Blog - BRIDGET THE MIDGET

Hello Oz

5th October 200810th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

Fremantle is Western Australia’s principle port, and more or less a suburb of Perth the largest city of Western Australia. Originally established as a port for the Swan Valley Colony this is where many migrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries first set foot on Australian soil and this is where Bridget the Midget will come ashore from Chennai in India. I arrived from Phuket on the 30th September to learn that the container ship would be several days late and was to be expected on the 10th October giving me almost two weeks to acclimatise. The earliest that I am likely to be able to take delivery is the 13th October after all the formalities are completed. It has given me time to investigate the vehicle registration requirements which differ from state to state and source an insurance supplier that can offer cover acceptable to all states. I was met at the airport by a deputation from the MG Car...

Thailand

28th September 200810th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

It's Saturday the 27th September 2008 and I have had ten of my eleven days R & R. I have been in the resort of Phuket staying at the Cape Panwa Hotel and it has delivered exactly what I needed, peace, quite and beautiful surroundings. This is a sprawling complex consisting of the hotel, several villas with their own pools, a private beach of almost white sand, and the Sino-Portuguese mansion called Panwa House. It has featured in many film sets. I have done a little essential shopping in Phuket town and visited Coral Island where the water sports are excellent, but now I'm starting to get itchy feet which is nothing to do with the sea urchins. I have been in touch several times with people in Perth, mainly members of the MG Car Club of Western Australia, and they have been busy organising a workshop facility, spares and all the assistance that I could wish for. I am certain that I shall...

First Leg Summary

16th September 200810th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

The first leg of the challenge has taken me through 11 different countries covering 10,000 miles. There have certainly been several times when I thought I wouldn’t get to this point but there has never been an instant where I regretted trying. There have been a great number of experiences that I will never forget and some that I would rather, but my lasting memory will always be the people that I have met along the way; the warmth, friendliness and general helpfulness that they have so freely offered. It really started in Vienna and has grown with every new country I have visited, but perhaps in Iran more than anywhere. The tourist sight that made the most impression is, by far, the Golden Temple. Simply amazing. Then there were the termite houses in Kandovan, the Wagah border ceremony and the Jantar Mantar observatory in Dehli. The most memorable natural spectacles will be the picturesque mountains along the Caspian coast in Astara, the...

Goodbye India

12th September 200810th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

We are in Chennai, but only just. The time spent in Candolim was just what I needed. I met up with a lovely English (well almost English, from Watford) couple who were kind enough to take the old man under their wing. We had a great time and I thank them. The day before we were scheduled to leave Candolim I notice that Bridget's rear near-side tyre was a little deflated. I found a garage with an airline just down from the hotel and they agreed to inflate it for me. However the tyre didn’t want to play and on closer inspection I found it was badly cut in several places. This was obviously as a result of the road conditions coming into Goa. The guys at the garage quickly replaced the wheel with the spare but we haven’t been able to get a replacement tyre so we are hoping that we don’t get another puncture. There are two alternative main routes from Candolim...

End In Sight For First Leg

8th September 200810th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

From Udaipur the plan was to drive to Vadodara to stay over night, but I couldn’t find the hotel. This is the second time I have tried to stay at a Holiday Inn but have been totally unable to locate it. Either my navigation is rubbish, or their directions leave something to be desired. Given that I have found my way over 8,000 miles successfully I think my navigation is reasonably average. Anyway as there was still plenty of time I decided we should strike out for Pune, which was to have been the next stop after Vadodara, some 250 miles further on. Unfortunately the road surface deteriorated again making progress painfully slow and it soon became obvious that to reach my destination that day I would have to drive in the dark, something I had avoided doing previously. Then to make things a little more interesting the heavens opened and it poured. When it does this in India it really...