What Terry Gets Up To In His Spare Time, Part I

Nearly all my blogs so far have been about the wonderful camping adventures we have got up to as a family, and a few misadventures too. Now whilst it would be a great thing if we could make a career out of exploring Australia, reality is a little more mundane.


We lead fairly normal busy lives around our two active young boys. We live in a small village, are involved with the school and all the associated social events that it entails such as birthday parties, community morning teas and the like. It is all good healthy fun. Somehow around all that I work full time, and whilst the tax man considers Jo’s employment part time, any mother would agree that being a mum is anything but a part time job!


As this blog started on the Australia4wd forum, it is only fitting that we look at what Terry – our 2005 Hyundai Terracan gets up to in his spare time. After all it is a well known fact that the majority of four wheel drives never venture off the blacktop.


Being a shift worker, we can almost survive on one car. In fact I have often argued that we could survive on 1.2 cars. After the catastrophic failure of an old EL falcon, we successfully survived for six months or so on one car, but it was tough going and required lots of planning and the occasional compromise on attendance at certain events. After six months we relented and bought another Falcon, which we swapped a short time later for Terry.


We do the majority of the kilometres (some 30 000km per year) in a 2006 Subaru Outback. Great little car, that is big enough to fit us all in, comfortable enough on the long country roads, and has a 5 star safety rating. We have fitted a SubaXtreme bullbar and driving lights, but that is it. It is serviced regularly, and I do also change the oil half way between the major changes to help in ensuring longevity of the engine.


Thus the Terry is very much our second car, doing a mere 15 000 km per year, and whilst a fair percentage of that is on camping trips, quite a bit is spent doing far more routine duties.


Mum or Dad's Taxi
Terry occasionally fills the role of Mum or Dad's Taxi. The boys prefer the higher sitting position in Terry, and also the fact we have replaced the radio with an ipod compatible unit, allowing audio books to be played (A favourite at the moment is The Waterhorse, closely followed by Winne The Pooh).

Mum's Taxi - Two Cheeky Monkeys and Pooch

Dad's Taxi - Two Monsters!

Wheelbarrow 
When building a cubby house for the boys, I found it far simpler to fill the back of Terry with all the tools, generator and hardware for the cubby and park the car by the worksite. The storage boxes in the back were packed with all manner of drills, saws, grinders and the like.  The boys enjoyed watching the progress too – although on one occasion I nearly had cause for a dash to the hospital.


Young Mr Four decided that he would climb on the roof of Terry, like Daddy had, to admire the view. I was busy putting the walls up, and when I realised where we was, instead of admonishing him, I figured that as long as he could get down by himself all would be fine. I asked him to climb down, which the monkey did. No worries me thinks. What could possibly go wrong.

Trusses Made - all reused hardwood.

About ten minutes later there was an almighty slam from Terry's back door. I looked up and there was Mr Four sitting on the ground. Initially I thought that Mr Four had climbed down and closed the rear door... but then I realised that he was a little shaken and not quite full of his normal chirpiness..

Turns out he was on the roof of Terry and decided to try to clean the dust off the back window. He had gone out further and further until the door closed and he dropped with it to the ground. Somehow he had missed all the timber, tools and tow bar to land on the grass and roll – uninjured.

It is about this moment that Mum usually turns up and Dad gets in all sorts of trouble, but no, I was safe this time. After double checking there were no broken bones, and a little discussion about the merits of climbing on top of open rear doors, it was 3pm, so we set off to pick up brother from school across the road.

We get back and fifteen minutes later I have Mr Four and Mr Five and a Half on Terry's roof. I wander over to ensure that they are both cognisant of the issues surrounding the load bearing capacity of the rear door, when I overhear Mr Four asking older brother to go out and clean the dust off the back window!!!

Whilst heartily laughing internally as the fact that Mr Four was about the get some of his own back on big brother, I had to play angry Dad and demand they both get down!

The Helpers Survive the building ordeal!

Stump Puller

Anyone who has dug out stumps with a shovel and a crow bar will realise how difficult the last bit can be. Like a six year old with a wobbly tooth, I was increasingly frustrated with my efforts to remove a stump. Whilst never having the courage as a six year old to tie a piece of string around the tooth and slam a door, the principle seemed sound. Suitably inspired, I tied a piece of rope around the stump onto Terry's recovery point and a gentle tug resulted in the stump being removed.

Sure beats digging!

It has since worked on several occasions. I now don't cut the stump off at ground level, rather leave it a good two or three feet proud of the ground, allowing good purchase. The amount of digging required has greatly reduced, however sometimes the ground is just too hard and more digging is required.  Some say I am getting lazy... I prefer to say I am getting smarter, but lets not mention my attempts to pull out a stump with a trailer... suffice to say I think all of the village heard I was in a spot of trouble when Jo asked me very clearly, slowly and loudly "Tell me you didn't try to pull that stump out with the trailer?"

Ah, if you don't try these things you will never know.  I now try to avoid doing too much after night shifts :).