Pre-event :
Dont even talk about it ...... suffice to say that we didnt get to Lakes until midnight Friday, and spent Sat morning fitting a new starter motor on the lawn of the pub. Not a good start. Made it to docco with only 15 mins to spare.
Still, we were only out there to have as much fun as possible .... rallying with Cusack is definitely a sheep-station-free zone.
SS1
Cruise out the first transport - pass George & Tamsey puttering along at about 40 km/h ... bummer guys.
Book in, ready to go, after KC gives the controllies a liberal squirting with his water pistol (this was a theme at every control
.... except it makes for a damp road book when he shoots across the car cos they are on MY side, of course
)
It becomes quickly apparent that :
- the Monaro is about as nimble as an aircraft carrier
- standard brakes on 2 tonnes or car are NOT fun !
- when he shifts the Powerglide up into 2nd, its time to worry .....
Nearly crash at the KL @ 18.58, due to the fact that the road closure official greeted us with a truly awful browneye (we later discover that this was Steve "Canoe" Hollowood ..... he'll keep !)
SS2
No dramas for us - but very disappointed to see Steve Richards' Escort in a crumpled heap after his accident with the 1600. (I nav for Steve fairly regularly, including getting 12th in the 2001 Alpine with him in that car.)
Then the Spac-mobile looking rather 2nd hand.
SS3
The long daylight one. Great stage, except that in the windy bit the brakes lasted about 2 km so we were really slow. Other cars off in the shrubbery everywhere .... bad case of "red mist" ?
I make the mistake of telling Ken where the spec point is ...... he is a total camera slut and always goes the "big sideways" wherever there is a lens in evidence. Big tankslapper out of the spec point ..... much giggling from the driver's seat.
SS4 & SS5
Nothing to report here ..... except we had to change a tyre on the transport before the first one. No idea where we punctured it. This means we now have only 1 spare in the car .... and none in the service trailer.
Main service
We put fuel in, clean the windscreen, buy another tyre of Stuckeys (no way we were heading out the "back of Buchan nowhere" with only one spare) ...... thank you Mastercard !!
Hang around bored stupid for 2 hours.
SS9 - Nunnet
70km ..... now the REAL stuff starts
Really enjoyed this stage (except where the dust was bad) .... just superb roads.
Things got a bit ugly on the 5km downhill run to control - what you guys refer to as the "Champagnes Bit" ..... cos after about 2 km the brakes are COMPLETELY gone .... and with an auto there is of course bogger-all engine braking.
On one of the left handers we come in a bit hot, run a bit wide into the loose stuff, and next the the back wheels are OVER THE EDGE OF THE ABYSS
.... Ken keeps the "welly" into it & we somehow get back on the road .... I dont think I started breathing until we reached control 3 km later ... then had about 4 ciggies in 5 mins !!!
We dropped a max, but only by 45 seconds. We reckon that's not too bad, really.
SS10 - Engineers
I had heard about Engineers Road from the "old guys" .... know I know why it is regarded as one of the "all time great roads" ... just amazing !!!
We catch the car in front (a bloody Volvo !) about 30 kms in & back right off in his dust, but he lets us past at the TL into Engineers Rd at 46.84 so we have a dust free run for the next 30-odd km till we get in the fresh dust of the next one (the Celica) but he eventually lets us through. Pass the 2 guys standing in the middle of nowhere with an OK board (no triangles or car .... apprently it was over the side) then another of our team cars (the green VN) which has run out of fuel.
Big handbrakey at the TVHR at the refuel point and virtually runn off the road
then the few kms of twisty stuff (where we run off between 2 trees in the dust ) then pass the Falcon which has nerfed the bank at the spec point just before the finish. End up dropping a max by about 4 mins.
WE MADE IT !!!!! 
My 3rd Alpine (1987, 2001, 2003), Ken's 7th (1972-1976, 2001, 2003) successfully completed.
We acheived our objectives - to finish, and to have fun. Result was really immaterial (I think we were 43rd or something).
Roll on 2005 ..... I hope we can talk God into doing it again.....
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