Our travels often lead us to unexpected adventures, though sometimes we'd rather avoid the particular brand of excitement we experienced in Marian, Queensland. We were simply trying to resupply at the local Woolworths, a perfectly mundane task. Finding a parking spot proved more challenging than anticipated.
It turns out, our spatial awareness deserted us entirely as we attempted to navigate the bustling car park. In a moment of pure parking ineptitude, we managed to sideswipe a local delivery van, a Global Food & Wine Food Service vehicle, no less.
What ensued can only be described as a vehicular impasse. The rear bumper of the van became intimately acquainted with… well, let’s just say it took some effort to separate the two. The car park was thrown into a state of gridlock as we worked to extricate the bumper. It wasn’t our finest hour.
After much maneuvering, and with the assistance of several onlookers, we finally managed to free the van, albeit with a slightly altered rear profile. The damage to our rig, while not catastrophic, was certainly noticeable.
Some hasty repairs will be needed to keep the weather out.
We've always been advocates for carrying a variety of tools, and this situation certainly proved our point. It would have been impossible to get the bumper off without our trusty tool kit. We'll be adding some protective rails to the rig after this incident.
We left Marian with a renewed appreciation for wide-open spaces and a firm commitment to practicing our parking skills. Sometimes the best travel stories are born from the most unexpected (and slightly embarrassing) circumstances.
