For years, I’d dreamed of conquering Chambers Gorge, a remote wonder nestled deep in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia. With its ancient Aboriginal rock art and its notorious inaccessibility, it promised to tick everything I consider an adventure. The nearest hint of civilization was a tiny town 210 kilometres away, boasting just a petrol station, a pub, and a patchy phone signal.
As we finally arrived at Chambers Gorge in the late afternoon, the golden hues of sunset bathed the rugged landscape. I remember looking up in awe at the gorge walls. It was truly beautiful. Just as I was preparing to park the ute into a picture perfect campsite, a thunderous bang erupted from the rear of the vehicle, jolting me into a cold sweat. The drive had completely failed and the whole rear diff had seized up. There was no help in sight, no signal, and no passing traffic. We were completely stranded and very alone
With darkness fast approaching, I sprang into action. Known for my DIY prowess, I had to get the ute jacked up in the unstable, sandy riverbed. I wrestled with a gum tree, chopping it into makeshift blocks to prop up the vehicle. As the temperature dropped and shadows lengthened, I crawled under the ute, so many emotions and the sand mingling with my sweat.
Armed with nothing more than a basic toolkit and a flashlight jammed between my teeth, I began the marathon task of stripping out the rear drive assembly. I wrestled with stubborn bolts and tangled parts, removing the rear drive axles, tail shaft, brakes, and diff—essentially everything from the engine back. Each wrench turn and each gear removed was a battle against time and the encroaching night.
After 7 gruelling hours, I managed to convert the 4WD Hilux into a front wheel drive rig, barely capable of limping along at 40km/h. With the nearest town still 210 kilometres away, the real ordeal had only just begun.
At dawn, as the first light painted the ancient rock art in vivid colours, I took a moment to appreciate the beauty around us. Then, we hit the road, inching our way back. By 8 a.m., we were on the move, and after 8 excruciating hours of crawling along at a snail’s pace, we finally reached the elusive phone signal. With a few frantic calls, I got some advice that allowed me to tweak the ute, boosting our speed to a more bearable 70km/h. I looked at the map; we were still 1400km from home, with a vehicle that would fit the name Frankenstein
We spent an unfruitful day of chasing parts in Broken Hill. The parts we needed were all sitting on shop shelves, hundreds of kilometres in the opposite direction. We decided to press on and drive the 1400 kilometres back to Canberra in this cobbled-together beast. It became our mission to get home. Slow and steady, we rolled on and Four days later, we rolled into our driveway, exhausted but triumphant, I knew I had lived an adventure for the ages.
This mighty story gets brought up often around the campfire. I often get asked..’ what did you take away from it all
“Always pack good tools and don’t let a breakdown ruin a good trip”
Safe travels

This category is sponsored by Freely Travel Insurance.

 Freely is a brand of Cover-More Insurance Services Pty Limited ABN 95 003 114 145 (AFSL 241713) (Cover- More). The information provided is only on the availability of Freely products. We do not give advice and the information provided is not intended to give an opinion or recommendation regarding the product. For information on what’s covered and how to contact Freely, refer to the PDS, FSG & TMD which can be found here: freely.me/au.