Port Albert - Tree

A cool change in the weather came through as I was performing bringing quite strong winds.

As I set off for home I noticed how strong the Westerlies were and also how much tree debris was on the road: Leaves, sticks, pine needles with the odd branch or two. The debris was so thick at times you couldn't even see the black surface of the road.

Conditions gradually worsened until I had a major issue at the bottom of Powers Hill, just before Gormondale. I was travelling slower, around 80 kph, but not slow enough to avoid a tree that had fallen across the road. Mind you it wasn't a huge tree, more of a sapling the thickness of my forearm and their were two of them. As I drove over a crest I see the headlights of car on the other side of the tree which momentarily blinded me. After I recovered some of my sight I spot the saplings across the road and attempted to slow down but new I wouldn't be able to stop in time. I braced myself for the big bang and was rather mystified to only hear a thud. By the time I stopped I was wondering what happened. The windscreen was fractured but I seemed to be in one piece to my amazement. Nothing else to do but keep going, so I did. I wonder what the other car thought.

Ouch!

After I parked the car at home I took the flashlight out and inspected the damage. What seems to have happened is that I went under the tree. Because of the shape of the car I lifted the sapling and it just slid over the car causing a bit of damage but nothing major thank goodness. The left hand side took the hit with scratch marks on the roof all the way back to the radio antenna.

I'm one lucky guy that the could have been a lot worse off!

I had to rent a vehicle the next day from Budget to fulfill the second night of the Port Albert gig. The condition of the road was nothing like it was last night. Not a leaf or anything like it on the road, it was completely clean. You would have never guessed how bad conditions were last night.

No events on the way home, but I was still a little spooked from last nights adventure.