Above: Matilda's broken front spring - now replaced with Audi parts. NB: we do love Matilda's ability to inspire group discussions by men in any mechanic repairs workshop!
Above: Matilda getting some much needed hot welding love. Only her third mechanical hoist in two days...
Above: the burly Kazak truck driver with massive guns and obligatory crack...
Above: free apples from a Kazak truck driver who Karen flagged down to borrow his male brute strength.
After our Kazak mechanic, 'Bucket', told us the spare parts Matilda needed didn't exist in Kazakhstan, we had no other choice but to suck it up and head north, hoping to reach our convoy friends before Matilda gave up.
Departed: 8pm Monday. Arrived: 4am Wednesday. Average speed: 50km/h.
Hours sleep: 2 for Sardi, 1 for Karen.
Number of hours before welding and front spring broke: 5.
Number of times stopped to do repairs: 5.
Number of truck drivers flagged for assistance: 1.
Number of juicy apples given to us by truck driver: too many to count!
Number of times Beaches sound track played non-stop: 2 (Karen didn't want to wake Sardi by changing tapes).
Number of mechanic super heroes found: 2 - Matilda now fixed with Audi parts!
Convoy arrived back from nightclub just in time to greet us - they'd gone out all night and didn't believe we'd make it. Have earned new level of respect from guys.