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Terra.Anatolia
  • 15 hours ago
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00:00I can't go quick up.
00:05Even if it was dry now, we couldn't go anywhere.
00:10And now I'll just go up like Bob's uncle.
00:14It's pissing out freakin' a little.
00:19Well, here we go, Brodie boy.
00:21Oh, there's some holes down there.
00:26The wind's blowing hard.
00:27The thing with lightning is make one mistake with it,
00:30and he'll kill you.
00:31Brodie!
00:36Because we're oversized, we've got to have two pilots.
00:41Are you warning trucks or are my warning trucks?
00:43Are you supposed to be behind you, you dumbass?
00:46Please don't drop in the CV to me like that.
00:51Ah, Mr Rilber.
00:53Rhyno, Wallace.
00:57I've got to get out of here, eh? I've got to go.
01:07I just want to get out and I can't go quick up.
01:10I've got a job I've got to do tomorrow,
01:12so I've got to get this done today.
01:14It is just sliding, eh? We don't want to slide off the edge.
01:25If the truck starts off, we're gone, eh? I can't stop it.
01:29No, I'm not going anywhere, eh? This is ****.
01:41On a treacherous, muddy mountain track,
01:44log trucking specialist Mel Michelson has a vital 28-ton load to deliver.
01:49We've got an urgent order just came in down in New South Wales.
01:53They need some boards.
01:59That's black saw and you just slide on it.
02:01The truck's doing this.
02:04Can't stop it, eh?
02:06My job's on the line and this is my name and I need as much work as I can get.
02:15If she can get out of the logging site at Knapp Creek,
02:19Mel must wind her way through the Queensland Highlands
02:23to a mill 323 kilometres away in Kogan,
02:28where the logs will be cut into floorboards for a brewery.
02:32This load is the second of two 28-ton loads,
02:36which she was hoping to deliver today.
02:40I might as well turn the truck off. It's not the honour anyway.
02:43This is really bad.
02:57I'm wondering why I can't get traction.
03:02I don't want to take that off now.
03:07I don't want to change it in the mud.
03:09I'm going to have to come back, get it off, run into town,
03:12in a ute, fix it, put it back on.
03:15For f***ing sake!
03:18Even if it was dry now, we couldn't go anywhere,
03:21because of the tyre.
03:23Those are better getting shit out of the truck then.
03:25Could be stuck here for a day or two,
03:27but it depends on how long it takes to dry out.
03:31Mel's only option is to wait out the bad weather,
03:35returning to her newly purchased dream home,
03:38which she's trying to pay off by hauling timber.
03:42I've fallen in love with this beautiful old grand Queenslander.
03:46She's 130 years old.
03:49It's going to cost a lot of money to renovate.
03:51I pulled off the boards and discovered this beautiful pine,
03:55so I'm going to bring all this back to life
03:59and sand it and polish it all and stain it.
04:03It's every load of logs I do now, like I still want this place.
04:06Looks like I've got to keep trucking on to get these red eyes done,
04:11so I just need to do as much work as I can when it's not raining.
04:24Thanks for picking me up.
04:26Not a problem.
04:27Too far to walk pushing the toller.
04:29I hope I can get this truck out.
04:35Mel's truck is blocking the access road to the logging site
04:38run by her friend, Gary Orton.
04:41He's come to help her get moving again
04:43before more bad weather sets in.
04:46I just want to get this truck out.
04:48Like, days waiting on this load, it's pretty urgent.
04:52He can't cuddle up if he hasn't got it.
04:56Got that jack.
04:57There's a week's rain coming.
04:59I'm a bit worried.
05:00Got to get it out.
05:03Not much room.
05:05Well, where to get my fat guts under there?
05:09It's not a friendly jack.
05:13I want to use the air of the truck to use the air jack.
05:20Wrong air.
05:21You've got the wrong fittings.
05:22That means I can't use the air jack at all,
05:24so I've got to have to manually do it.
05:27I've got the wrong hose for my air jack,
05:29so I'll just have to change it the old school way.
05:33Bloody trucks.
05:35Oh.
05:36These things happen.
05:37We didn't have air jacks in the old days,
05:38so as long as we get it done before this weather comes in.
05:42That's our main concern.
05:43Oh, God.
05:44Oh, God.
05:45Come on.
05:46Got a fair way to go, Mel.
05:47Oh.
05:48That's a positive sign.
05:49It must be getting off the ground now.
05:51Give it a go.
05:52Nothing to lose.
05:53It's just that water here.
05:54Go.
05:55For sake.
05:56For sake.
05:57Oh.
05:58Oh.
05:59That's a positive sign.
06:05It must be getting off the ground now.
06:08Give it a go.
06:09Nothing to lose.
06:10It's just that water here.
06:11Go.
06:12For sake.
06:13Oh, shit.
06:14It's just that water here.
06:15Go.
06:16For sake.
06:17Oh, shit.
06:18The inside tyre is rooted.
06:19Oh.
06:20Oh.
06:21Oh.
06:22Oh.
06:23Oh.
06:24Oh.
06:25Oh.
06:26Oh.
06:27Oh.
06:28Oh.
06:29Oh.
06:30Oh.
06:31Oh.
06:32Oh.
06:33Oh.
06:34Oh.
06:35Oh.
06:37Oh.
06:38Oh.
06:39Oh.
06:40Oh.
06:41Oh.
06:42Oh.
06:43Oh.
06:44Oh.
06:45This job, for after Christmas, did that cost you or the client?
06:48Our customer had some people who were going to be in the yard in Alice Springs.
06:53Are you bugger?
06:54Look at that.
06:55Another friggin' rock through my windscreen.
06:58The delay over Christmas means I got a rock through my windscreen, which I didn't get
07:05last bloody time I went through here.
07:08And because we didn't get the freight through, I haven't been paid for the job.
07:13Over a month after having to abandon a trucking job
07:17because of road closures in the Central Desert,
07:20Steve Graham and his grandson Brodie have returned to Laverton
07:24to collect the load they left with Steve's mate, Rex Riles.
07:30Hello, mate. How are you, Rex?
07:32Have a good Christmas. Yeah, mate. Good to see you, mate.
07:34You? I hope you had a good one.
07:37Last year, we had to park the gear up.
07:39Now we've come back to get it.
07:41This is round two.
07:43Now we've got 1,600 kilometres to go to get it to Alice Springs.
07:48From Laverton, Steve and Brodie will take on the infamous Great Central Road,
07:54over 1,000 kilometres of brutal dirt,
07:57which has only just been reopened after being savaged by summer storms,
08:01before hitting the bitumen to finish their delivery in Alice Springs.
08:06You're good, Brodie, boy? Yep.
08:08Let's go.
08:11What we've got is structural steel on this trailer
08:16and the other two trailers are the frames and the trusses
08:20and all the bits that make up the framework of the house.
08:23Well, here we go, Brodie, boy.
08:29Now the truth will come out.
08:31The road hasn't been too rough, but it's keeping me on my toes.
08:44The bog holes where people got bogged just before Christmas,
08:49I can see quite clearly where they were bogged.
08:53So I've got to treat every one of those spots with real care.
09:01We're going to pull up here, just have a little break, Brodie.
09:05Yeah?
09:06Just have a quick walk around and check it, and I mean check everything.
09:11Brodie gets paid for the trip when he comes with me,
09:13and it's all part of learning about life.
09:17How did you go with the check, mate?
09:18Oh, they all look good.
09:20I'm good to go for a walk.
09:21Keep me in sight.
09:23Yeah.
09:23Just looking around for reptilians and whatnot.
09:28Brodie is a dead keen naturalist,
09:31and he just loves reptiles.
09:33Oh, look, there's a bearded.
09:34He's sitting on the spinifex.
09:35That's a painted bearded, that one.
09:37So that'd be his home just there.
09:39So he's going to make a run for it.
09:41Probably going straight across, or not.
09:47So yeah, look, he's...
09:48And there's the guys.
09:49The one thing I'd want Brodie to learn on a trip like this
09:52is when he tells me he's checked,
09:53he's mind as he's checked them.
09:55I constantly forget how to talk to the modern young people.
10:00You've got to be very literal.
10:01They've been brought up all their life
10:03looking at an area this big.
10:05So this big place out here,
10:07it's not quite so much in their awareness.
10:10But coming on a trip with Grandad
10:12might expand the horizons from a little screen like that
10:15to the great big panorama through which we're travelling.
10:20Brodie?
10:21Yeah.
10:22Are we ready?
10:23Yep.
10:31Rain, Brodie, rain.
10:36We don't need rain this early, mate.
10:38This is bloody scary.
10:41You can see out there, either side,
10:44big falls, big, big amounts of rain falling.
10:50There's some big holes in the road
10:52that have got water in them already.
10:55I know that.
10:56And if they get any more rain on them,
10:57we aren't getting around them.
11:02Oh, which puddle?
11:04Which puddle, mate?
11:05Which puddle?
11:06I think I might go in this one.
11:09It looks like it's a straighter approach.
11:11That one's on a big angle.
11:15Shit, this looks like slop, boy.
11:18Are they going to get through it,
11:19or are they going to get up here, boy?
11:21Oh, there's some holes down that road, he might.
11:35We've got our first bridge coming up.
11:38Paul's going to shut it for us to go across.
11:41Got a 3.8 metre wide.
11:43Every transporter on the tow bridge.
11:45Call her up there, please.
11:49All right, mate.
11:50Bridge is clear.
11:50I'm all right.
11:54Get her down to 40.
11:57And, um, idled across.
12:04Stop!
12:06Stop!
12:07What's on the cruise?
12:10What's that say?
12:12Stop!
12:14Get out of the way!
12:20Clear out of the bridge.
12:23That lady got my blood pressure up, sludge, I tell you.
12:26Why's that?
12:28Well, I had the car stopped,
12:29and this woman drove straight towards me,
12:31and I was on her lane with a stop paddle up,
12:34and she went to drive around me to go on the bridge.
12:37And I says, what has stopped me?
12:38It must be her f***ing kiwis, eh?
12:43I think she had an Aussie accent.
12:45Yeah, good one.
12:49Legendary outback trucker Sludge has come back to the land of his birth,
12:54New Zealand,
12:55working as an oversized load driver.
12:57I'm doing a few jobs for Paul Clark,
12:59a mate of mine from Dunedin.
13:02We're taking up a 43-tonne Terex dozer
13:05up to Wanaka for the wheels of Wanaka.
13:08The vintage bulldozer is the first of two that Sludge has to deliver.
13:13He left Dunedin over an hour ago
13:16and is headed for the mountainous country roads
13:18and narrow bridges that lead to Wanaka,
13:21on the edge of New Zealand's southern alps.
13:23Sludge's mate Paul will exhibit
13:26both of his restored vintage bulldozers
13:29at the wheels of Wanaka's show.
13:31It's a big machinery show
13:33and everyone in New Zealand comes
13:35and people from all around the world are coming.
13:38It's a passion more than a money-making venture.
13:41I don't think there's any others that are restored anywhere
13:43that I know of,
13:45probably this side of Australia and New Zealand.
13:48I come out here just because I haven't worked for so long.
13:51We're trying to financially help Wendy a little bit.
13:53Two years ago,
13:57Sludge had a motorcycle accident
13:58near his home in Western Australia.
14:01Unable to work,
14:03he has relied on his wife Wendy
14:05to support him during his recovery.
14:07Since I had the accident,
14:09Wendy's still able to live and feed me
14:11and when you're not working,
14:13it slowly gobbles everything you've got in the bank.
14:16Sludge's two eldest children and their families live in New Zealand.
14:29I'd like to make sure they remember me,
14:32that I'm still here
14:33and spend a bit of time with them as well as working.
14:40This is my father's gravestone.
14:42He died on the 13th of April, 1984.
14:46And this is my brother's one.
14:49When did he die?
14:511981.
14:52So every time I come to New Zealand,
14:55I normally come up here and say hello
14:58and make sure they're all clean and tidy.
15:00My father died in a truck accident.
15:05They were backing a truck into a ramp
15:07and the brakes failed,
15:08rolled back and crushed him and squashed him.
15:10That's what killed him.
15:12My brother had an early end of life as well.
15:14He was coming home to the farm
15:15and Dad found him.
15:17He had run off the road
15:18and banged his head in his car
15:20and that's what killed him.
15:22I was only young when he died.
15:24It's one of those curveballs in life
15:27where that could have been me laying there as well.
15:30I thought I'd live forever
15:31but I've had a big scare
15:33and I don't want the kids growing up
15:35without me like I did without my father.
15:41Another bridge just around the corner.
15:43Roger.
15:44Got to start watching what I'm doing
15:46and just be careful.
15:48With an oversize,
15:49you've got to be right on the money.
15:53Oh, oh.
15:54Holy shit.
16:06Now that's narrow.
16:08Holy shit.
16:09The trailer was rubbing the edge
16:11right on it.
16:17We're just coming into Wanaka
16:19and we're going to pull up here
16:21at the wheels of Wanaka.
16:24Transport, toys, helicopters, planes.
16:28My kind of place.
16:30So that's one done.
16:41So tomorrow will be the real test.
16:43The plan is now
16:44we'll head back to Dunedin
16:45and then we can load the big one.
16:48It's almost 300 kilometres
16:50back to Paul's yard in Dunedin
16:52where Sludge will take on
16:54the second dozer,
16:56a bona fide heavyweight.
16:57That's how much heavier?
17:00That's about another
17:0115 tonne heavier.
17:02Jesus.
17:03Yeah, right, eh?
17:04So you're up around
17:05about 90 tonne.
17:06The dozer blade
17:07is pretty much, you know,
17:09that's the bit
17:09that'll cut somebody open
17:10if it hits someone.
17:14We have to get it
17:15in the right place
17:16to make sure that, you know,
17:19the trailer doesn't go
17:19overweight on any axle
17:20of all the trucks.
17:21Yep.
17:23She's all on and tied up.
17:25We're ready to go.
17:27I'm a bit nervous.
17:28It's going to be a hard day.
17:29Toughest one I've done.
17:31This thing's pretty serious.
17:34Hey, eh,
17:35we might have
17:36a bit of a problem.
17:37I've just seen
17:38this email come through.
17:39You know,
17:39where we went
17:40for that road work
17:41and they've got to
17:41shut the road
17:42to do that new bit of seal?
17:44So they're saying
17:45they're going to try
17:46and shut this off
17:46at 12.30 today.
17:48So how long
17:49are they shutting that for?
17:50Well, two to four hours.
17:52We've got to try
17:53and do our best
17:53to get there.
17:54Otherwise,
17:54we're going to be parked
17:55on the side of the road
17:56until they've finished the job.
17:58And I don't know
17:59if we'll get there in time
18:00before they close it.
18:02It just adds
18:03to the pressure
18:03for the day.
18:04Right, now you see
18:30why they say
18:31four-wheel drive only, eh?
18:32Yeah.
18:34After failing
18:35to cross
18:35the notorious
18:36Great Central Road
18:38one month ago,
18:39Steve and his grandson
18:40Brodie have returned,
18:43desperate to get
18:44a paying load
18:44through to Alice Springs.
18:47Still got
18:48700-plus k of dirt to go.
18:52These storms
18:53are rolling in on us.
18:56Any serious rain
18:58out here
18:58and we're bugging.
18:59Yeah.
19:02It's just about dark
19:06so I'll be pulling up shortly.
19:12Brodie?
19:13Yeah?
19:14Have a look
19:14at all the tyres up, please.
19:16And then you're free, Brodie,
19:18and I'll start getting
19:19tea organised and stuff.
19:21All right.
19:21The wind's blowing hard.
19:25I just hope it doesn't blow
19:28one of these storms into me.
19:32This is a good spot to camp.
19:33We're up on the hill.
19:34We've got the breeze here
19:34and we can roll off
19:36from here in the morning
19:36if there's big rain
19:37during the night.
19:38This will be dry up here.
19:39We can roll away.
19:42I've got my little gas stove
19:43cooking for Brodie and myself
19:46to keep our energy up.
19:49Brodie,
19:50don't be walking around
19:51with that aluminium pole
19:52in the hand
19:53with this lightning around.
19:55Maybe we should be
19:56down on the low ground
19:59if the lightning gets going.
20:01The thing with the lightning
20:02is make one mistake
20:03with it
20:04and it'll kill you.
20:05That rain is going to happen
20:07any minute.
20:07Seriously.
20:10Where's Brodie?
20:13Brodie!
20:14Brodie!
20:22You know what I'd be doing?
20:27Yeah.
20:27I'd be bringing the tyre service
20:29to bring out another tyre
20:30and a jack.
20:31I know it's an extra cost
20:32but you won't get home.
20:37Already two days behind
20:38on an urgent 28-tonne timber
20:41delivery,
20:42a second-blown drive tyre
20:44has pushed
20:45log truck driver
20:46Mel Michelson
20:47to her limit.
20:50Hey Joe,
20:50Gary Orton here.
20:53We've got a real problem here, mate.
20:55Had a flat tyre,
20:57got it one spare
20:58but on the rear drive
21:00the inside tyre
21:01is rooted.
21:02You're the only one
21:05that can do it
21:05and you can't leave the shop
21:06because no one else is there.
21:10There's only two places
21:11in Vernon
21:12that will do it.
21:13They can't come out
21:14to do it out here on site
21:16so we've got to take it in there.
21:19He might have a second-hand one in there.
21:21That's what he wants.
21:22Yep.
21:23Two things that cost you
21:24most money,
21:25rubber tyres and women.
21:27Yep.
21:27Tits and tyres.
21:33I've got to get out of here.
21:35It's delaying everything.
21:38So I've got
21:38a beautiful old property.
21:41I need to turn
21:42them wheels
21:42to get that coin in
21:43to do my renovations.
21:52Back safe, Mellie.
21:53Put that into the jack.
21:59We didn't try that one before.
22:00No.
22:07No f***ing way.
22:09Me and Gary tried one hose
22:11but we didn't try
22:12the other connection
22:12on the other side.
22:14We didn't try hard enough.
22:16And now it'll just go up
22:17like f***ing Bob's uncle
22:19and we'll be out of here.
22:23It's not bailing anywhere.
22:37It's pissing out
22:38fricking oil.
22:41Why has it decided
22:43to leak out oil today?
22:45Mmm.
22:45I've had it for four years
22:46and haven't had no drama with it.
22:52Well done,
22:52you've gone up that map.
22:53Oh, they're moving now.
22:59Can't take a trick.
23:08Brody!
23:11The thing with the lightning is
23:12make one mistake with it
23:14and it'll kill you.
23:17Brody!
23:19There he is.
23:20You found him.
23:20You're a good girl.
23:22You're a good girl.
23:23Thanks for finding Brody for me, Bill.
23:31Well, there you go, Brody.
23:32There's your team-mate.
23:34You're out of the rain.
23:36I'm going to go and eat mine.
23:37Can you fit any more potato
23:39in your mouth, Brody?
23:39Boy, you hungry or what?
23:41Starving.
23:41This is a good meal
23:42to have at the end of the day.
23:50Well, think about going, Brody.
23:52If you're good, we'll go.
23:53So what was your tally last night?
23:57I think I got a spider I got.
24:02Here's a little mouse.
24:03A mouse?
24:04Yeah.
24:04A mouse or a dunna?
24:05Mouse.
24:06Steve is on a mission
24:08to get a long-delayed load
24:10across the red centre of Australia
24:12while simultaneously catching up
24:15on some much-needed family time.
24:17I like to think I'm quite close
24:19to my grandkids.
24:20They're all good kids.
24:22I'm determined to spend the time with them
24:24that I didn't spend with my kids,
24:26but I'm struggling to find that time still.
24:28There's the border, mate.
24:34We'll stop up here.
24:37Check our gear.
24:46How is everything?
24:48Good.
24:49Right, now let's go back
24:50and start again, mate.
24:51We've got to talk to you
24:51about your eyes.
24:53See the broken strap?
24:55Oh, yeah.
24:56Oh, yeah.
24:57You got...
24:59You young blokes,
25:00you've got to learn to see.
25:01It appears I missed this broken strap.
25:07I don't know how I missed that, too.
25:09It comes with experience,
25:11that ability to just notice things
25:13that aren't right.
25:16That's it, Brodie.
25:17I'll go around and tie it off.
25:21That rain that's coming up behind us,
25:24I do know if that rain gets out here
25:26on this road in front of me,
25:28we won't do it.
25:31Now, I have to check my fuel.
25:35There's not much fuel in that tank.
25:38It's not good.
25:40I've got diesel in a belly tank
25:42under the front trailer.
25:43To enable long-distance hauls
25:45through the harsh Australian wilderness,
25:48Steve has set up
25:49a 1,000-litre fuel storage tank
25:52under his first trailer.
25:53He can pump fuel from there
25:55to the main tanks
25:57using a hose
25:58as long as the truck's motor
26:00is running.
26:01But the process
26:01can take over an hour.
26:04I don't want to have to stop
26:05and run it
26:06and have the rain beaten.
26:10Brodie, boy,
26:11we've got about 30km to go
26:13to the camp
26:14and we're really low on fuel.
26:17I should fuel up here,
26:20but I'm going to take a punt.
26:21I'll give it a crack,
26:2530km.
26:26I need 40 litres.
26:29This might be the worst mistake
26:30I've made in a long time.
26:37I've got to keep my wits about me today
26:39and pedal a bit.
26:40If we're running late,
26:42it's going to be a real pain in the arse.
26:44Sludge is racing the clock.
26:46He has a bigger,
26:48wider
26:48and 20 tonne heavier
26:50bulldozer to haul
26:51almost 300km
26:53to Wanaka
26:54before the road
26:55is scheduled to be closed
26:56in four hours' time.
26:58If we don't make the time
27:00to get there
27:01before they shut it,
27:02we're going to be stuck
27:03with, you know,
27:0490 tonnes sitting on the road
27:05at four and a half metres wide
27:08blocking the whole road up.
27:09I've got enough pressure
27:11with the wider
27:12and 20 tonne heavier,
27:14so the extra pressure
27:15has just given me
27:16the shits really.
27:18We've got Paul
27:19out the front today
27:20and Sarah,
27:21Paul's partner,
27:22she's coming today as well.
27:24I've been driving trucks
27:25for about six or seven years.
27:27I'm going to be driving
27:28the second pilot vehicle.
27:30To provide extra support
27:32to Sludge
27:33on this massive job,
27:34his wife,
27:35Wendy,
27:35has flown in
27:36from Australia.
27:37It's pretty big for him,
27:38especially, you know,
27:39getting back into it again.
27:41I am going to jump in
27:43with a pilot,
27:44which is exciting
27:45because I've never been
27:46in a pilot vehicle before.
27:55This is the worst bit
27:56is getting out
27:57of this bloody town
27:58because we've got to be
27:59on the wrong side of the road.
28:07I've got to get around
28:30to the sheep bridge first.
28:31for the sheep's sake.
28:35Get the law on.
28:37What the f***
28:38are we supposed
28:38to be behind you,
28:39you dumbass?
28:41This is what pisses me off
28:43with him,
28:43is he always says...
28:44Makes his own rules.
28:46Oh,
28:46he's like,
28:47everything's got to be
28:48by the book
28:48and then he f***ed it all up.
28:54There we go.
28:55Here we go.
28:55On to the motorway.
28:56You can tell we're
29:0120 tonne over you.
29:04This will make
29:05this old girl work today.
29:08I'm just going to pop
29:09around on the left,
29:11come around in front of you,
29:13coming around.
29:16Probably did that
29:17a bit early, actually.
29:19You should have waited
29:19to the bottom of the hill
29:20but never mind.
29:22Yeah, righto.
29:23I'd rather do it early
29:24than too late.
29:26No, but the rules are
29:27you've got to wait
29:28to get to the bottom
29:29of the line.
29:31Oh, Mr Rulebook,
29:32who f***ing was behind me
29:34before and he was
29:34supposed to go ahead of me?
29:36Righto, Wallace.
29:40A little bit of tension
29:42there with Paul and Sarah.
29:44Trouble in paradise.
29:46It's probably just settling in
29:48and getting the distances right
29:50and, you know,
29:52everyone has a different
29:53idea where they should be
29:54and what they're doing.
29:55And after this black car,
29:57you're all clear to come
29:58over to the right-hand lane.
30:00So he just sits in the middle now?
30:02Ah, no, he's got to be open
30:03to go wide because he's turned.
30:04He's got to go under this bridge
30:06and it comes down on an angle.
30:13If he went in there,
30:14he literally would have hit it.
30:15Shit, yeah, wow.
30:17Yeah, you're all clear.
30:20He's not even warning trucks.
30:29Are you warning trucks
30:30or are my warning trucks?
30:334.3, guys.
30:34I couldn't get on the CBs here.
30:36So this next bridge
30:43is at 10 kilometres an hour
30:44and central.
30:46Roger that.
30:49You need the pilots
30:50to shut the bridge off.
30:52You've got to have
30:53two pilots.
30:56One's got to be further up
30:57to shut the road
30:58and the other one
30:58guides us across.
30:59Oh, you f***ing go.
31:07I'm right behind you.
31:21Once I get there,
31:22you need to move forwards.
31:26Please don't talk
31:27on the CB to me like that.
31:29It's always hard
31:33when you're a couple
31:34working together
31:35because you're probably
31:37starting more than you should.
31:38If we learn to shut up,
31:40it'll probably be a lot easier.
31:46Keeping around the guy, Mel.
31:49I'm just only going up that mark.
31:51Hardly moving now, isn't I?
31:53Mel Michelson
31:54is racing the fading
31:56afternoon light.
31:57She needs to replace
31:59two drive tyres
32:00with a faulty jack
32:01and get her 28-tonne load
32:04over 300 kilometres
32:05to a timber mill
32:07to finally get paid
32:09for the job.
32:10Can you jack up
32:10a little bit by hand?
32:14We really need this loading.
32:16Just want to get out of here
32:17before the frickin' rain
32:19gets here.
32:20I don't even know
32:25if it's going up, though.
32:28Yeah, it is.
32:30Yeah, you're winning.
32:36Yep.
32:37It's high enough, Mally.
32:38Right.
32:46God, it's just stuck there, eh?
32:49Look, that is completely
32:50off to ground.
32:57F***.
32:59F***.
32:59Find me.
33:01Now I've got to get it over that.
33:02Get up, bitch.
33:27Oh, yeah!
33:28All good to go.
33:40Thank you for all your help.
33:42Not a problem.
33:43I'd better get out
33:44the heaven clouds
33:44over there.
33:45They're coming in quite fast, so...
33:53I'm just going to get
33:54out of here
33:55and down the mountain.
33:58I'm worried about
34:00this part the most.
34:02It's still quite wet.
34:05It's first gear material.
34:11The ground feels okay.
34:12Like, it's still a bit slippery,
34:14but it's okay.
34:19Yeehaw!
34:20Finally made it to the gate
34:22and I'm just pulled out
34:23on the road,
34:23so I'm pretty happy.
34:24Clouds are pretty black.
34:29But it's raining
34:30over there, definitely.
34:32Looks like it just
34:33got out of there
34:33in time.
34:37Been down,
34:38down and out
34:39for three or four days.
34:40Like, I've missed
34:41two jobs that have come in.
34:42There's missed money
34:43and letting people down.
34:45Like, I don't like that.
34:47But, um,
34:48they understood,
34:49so that's
34:50looking for you.
34:51Now I've got to
34:52get back to the mill
34:53and get this unloaded.
34:58Just hit the
34:59Warrego Highway.
35:00Got some
35:01pretty good roads
35:02until I get near
35:03Dolly
35:03and head off
35:06into the night.
35:21The load from hell.
35:23When these logs
35:28come off,
35:28I'll have a happy
35:32customer who
35:33luckily understands
35:34why I'm late.
35:37But we can't help
35:38the weather,
35:39so that makes me
35:40happy when they're happy.
35:42Yes!
35:45Oh, my God.
35:46I'm so proud to say
35:47I'm finally unloaded,
35:49so after this,
35:51I'll go back to the farm
35:52and have a rest
35:53and then tomorrow
35:54go and get a
35:54beatable load of firewoods.
35:56I've got to keep
35:57them wheels turning
35:58because I haven't been earning.
36:00I reckon I've got about 30km to go there.
36:09I need 40 litres.
36:12I've got diesel
36:12into the front trailer.
36:14I don't want to have to stop
36:15and have the rain beat me.
36:16This might be the worst mistake
36:17I've made in a long time.
36:18Maybe I'm being a stupid
36:21old fool
36:21taking a punt on it.
36:24But that's the gamble
36:25I'm about to take.
36:32We might do it, Brodie.
36:34We've got about
36:34a size car to go.
36:35We've made it, Brodie.
36:46We've made it, boy.
36:49We've made it, Brodie.
36:54This is it.
36:55We're going to camp here tonight.
36:57We've made it to the bitumen.
36:59Touch wood.
37:00We're laughing.
37:01Can you do a quick walk around, please, mate?
37:03Because I'm going to run fuel
37:04from the belly tank
37:05into the front tank, right?
37:07That'll give us enough fuel
37:08to get into Alice Springs tomorrow.
37:10Sounds good.
37:20We're on the bitumen now.
37:22We've got 468km to go from here.
37:26I'm on a tight time schedule.
37:29We've got people
37:30who will be starting work
37:33a half of me on time.
37:35Or it costs big money.
37:40Well, Brodie boy, here we go.
37:42There's the yard over there.
37:43We've just about pulled it off.
37:47Here we are, mate.
37:48Here we are.
37:53We'll go and see Matt
37:54and find out what's going on.
37:56All right.
37:57How are you, mate?
38:02You're joking.
38:03All right.
38:06It's the whole story in this business.
38:08Once again, we've
38:08gone hard to get here
38:12and we're not going to unload today.
38:16We're going to unload tomorrow.
38:19It does frustrate you
38:22if I had known this earlier
38:24maybe I would have gone
38:25a little bit slower
38:25and kept the truck
38:27a little bit cooler.
38:30So nothing's going to happen today.
38:32Finally, it's in the yard.
38:33After five weeks,
38:34it's all here.
38:35And we're not unloading
38:37until tomorrow.
38:42Hi.
38:43Hello.
38:44Come through this way if you want.
38:45Brodie, you go.
38:46This is yours.
38:47All right.
38:47This is yours.
38:49In some ways,
38:50I'm sort of happy
38:51that we're not unloading
38:52until tomorrow.
38:53Now I can relax a bit
38:54and take Brodie in
38:55to see a surprise.
38:56Did you guys want to have
38:57a hold of a snake?
38:59Brodie is a dead keen naturalist.
39:01He just loves reptiles.
39:03She's going to come
39:04over your shoulders?
39:06Well, I'm taking him
39:07into the reptile centre.
39:09You can't feel that weight.
39:10It's a lot heavier
39:10than most little pythons.
39:12And now,
39:13comes a bit
39:14where she strangles you.
39:15Reptiles,
39:18always a cool thing to see.
39:20Oh, look at him.
39:21He's a beauty.
39:22This is Frank.
39:23He's a Spencer's goanna.
39:26Oh, wow.
39:26They do get big.
39:28Well, Brodie,
39:29I hope you enjoyed that.
39:30Yeah, that was awesome.
39:36Coming into Milton,
39:37and Milton's where
39:38they've got all
39:39the main street
39:39of Milton ripped up.
39:40I'm going to move
39:45these cones
39:45around this milk tanker here
39:47because
39:47you ain't going to get past it.
39:51Oh, my God.
39:52He's actually moving cones.
39:54I can't believe it.
39:55Normally, he'd just be like,
39:57oh, it's going up
39:57to things over.
39:58Don't even worry about it.
40:04Yeah, he should get
40:05around there now.
40:05Hauling an oversized
40:07combined mass
40:09of almost 90 tonnes
40:10in a 30-year-old truck
40:12he's only driven
40:13once before,
40:15Sludge is relying
40:16on his problematic pilots,
40:18Paul and Sarah.
40:20When you've got
40:20your partner with you,
40:21they have different ideas.
40:23It's not a bed of roses.
40:27Have you heard any more
40:28about these roadworks
40:30and fruitlands, Paul?
40:32I just heard
40:33that they're
40:34closing the road
40:35at one o'clock.
40:37We're going to be
40:38really, really
40:39pushing it hard
40:40to get there.
40:41Look at that.
40:44The team have
40:45less than two hours
40:46to get through
40:47a scheduled road closure
40:48ahead
40:49or risk being
40:50forced to stop
40:51overnight.
40:52After six o'clock,
40:54we're not allowed
40:54to drive oversize.
40:56So if they hold us
40:56up too long,
40:57we're not going to
40:58make one again at night.
40:59Here we go.
41:00It's into the hills
41:02and the windy stuff
41:03and this is where
41:05I've got to be
41:06super vigilant.
41:07We're coming
41:08into the gorge now
41:09and I've got to be
41:10central in the middle
41:11of the road
41:12so they've got to
41:12stop all the cars.
41:14Well, I don't know
41:15if you can hear me
41:15but there's two cars
41:16after the petrol tanker.
41:19After that,
41:20the road is closed.
41:27Pull over!
41:28Pull over!
41:30Pull right over!
41:34Just pull in
41:34as far as you can go!
41:36Yep!
41:38We've got to put
41:39the power dividers
41:40in now
41:40because the road's wet
41:41so that locks the arse
41:43end up giving us
41:44more drive.
41:46F***ing hell!
41:47Shit!
41:51It's just starting
41:53to skid a little bit
41:53and light the tyres up.
41:54I'm just fighting
41:59trying to keep out
42:00on the dry bits
42:01of the road
42:01just to keep the traction.
42:05Otherwise,
42:05we wouldn't have
42:06made it over that.
42:10Coming up
42:10to where the road
42:11closure is
42:12and it's touch and go.
42:13I don't know
42:14if we're going to get this.
42:14We've got a large transporter
42:29at 4.3 coming through.
42:30It's about 90 tonne.
42:32We'll just go along quietly.
42:33Is that okay?
42:34Copy?
42:34Yeah, that's all right.
42:41Yeah, copy, sludge.
42:43Yep, nah,
42:43they're giving us the okay
42:44to come through.
42:45We need to get authority
42:46just in time.
42:47We're cutting off here
42:48in four minutes' time.
42:50Beautiful.
42:56It's a pretty straight
42:57run home now.
43:04Well, guys,
43:07it's a big thank you.
43:09Mission completed.
43:14Good job, Dart.
43:17To see him back here
43:18pretty much
43:19close to his old self,
43:21it's fantastic.
43:22I'm wrapped, actually, for him.
43:25I was struggling
43:26after the accident.
43:28Am I good enough
43:29to drive trucks again?
43:31And to have done
43:32what I've done
43:33is huge.
43:35I'm probably lucky enough
43:36to have a second chance
43:37of life.
43:38My father,
43:39he wasn't lucky enough,
43:40but I think he'd be proud
43:42of what I've done
43:42over the years.
43:44Sludge is back.
43:45This time we've crossed
43:46the threshold
43:46and we're gonna do it again.
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