Stand By Your Van

Ryan and I are currently marooned in Mallacoota, in Southeast Victoria. This is entirely the fault of Jessie Graham, the third (rather bolshy) member of our party.

Jessie Graham is a Ford Econovan. In her previous life she used to transport jumping castles. I suppose this should have been a warning to us that she was a machine accustomed to a certain amount of excitement and drama.

Having given us some worrying moments up north, Jessie Graham had been as good as gold all down the coast.

Perhaps we didn't pay her enough attention. Perhaps we should have given her flowers, or praised her more often. It turned out she was only biding her time until the next outburst.

We had had a great day at Wangaratta in Victoria, teaching creative writing and body percussion to school kids, and doing an interactive concert for them (including the highly exciting new Space Rabbits of Brocklevoons which involves lots of bouncing by all concerned.) Then we headed across to Mallacoota in Eastern Victoria for more of the same.

After a few ominous bangs crossing the Great Dividing Range, and a strange incident involving the total disappearance of all the recently re-filled coolant, Jessie Graham overheated and carked it at night in isolated Cann River, on the way to Mallacoota. (In an interesting side note, apparently many musicians break down there on the way to Mallacoota. It's called "The Cann River Triangle". You have been warned.)

We tried refilling the coolant (again) and test-driving her to a (closed) service station, whereupon she spat out all the coolant all over the engine cover in a scene reminiscent of The Exorcist.

I'll spare you the details of why we couldn't get towed the 70km to Mallacoota. In the end, very, very kind people from Mallacoota arranged to come and get us, and Jessie was towed away in disgrace somewhere else far away, amidst ominous talk of head gaskets. Luckily, thanks to the help we got here, we were able to make it to the school, had a fab day with the kids, and had a truly beautiful evening singing for the folks in the Mud Brick Pavillion.

There are many worse things in the world than being marooned in Mallacoota. Our hosts took us on a boat ride to isolated, exquisite Goanna Bay, ran our gig for us, and patiently helped us sort out our ridiculous problems. We're staying amidst beautiful bushland, full of birds and little creatures, and have lots of time to spend watching pelicans catch and gobble down fish, and other such fascinating things.

Jessie will take a while to repair, and it'll probably cost a bomb. Having already had to cancel one festival appearance this weekend, we are leaving her here, and returning to Melbourne by coach in order to make it to the Apollo Bay Festival next weekend and an ABC interview in Melbourne on Tuesday night. We'll have to come back and get her later.

I have to honestly say I feel a bit discouraged. If Jessie does not recover, the next leg of our trip ... across the desert to Perth ... may have to be replanned. We both feel determined to continue so I guess we'll have to wait to know more once the mechanic has had a proper look this week.