All Aussie adventures, it’s time to hit the road

IT'S TIME

The day has finally come. After many sad goodbyes and hours spent organising, the morning of our last day in Brisbane had finally come.

Adam was sad to see me go... 

...but he quickly made new friends

I had originally planned to try to get to Eungella National Park on the first day. Until, that is, Becky pointed out that finishing cleaning, packing, handing over the keys etc., followed by an 11 hour drive might be asking too much. We settled on Rockhampton, with the idea being we’d make it 8 hours on the first day, spend the night in a motel before heading off early the next day.

Morning has broken, like the first morning.

We woke at 6am, and started the tedious job of the final bit of cleaning and packing the car. As the hours of the morning started to stretch out, we decided that 8 hours would also be too long and thought the 6 hours to Gladstone was a better bet.

Taking it in one last time.

A little after noon, the car packed and the flat cleared, we set off from our now former residence with Gladstone as our targeted destination.

 

The time has come

30 minutes later we pulled into IKEA, just north of Brisbane, for some well-deserved meatballs and snacks.

 

Well deserved break from the road

We've decided one of our aims on this trip will be to visit all eight IKEA stores around Australia, Starting with North Lakes and ending with Logan. Yes, we all have dreams…

First of many.

After stocking up on Kalle’s caviar and Marabou, plus a few extra bits and pieces, we got back on the road a little after 2pm… and then 6 and a half short hours later, at a little after 8:30pm, we pulled into our motel in Gladstone for a well deserved rest. The plan now is to get up early and try to get to Eungella by early arvo tomorrow, simple. That’s how we do.

This being my third post, I have surpassed my expectation of two. Sure the high standard set by the first has slipped a bit, but I’ve been up since 6am and driving for over 6 hours, so what do you expect?

I’ve done a number two, Mummy...

I thought a good second post would be about our preparations, and I had planned to post it on the same day as the first, but then our internet expired, other jobs needed doing and it all became a little too much hassle. So now I sit here, after almost 7hrs driving, trying to get this one in while it's still relevant.

Over the past two months we have been planning this trip, sold our beloved Freelander, installed and fixed things to the “new” Landcruiser, and stocked up with all the gear needed for six months on the road.

Becky giving the car a farewell hug.
Not weird at all

Working out what we need and don’t need to take has involved a bit of back and forth between Becky and myself. Normally I whine like a toddler about how I want something, and she tells me it’s a complete waste of money. Some I win, some I lose. But we both wanted fly nets, fuck cork hats.

Fly nets: Look like twats,
but a must in the outback

One of the bigger things was the install of a draw system with fridge slide. Now I’m not the handiest of people, but thought I’d give it a go. The install time for the draw system we bought was ~2hrs, so I took a morning off work to get shit done.

Took 30mins just to get it out of the packing

~6hrs later…ta da. I lost a bit of blood and broke a socket set, but the finished kit looked good and I felt my manhood somewhat restored. I’m now a doer…

Spilt real blood for this 

But will it all fit?

We decided on a trial run, to see how it all worked, so we plodded off to Jimna with Ric and Lorelle. Bar a few dramas with the second battery (an issue fixed by Ric… manhood dissolved), we had a lovely time trying out all the flash gear. The best bit was burning a wooden box on the fire…fire good.

What sort of campers don't have an inflatable sofa?

That’ll do for this one. I’ve got to get another one up about our first day on the road. Two in one day, aren’t you all so lucky?

The first of many?

Thanks to my big mouth I now find myself writing a blog. I told too many people, and while most of them assumed it would never happen like many other things I said I'd do, Yvonne wouldn't let it lie.

So, here it is, the site where we will document our ~6 months on the road. I'm expecting to put at least 2 posts before I lose interest..... or maybe this will be it.

It's just beginning

We have spent the last two months preparing, and now we are 2 more sleeps from leaving. We have bought all the gear, Becky has sold most of our comfy flat and now we are in the panic zone.

We've gone from a cosy Ikea showroom, to a packing centre in weeks. But we're nearly there now.

It never ends

 And with gold like this you'll all be on tenterhooks waiting for the next post, I bet.