Category: How it Began

Well it is all getting a little too real. It is hard to put into words how we are feeling about our adventure.

Sometimes we are so busy with organising jobs around the house, selling furniture, packing boxes, getting quotes for removalists and ordering parts for car and caravan that we forget what the end prize will be.

We have spent the last month trying to get our life organised. George has offically retired, just can’t convince him of that, my work role has changed so many times over the last 12 months that I am confused about what I am suppose to be doing, we keep hugging the dog and feeling more guilty by the day that we are not taking her and we are trying to catch up with friends that we won’t see for another year.

The house is starting to look a little baron. We have installed gates under the house (thanks to my wonderful builder Simon Brown) so it tidies things up, currently replacing and fixing taps, light switches, etc. Will soon start washing walls and cleaning up the gardens so they don’t look so tatty.

We have booked the removalist, the carpet cleaner and organised to move out into our caravan one week before our departure so that we can have time to do the last minute jobs. We have joked that we have made our first booking of our trip, one weeks accommodation in our van at the Ulladulla Caravan Park. So adventurous of us.

George and I have days where we just think lets just go now and then other days we are wondering what the hell are we doing!

We continue to read lots of blogs, facebook pages and you tube clips from other travellers and have picked up a lot of tips regarding travelling with the van, what to pack and not to pack, tyre pressures, weight, suspension, so on and so on. Where would we be without these helpful tips?

So for the remainder of February we continue on packing and selling things on the weekends that we are home. We are having 4 days at Crackenback with Lee and Kerry compliments of my boss and his wife who have given us the accommodation for 4 days. We really appreciate their kindness.

After we come back from that weekend we are down to two months before departure!!!!

The two most powerful warriors are patience and time

Leo Tolstoy – War and Peace

War and Peace that is how it has felt as we get closer to leaving.

We have spent so much time sorting, packing, selling stuff, giving away stuff, organising removalists, converting mail to electronic mail, doing maintenance jobs around the house all whilst trying to continue working five days out of seven.

My house no longer looks like my home. There is stuff everywhere and whilst I am trying to keep some order to the caos I am slowly losing grip of my control. Some would not blink at this but I am a true Leo, have to be in control at all times and know what is coming next!

If there was any tip I could give, it would be one person do the packing, one room at a time and dont let the husband help! Sorry George but you are so easily side tracked that it would have been easier without you!! LOL.

However all has not been lost. George has just about finished putting all the finishing touches on the caravan. We have added bits and pieces to the van in an attempt to make living in a confirmed space for 12 months a little easier. This is what George is really good at. He is way more practical than me and when I come up with crazy ideas, he finds a way to accommodate my ideas but in a far more practical way. Alas the van is ready to rock and roll.

We finally decided on a decal that we wanted on the van. Whilst away at “Grasmere Chalet” at Lake Crackenback https://www.stayz.com.au/holiday-rental/p7715374?petIncluded=false&noDates=true (which we highly recommend to everyone) we saw a lodge name “Kickenback” and it truly was the way we both felt about our trip. So “Gadget and Puddles – Kickenback” was born

In addition to the modifications to the van, we have added a new First Aid Kit, a Snake and Spider bite First Aid Kit, satellite dish for the TV, catalogued everything in the van, re-arranged the van, taken out things we don’t us and added a few things that will be needed.

It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.–Howard Duff

Well no sooner had I finished my last post “eight weeks to go” our world was turned upside down.

Who could have predicted a Pandemic on top of everything we had been through in the second half of 2019 and the devasting bushfires of New Years Eve 2020. Well I suppose the only answer to that is CHINA!

The week before everything grinding to a halt, we were lucky enough to enjoy a beautiful weekend at Wallaga Lake with many of our friends by way of farewell to us on our big lap. The weekend saw the weather starting a bit ify but it turned out to be glorious, enjoyable and full of fun, friends and our last trip with our faithful “Tilly” dog until we return.

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With the rapid spread of the virus predicated to bring us to our knees all our plans were put on hold. 1 May came and went and whilst we should have been on the road instead we were house bound not knowing when our trip could begin. After cancelling removalists and tenants, accommodation, flights to Melbourne, learning to work from home at reduced hours but still five days a week, we spent many hours discussing “what next”. We decided on two options. Option A was once the Victorian State border opened was to head south to Melbourne and see the boys (as we had not seen them for 6 months, 18 months without seeing them was not an option) and from there head towards the South Australia hoping borders would open. Option B was to wait until the Queensland border opened and head north after the winter.

Well Option A was the first to become possible so we are heading south for winter. Brrrrrrr!

So removalist has been booked, packing recommenced, house has been put up for rent, and we have set our departure date for 29 June 2020 with our arrival in Melbourne on 1 July 2020. We will spend two nights staying somewhere along the road to Melbourne (place yet to be decided).

Gardens have been re-planted, tidied, trees trimmed and George is busy carrying out the last minute alterations to the house (at last).

Van has been re-packed, clothes changed from Summer ones to Winter ones, bedding up graded to winter doonas and electric blanket. George has installed the diesel heater which will be godsend when we are free camping.

My only two concerns at this stage are a) weight b) is the van big enough for all Georges gadgets!! Time will tell.