Great stay for a day (or three)

Due to the front wheel problem we've had lately, we stopped to check the oil level in the front hub on the side of the road at Brighton-le-sands. Plenty of clearance even for a big rig to park safely, and out of the way from residences - or so we thought. An anxious resident from the other side of the road (which is six lanes wide, mind you) expressed his disapproval of us stopping there, and in his words, "blocking the view from my waterfront unit". Although we knew we hadn't done anything wrong, it still left us with an uneasy feeling. This was soon to change when we got a visit from a police officer responding to a complaint, when she confirmed we were legally parked there, and as far as the police or council are concerned, there's no problem with us stopping there. "And what a beautiful spot it is", she said before wishing us a great day.  

We know how hard it is to park near beaches in a bus sometimes, but it was so easy to pull over here and let the kids go for a swim. There's showers and public toilets close by too, so we ended up staying for the day (or three). As long as you are self contained and discreet, even with five kids and a dog who says hello to everyone, I don't think big rigs would have a problem stopping at the Grand Parade to enjoy the beautiful Brighton-le-sands. Traffic noise can be a problem, and it goes on all day until about midnight. Our bus has double glazed windows thus giving us the comfort while parking on busy roads. After all, we're in the phantom.

- D -

Easy access to the beach

                                      

View from upstairs window

Friendly visit from officer confirmed we were parked just right.

And fishing we went

They say change is as good as a holiday, and in our case change of scenery IS a holiday! For my husband going fishing is a holiday, and since our children all seem to take after him, even the least likely fisherwoman (me) had to agree to this marvellous idea. Besides, when the kids are busy - whether it's fishing, swimming or playing in the park - us big people get some rest too. I spent my quiet moment reading a newspaper while the rest of the family caught us some dinner, and by the time they were all satisfied with their catch, it was already bedtime: some more quiet time. This is what I would call a win-win situation. 

- M -

The keenest fishermen kept going until it was dark.

When there's water, there's always a chance to swim. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is non-negotiable. 

Even these pelicans couldn't stop us from catching some fish.

It is time to move on!

Well, we got a knock on the door by the first visitor that we didn't know, since being on the road. And I'm happy to say it was Mr Ranger from Canterbury council. Apparently the good hard working rate payers from the housing commission blocks in Riverwood complained about seeing the phantom parked up on the side of the road without obstructing or endangering anyone, 2-3 days of the week. It's so good to see that someone is always looking out for you, for the good or the bad. And in this case, it's not good for me, and on the other hand, it must be good for the houso for whatever reason it may be.

In all truth, I would have thought that this had been the last place in Sydney to have anyone complain about the phantom because when one walks around the streets, on the side of Riverwood where we were parked, on any given day there's a pile of rubbish, abandoned furniture, unread mail and other things alike. Well, I don't know who's the local member for the area, but I can see the election is coming up, and if Jihad Dib, the local labor member wins the seat, I can only hope that he makes a difference. God bless Australia and everyone in it. On the bright side, they've just forced all fishing rods on deck!

- D -

Rubbish day every day

Common sight in Riverwood

Mechanic's workshop out of housing unit?

Here's the hopeful saviour.

Waste not want not

When living in a bus you have to be aware of water consumption and waste, as water supply is limited to tank size, and you have to be able to carry your waste (grey and black water as well as general rubbish) until you reach the next dump point. I've cut my water usage right down when washing up, and we don't unnecessarily wash clothes either. When living in a house I'd routinely do a load or two of washing every day, whereas now we usually have a laundry day once a week.

Power supply is another limited resource. We have a 1000 watts worth of solar panels on the roof, which maintains our fridge/freezer, lights, TVs, security surveillance system, phone chargers and fans, but for vacuuming or air conditioning we need to run the generator. Therefore we daily sweep the floors and vacuum once a week, and only use the air conditioning if it gets extremely hot in the bus. Where I used to spend a couple of hours for cleaning a four bedroom house, it only takes me a half an hour to do the same in the bus. I like!

As we mainly cook on gas, we favour quick and simple meals, so no more oven dishes that I used to cook especially in the cold climate of my home country. We do have an oven though, so if we ever feel like cinnamon buns or fresh bread, we can still enjoy these favourites too.

Storage space in the bus is also limited, so we don't buy anything unless we really need it . The children have a set amount of toys and lots of books, but they often play outdoors, and we use local libraries regularly for some variety in story books. We have a decent amount of storage for winter and summer clothes, but yet again only carry what we need. 

And the man cave (also known as "dad's garage" or storage at the back of the bus)? It is full of tools and materials that might come handy when maintenance on the bus is required, and as I've learnt already, we DO need to carry a long ladder to reach the solar panels and surveillance cameras at the height of 4.3 meters when repairs are required. 

We don't spend time on yard work either, since we don't have one. I sometimes think this is one of my husband's favourite things about living in a bus: no more lawn mowing! A little portable herb garden would perhaps be nice, but as none of us is a real green thumb, we can manage just fine as it is.

- M -

One of our power eaters, still manageable from the solar supply.

We try to limit the amount of toys - and have noticed less is indeed more.

We are happy to sacrifice some of our precious storage space to carry some of our most loved books on board.

And it comes in threes, even when it's break downs and repairs...

Sometimes travelling is like dancing on roses - a beautiful flow of movement until something pricks you on your heel and the movement stops. This time it was a tyre that blew, and obviously brought our driving to an immediate halt between Goulburn and Sydney. Driver dad nursed the bus to a safe place to stop, and got to work. When it comes to tyres this size, it pays off to be big and strong, as they are heavy! Mum was of no help except in keeping the children entertained on the side of the highway until we were ready to hit the road again. It comes in threes, they say, and I sure hope this saying is true as the old girl  does not deserve another incident in a row.

- M -

Good old Goulburn

So, we got up this morning with clear view of parliament house and bureaucracy all around, had a coffee and joined the kids to the fresh banana cake (thanks to IGA), started the old girl, and she didn't want to leave! I have a feeling she liked the bureaurats. So we had to get NRMA to persuade her to get going under the watchful eye of 'federales'. Thank you NRMA, Goulburn here we come!
Good to get away from the cold weather and bureaurats of Canberra only to find about 20km out a loud noise coming off the front wheel, which was immediately diagnosed by the onboard engineer that front left hand disc brake pads needed attention asap. With this drama at hand Goulburn was a welcome sight, and the backup support we received from the specialist heavy vehicle mechanics at Mechanica motors was second to none in workmanship and price, not to mention the prompt response. If you have to break down, do it in Goulburn!
When it rains it pours, because after booking the bus in for repairs, we went to the centre of Goulburn city to give the kids a break at Bellmore Park just to find out more drama: the bus wouldn't start. And again, prompt response, this time from Lee & Thomas Auto Electrical Services. Thanks to Dave, it was dignosed, fixed and ready to roll within an hour. Thanks again Goulburn!
Now let's see what Sydney has to offer on our way to Cairns.

- D -

We might be broken down...

...but some of us are still smelling roses in town...

...just to calm us all down.

The capital city

We made our way to Canberra on Kings highway, as that was the shortest way from Batemans Bay to there. It might have been the only option anyway, but perhaps some research on the road would have made us change our route - or maybe not. But the steep and windy road up Clyde Mountain, and all of its 781 meters AHD, took some juices out of the big white bus and us all. With the old lady slightly overheating as there weren't enough safety ramps to rest at along the way, two children with motion sickness, and mother absolutely terrified of the heights, driver dad somehow remained cool as a cucumber, and drove us safely up and down the beautiful mountain. And when it comes to scenery, Kings highway is definitely worth the drive (just maybe not in a double decker bus if you are nervous on curvy mountain roads). And as we later found out, this drive helped us diagnose a worn brakepad that otherwise would have been left unnoticed for too long. 

Somehow we managed to pick up our normal energy levels after this tiring drive, and had a ball exploring the surrounds of the parliament house, tent embassy and a number of other embassies while finding the Embassy of Finland for a passport interview. And for the first time on our travels we had to turn around as a bridge ahead would have been too low for our 4.3 meter bus to drive under. But once again, the driver skilfully turned the vehicle around in nearly impossible conditions. 

- M -

Attempted invasion of the parliament house. 

Backup has arrived!

Jiniba heading in to the parliament to have a word with the ones that are dogging Abbott.

These people's country has been invaded enough, so we were just happy to take photos...

...gain more information...

...and pay our respect.