rains,
40:24there's a big water
40:24so I was there
40:25filling up with water
40:26so it can be pretty deep.
40:31I'm talking about
40:32pulling that deep.
40:37Because I'm top heavy,
40:38I've got to go
40:39dead centre.
40:40If I go to the head
40:41at Canber,
40:43let's go as in.
40:45Don't tolls to tip over.
40:51On this section,
40:53there's a really big
40:54boardhouse hole
40:54smack dead centre
40:56in the road.
40:59And there's just
41:00one of those roads.
41:13It's only 220 k's
41:16to Stuart Highway
41:17but 220 k's
41:20has still taken me
41:21probably around
41:22the 12 to 13 hours
41:24and that's purely
41:25because of the road.
41:27Our road's getting
41:28so corrugated now.
41:30It takes its toll.
41:33The evolve just
41:33had enough.
41:33Definitely time to
41:37hang up the boots.
41:39I know I'm going to
41:39miss it.
41:40No doubt about it.
41:42The first six months
41:43will be the hardest.
41:43I'll probably want to
41:45come back and do it.
41:46But definitely looking
41:47forward to spending
41:48time with family.
41:49But obviously,
41:50I've got to keep moving.
41:51There's corrugation
41:52so I just can't make up
41:53time to that.
41:53We're finally back
42:10on the bitumen.
42:15Back in Katharine.
42:21Pretty big trip this one.
42:23That road's getting
42:24worse and worse
42:24so I think the travel
42:25time was up around
42:26what'll work out.
42:2839 and a half hours.
42:30This has been my last
42:31trip at all.
42:32Couldn't be happier.
42:34I'm not getting any
42:35younger.
42:35You know, the body
42:36doesn't recuperate
42:37like it used to.
42:45Well, Viv,
42:48it's been a good
42:49relationship we've had.
42:50It's time for
42:52Hibbo and Viv to part
42:53ways, whole girl.
42:55She's never let me down.
42:59See you, big darling.
42:59Vinny's going to go wrong.
43:13It will go wrong.
43:15Whoa!
43:17That was close,
43:19that one.
43:19You think they're gone
43:20and then all of a sudden
43:21they'll come straight back
43:22at you again.
43:24This is the dude
43:25they've been waiting for
43:26to get to the outback.
43:28Whoa!
43:28I don't know what's
43:29happening.
43:29I need to pull out.
43:31Oh,
43:32yeah, it's the best part.
43:34I can see it's leaking.
43:35Oh, man.
43:36Just before we get
43:37into the outback.
43:40Customers don't like
43:41playing for scratch out.
43:43Got a no damage policy,
43:44haven't we, Dave?
43:44That's right.
43:47Stop, stop.
43:48We're starting to sink in here.
43:49The outrigger on the crane
43:50is now sinking
43:51into the garden bed.
43:52We'll tip the crane over.
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