Kids were good as gold.
Any way we got the boat from river heads to Wanggoolba Creek.
Didn't get on to the island till 4 so we went straight to central station and set up camp and cooked dinner.
(the view up from our camp site)
(the view from my chair in the campsite)
Next day we explored central station and did the 1km walk.
Then headed out to the beech for a look and went did the 3 lakes senic drive while the kids had a nap.
Then went to Lake McKenzie for a swim in the arvo. Then back to our camp site for dinner.
Day 3 (of a planned
we packed up amp and headed north.Stop off for a chilly swim down Eli creek.
Relaxed there for a while then went up a bit more to the wreck for a look
and then went in to Cathedral Beach. Where I managed to leave my wallet (well my 6 month old did, he was playing with it, well that's my story and I sticking with it.)
We then made a way up to Indian Head where things got interesting. Driving in the soft sand I came across a rather bogged Pathfinder. I stopped and quickly sank.
Got my max trax out and got my self to a better place to stop and went back to try to get these guys out. I was shocked how many people just dove straight past them whilst they were bogged. After a bit of digging and pushing and rocking I came to the conclusion that they wernt getting them self out (they were sitting on the chassis rails). No recovery points on the front so I was going to winch them out off their tow bar backwards. I just got going and went and turned around on firm ground and came back.
I hadn't used my winch in a while, plug in the wireless remote key, tried to get it to work, nothing. Then remembered to turn the isolator switch under the bonnet. Nothing. Then realised I have the spare remote which didn't have a battery in. Got the right remote out, still nothing. Then found the switch to turn the remote on. Touch a button to see if we had power and we did. All this time I had my hand on the rope ready to pull it out to unhook it. But unfortunately tho button I pressed for a split second was the IN button. The winch tighten and wedge my fingers between the rope and the bolt for the bash plate. I knew it hurt, but wasn't sure how bad, so I pressed the winch out button and it released (thankfully). Both my Index and Middle finger on my left hand (Im left handed) were a mess. The index was down about 1/2 way, but I couldn't see any bone This was from the rope. But the other one was pretty nasty. It was ripped from under the nail down, it was about 3/4 of the way through and just sort of hanging there. Could see the bone on the finger side poking out.
I tried taking some photos when I did it, but most didn't work as its hard to work a slr one handed.
Went and told my misses that I had hurt my self a but played it down a bit and wouldn't show her. She had no phone reception and I went and told the guys who I was trying to recover. He and phone reception (all be it really sketchy) So he was calling the ambos. But he was Korean (living in Oz) and between his accent and dodgie reception its was a pretty long conversation. My misses had flagged a tour buss down and I got the bus driver to take over the phone. By this time the shock was wearing off and I was tring not to pass out and went and sat down in the drivers seat. My misses was going into shock a bit, she anit very good in high pressure situations. And she was trying to work out how she was going to get herself and the kids an the truck off the Island and to the hospital and then back home when she cant drive the triton. (she is 4"10' and cant drive manual and cant reach the pedals properly.)
By this time there was a few people stopped to help. The bus driver got going and the waiting game started. The feeling of passing out passed, and I wasn't bleeding at all really. I was giving people directions to everyone to make sure the max trax get back to my car and to pack up the winch controllers. They got the Pathfinder out which helped pass the time.
About an hour after it happened the ambos arrived and stopped and got bogged. He got going with max trax and everyone pushing and went to the other end and turned around. After a bit of discussion of how they were going to get me in the ambulance with out it getting bogged we just walked to the closest end (northern end) and then drove back to the southern end where we waited for the chopper.
Just when the chopper was on its way a call came over the radio that someone had staked hs bike and had a compound fracture to his leg and was passed out, so the chopper was diverted to him (he was an a bad way) So it was decided we would go back to the ambulance station at happy valley before the tide came in. So a 20 min drive. There was a very kind family who drove my car misses and kids to Happy vally for me and stayed with us. They did a lot of very kind things and I didn't even get their Names. That's Australia for ya I guess.
Anyway about 4 hrs after it happened the chopper on its way back, and another call of a kid qho had dislocated his shoulder on the north of the Island. So chopper diverted again. But I wasn't fussed. It remarkably didn't hurt that much. I didn't want anything for the pain as I didn't want to be all drugged up for the chopper ride and get crook. Plus it want that bad, I was cracking jokes, playing with the kids. Everything was much more relaxed. Well apart from the fact we had worked out I had left my wallet behind (quick phone call found iut that it had been handed in with everything still in there) But was another thing for the missus to have to work out how we were going to get it.
The ambos got the misses in a hotel right near the station which was great. We went sure if I could end up in brissie, or Hervey bay, or how long I would have to stay in hospital. Or how I would get back.
Anyway chopper finally come at about 9.
Got to the hospital about 9.30. I think I should have played it up a bit more as I just got put in the waiting room. (they had dressing on so no one could see it). About 45 mins later I got called in. And then sent to wait in the xray line. People with sprained ankles were going in before me, but I didn’t want to say anything. Got into xray about 40 mins later and this bloke was not gentle. Pulling and twisting, I was not too happy with him. Sent back to the waiting room.
About a minuet later everyone seem to jump into action. Cannula’s going in, Blood getting taken, consultants getting called. Antibiotic drips going in.
Ended up having to wait 26 hrs for a theatre to become available. But they saved both fingers and was let go the day after surgery.
Back on the island a UK couple staying in the same hotel as the misses offered to pick my wallet up on their day out. They were heading back to Hervey bay that afternoon so they ended up driving my car and family althe way back to a hotel near the hospital (was very generous of the, I can’t even put it down to the Aussie spirit as they were from UK. Just Very kind) Was a big load off my wifes and my shoulders.
I got out, and I was just going to walk down to the motel but one of the ladies visiting someone else in my roof made up a BS story about she was just about to go get some fuel, its right on the way and gave me a lift. Which I was really appreciated as it ended up being about 5km and the 2kms I worked out.
We stayed the night that night and headed down to my out laws and relaxing here. Please excuse the tyops still learning to type with my ring finger and way too tyred to reread it all again.
