“Because I was pissed and driving like a dickhead, and now it’s making that noise.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I said, keeping a watchful eye on the ominous arachnid. “With what its been through the last few weeks, I don’t think your driving made much difference.”

More silence, and we all eventually made our way to the room.

In the morning we went to inspect the clatter from the back of the car. I climbed under, and, “Glen, I think I know what’s wrong.”

“What’s that?”

“We completely lost the suspension on the left side. I mean completely. The frame’s cracked where the spring attaches to it.”

We didn’t notice the previous night, but the car was also leaning to the left. Severely leaning. But with only a little more than 60 kilometers, we weren’t going to quit now.

We packed up, and after spending the morning on Myall Beach, completed the last of the trek; a ferry ride across the Daintree River and a short highway drive into Port. We were home.

We weren’t, however, safe yet. Pulling into Glen’s parking lot, I aimed for a spot at the far end of the parking lot, just in front of a 3 meter fall. I pulled in and, shit!, no brakes! We hit the curb, went up, teetered, hesitated, and, finally, fell back onto the cement.

“Hoorayyyy,” Glen laughed.

An adventure till the end.

Over the next few days we had enough time to give the old Landy a proper looking-over. The frame was cracked, yes. The brake master cylinder had given out. But what we didn’t know was we also managed to shear off both transmission mounts, get water into both differentials and transfer case (hey, at least there was some sort of fluid in there!) and break 3 of the 4 bolts holding the steering together. And Glen later admitted to backing the old girl into a tree, crunching the right rear quarter panel and smashing a taillight. I didn’t hold it against him. I couldn’t. After all, it was a small price to pay to know we had accomplished what so many Australian’s dream of, but few realize.

We made it there and back – even if it was done in a fashion more dramatic than necessary – and one day, I knew, we’d be there again.