Day Fifteen – Stuck in tropical FNQ

You know those days when you wake up late, tell room service to go away, eat weet-bix out of a UHT milk carton, call mechanic, call RACQ, call mechanic, call mechanic, eat cold leftovers (no microwave) call mechanic, call RACQ, call taxi, pick up hire car, empty what we need for the next week from the Delica into hire car and return to hotel to eat Japanese curry and then go to bed? Yup, that’s the kind of day we had.

We’re officially going to be ‘stuck’ in Cairns for the rest of the week. I know, most people would see that as a blessing! Oh, a week in Cairns with hotel and hire car paid for?

Mechanics tried a few things this morning, including a shift in tactics and inspected the transmission. Still no definitive culprit for the problems we’re having, but the most likely candidate is also one of the most expensive… the dreaded Mitsubishi Delica L400 turbo-diesel fuel pump…

Bit the bullet, rolled the dice and gave the mechanic the go-ahead to start work overhauling the pump. It has always been in the back of my mind, hoping that it would last at least until I sold it, just like it did on our last one (sorry, Chewy). I have no problems paying the $1400+ for the repair, as I knew that it would need it at some point in it’s life – I just don’t like the gamble that this might not fix it…

Anyway, the positives. They gave us a BRAND NEW hire car. As in, literally brand new – 25km on the odometer! Little nervous about having something this new – a little hard to deny that a scratch/dent etc wasn’t there before. We’re going to use it to do some day trips north to Port Douglas and the Daintree rainforest. The hotel we’re currently in is a little basic, but from tomorrow we’re moving to a one bedroom room.

５月２８日（火）　１５日目

昼すぎまでメカニックからの連絡を待っていたけど、やはりまだ時間がかかるみたいで、今日もケアンズで足止め。　今日からは、RSCQがレンタカーを手配してくれるので、街までタクシーでレンタカーを借りに行き、(まだ誰も借りていない走行距離30kmのヒュンダイの新車！）しかデリちゃんから食材と調理器具を調達し、ホテルの部屋でカレーライスを作りました笑　たぶんこの部屋で日本のカレーを作った人は、私が最初だと思う笑　明日からお願いしてキッチン付きの部屋に移動してもらえるので、ちょっと楽になります。　　早ければ、木曜日か金曜日、土日は営業していないので、遅ければ月曜日までかかるかもしれないらしい、、、