11 Days Out From A Year On The Road...

We are officially 11 days out from our year on the road... and the nerves are starting to show as we try to get everything ready to go.  In fact it was as good as called off this morning!

For the past few weeks our focus has not been on the trip at all.  Rather we have been busy trying to get our house ready for tenants to move in, ensuring schooling is in hand and all our furniture is packed away. Whilst the trip has been foremost in our minds in one way - it has been the furthest from our minds in terms of what we will actually do on our adventure.

Indeed we have often joked that we will start the
planning for our year on the road, once we finally get on the road!

That said, in addition to all the household jobs we are trying to get on top of, there have been a few last minute jobs to do on the camper and the Amarok too.  Nothing like leaving things to the last minute.

One job on my list for months was fitting a pair of helper springs to the Amarok.  A simple job - but I finally admitted I didn't have time to fit them, and organised my lovely wife to have them fitted at the local mechanic's.  Unfortunately the young fella who put them on didn't appreciate the dynamics of the suspension and the U bolts were striking the chassis.  

Argh.  Wasn't particularly happy about spending that evening pulling the U bolts off and turning them over - but it had to be done.  I guess the reverse of Parkinson's law is also true... (Parkinson's law states that work expands to fill the resources available to do it.  I have discovered that if your resources shrink (in this case time), the somehow you manage to fit it all in regardless!).

Upside down Miss Jane

Much better

Some good came of it - the road test!

But wait, there's more.  We decided we really should fit some bike racks for the kids bikes on the front of Matilda.  The most cost effective method was to buy a fork mount and bolt it to the top of the pantry box...  Not a big job, but placement was important to ensure that we can still use the hot water system on extended camps!  I ordered the parts on eBay - only to be told after four days that they weren't in stock, and I could upgrade my order or cancel it.  It was Friday afternoon - they were supposed to be delivered that afternoon.  Not happy Jan - I cancelled the order and picked up the parts from the local Roof Rack City - for $0.02 more than Mr eBay!

Making sure it all fits.

Got to get it just right!

And then we decided to take it up a notch.  In order to give the food a bit of protection from temperature extremes, we had been meaning to line the top of the pantry with carpet.  Having experienced the pleasure of trying to line the Amarok's canopy with carpet previously, I encouraged Jo to give it a go.  After a few false starts, she got fair cracking and to be honest did a great job.  We had more timber holding it in place whilst the glue set than is holding our house up...  The only casualty was a bit of hair that came in contact with the adhesive...  but as we tell the kids: "It will grow back!".

And finally this morning we hit crunch time.  For the past few weeks our study has had all the furniture removed, and replaced by all the stuff we might want to take with us next year.  Some of it is not negotiable, like the medical supplies, however some of it is best described as discretionary.

We took the point of view that if we might want it - then we should put it in the study so we could at least consider whether we want to take it or not.  Well this morning we pulled out all the camping chairs, BBQ, water jerry and so on and started our game of Tetris.

Hmmmm...  One thing is certain, the box isn't getting any bigger!

We both had a few different ideas - tried to work out what we would use every night and what we would perhaps use less frequently.  Mulled over where the emergency water should be - had a somewhat heated discussion over the size of the laundry bucket and damn near divorced over the where the awnings should live... 

We must be getting stressed...  But friends had warned us that just before you head off, the task will seem impossible and you will find yourselves asking if it is worth it.  Thankfully we both calmed down and the adventure is still on!  

I must be a lucky bloke!