blog.sickdovel.net

A journal of our adventures

Archive for March, 2011

Less days to go than days we’re away

Mar 22

Posted by Anthony in Big Lap 2011 | Comments off

Geez it feels like its getting close now, even though its still 4 months away …

The countdown has taken on a more urgent and somewhat sinister tone.  Not that I’m not looking forward to the trip, quite the opposite, but I’d like to get a few more pre-tasks checked off the list sooner rather than later.

I am panicing a bit at all the things that still need doing and yet every weekend still seems to get chewed up with other tasks and events.

In reality, a lot of things are already done.  The trip agenda is as planned as its going to be.  The van really doesn’t need a lot done to it to be ready.  Not many more items need to be purchased.  If we needed to we could go tomorrow.  Except …

The big news though is that the tow vehicle has changed.  A bit of a spur of the moment decision has seen all my preparation for the current vehicle wasted and I need to start again with a blank canvas.

The blank canvas has already been coloured in pretty well though.  We’re starting with a Prado Kakadu Diesel.  Bullbar, Towbar, Dual batteries, Snorkel, High current wiring loom, Roof racks, etc all need to be found, purchased and fitted in the time remaining … and I’ve not placed the order for it yet.  That should all happen tomorrow though and the dealer has one in stock in Kellies preferred choice of colour.  Delivery is hoped to be April 1st.

The Rexton celebrated the news that it was not going to be going on the big trip by overheating … it wasn’t really overheating, just the gauges said it was.  And folks reckon cars don’t have emotions, feelings and personalities … I beg to differ!  We’ll all feel a bit more security in doing the trip in a less exotic vehicle though.  I’ve woken up a few nights from dreams where we’d been stranded and our holiday ruined due to not being able to get a part for the Rexton. 

Hopefully my dreams return to blissful Coral Bay sunsets, sipping something from Margaret River, while watching the kids play on the beach and marvelling at the location.  The most frequent recurring dream I have though is one of hitching up on day 1 and driving past work that last time (for awhile), up and over the Westgate and looking back over the city … it’s a bit emotional .. and it’ll be bloody surreal (and unreal)  when it happens ‘for real’, with a rod and reel stowed in the van and REEEEAAAALLY quiet kids in the back of the car … in just 109 days.  Doesn’t seem quite real yet … I’d best go to bed and dream some more.

Kellie has us both back on ‘the crazy diet’ for another 3 weeks stint.  We should be both very close to our goal weights by then.  I’ll be the lightest I’ve been since discovering beer …

Diet update

Mar 7

Posted by Anthony in Big Lap 2011, Caravanning | Comments off

Well I managed to stick with Kel’s crazy diet plan and ended up shedding 7.8kg over the 3 weeks. Not too surprising when it only has about 800 calories a day on it.
Now I’m going to have a couple of weeks of eating normally and then give the super low calorie diet another 3 week stint.

The travel plans are a bit up in the air at the moment. Looks like we’ll be cutting Tom Price and reinstating Kalgoorlie.  Looks like we’ll cut Alice Springs/Uluru and Olgas, but will probably get down as far as the devils marbles.  There wasn’t much ‘sit and relax’ time and cutting out a week of Alice Springs area will help.  That area really needs to be explored properly over a longer time frame anyway.  The rest of the trip has been done, just not published yet until I sort out the middle bit a bit better.

*sigh* Then, as the current car is at 160000 kms and has reached the end of the lease I made the mistake of starting to research what the next car would be.   So now ‘I want it now!’ and am seeing whether I can get a new lease car started up and delivered by 1/6.   The Rexton would do the trip just fine and has already had plenty done to it in preparation.  Despite being a bit of an unknown quantity when we got it the Rexton has performed extremely well.  It’s got the same power as the replacement, drives well, is very comfortable and has enough toys to keep everybody entertained, is quite capable off road, etc.  But, she’s getting on a bit, has the wading depth of a small puddle and spare parts are dicey.  The notion of getting stuck out there and waiting on spare parts really doesn’t excite me.  Last time I had to get a windscreen it took 2 months to arrive as a special order, lucky the one in it at the time just had a big crack and not smashed.  I’m still waiting on replacement hinges and odd parts for the cargo bay… These sort of delay would seriously stuff up our plans.  So in theory a new, less exotic vehicle would have a much greater chance of getting back on the road quickly.

Getting it in my hands by 1/6 would give me 1 month to get it hardened up and prepared for the trip. Underbody protection, suspension lift, bullbars, Wiring to suit all the cameras, braking system, dual battery system, CB, tow bar, storage, fridge mount! As well as run it in … really don’t think I’ve got time to swap vehicles at this late stage, but we’ll see.

As far as the van goes it STILL needs the 2 cameras mounted on it.  1 hasn’t arrived yet.  I’ve still got to sort out a small box/shield at the front to protect the jerry cans.  Might be able to get away with a stone deflector…

Probably this weekend we’ll be stripping out the van and having a trial packing run.  This weekend is also the last caravan show before we go.  Last chance to buy some useless crap!  We’re going anyway though to see if there’s any deals to be had and no doubt some gadget I have to have.  There’s no big purchases left to make …

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