Michel had issued our marching orders; we needed to leave our idyllic seaside sanctuary in the early hours and drive a difficult, sandy stretch of coastal road before it got too warm. The last two cars to make it through had taken six hours to reach Salary Bay. The Land Cruiser, tires half-deflated, hubs locked in low, was ready.

As we crawled along the bumpy, sandy track, Michel regaled us with tales of vehicles that had been defeated by this stretch of road. In the cool of the morning, with a trace of dew, the loose, deep sand provided just a little more traction. The Toyota dug in with torque to spare. Michel guided it patiently, expertly. We arrived well before lunch and had two nights in one place! At the beach!!
