Looking forward to getting back home to “Mahoose”, I’m planning to do some renovations when I get back, but of course I’ll need to get the old Ford back on the road first. Because the car runs on LPG the process of getting it registered is a bit more complicated and expensive but nonetheless I will get that done as soon as possible.
I’ve been with Catherine and Stuart in Armidale since I returned to Australia on March 15th and I’m now hoping to get to Queensland on the 18th June and then I’ll stay with a friend in Cleveland until I can return to “Mahoose”. My friend Peter will help me get the old Ford back on the road and once this is done I’ll have my independence back.
At the moment the tenants can stay until the 15th August which is still two months away from the time I arrive in Queensland but I am hoping that I can return to the house a bit sooner if we can come to an agreement. As I said, I have plans to do a few renovations when I get home and the main one being downstairs. I plan to enclose the stairs leading up to the front door and then partitioning the garage so that I can use the downstairs area. The summers in Ipswich seem to be getting hotter every year and so if I can spend a little bit of time downstairs then I’m hoping that this summer might be a bit more bearable. I might also get another air-conditioning unit for the other end of the house as having one is just not good enough anymore. The old one will need to be serviced and re-gassed before the summer returns.
I’ve spent the afternoon trying to source materials and to work out quantities, and I’ve got a figure of around $2000 for materials. This of course is a very rough figure and I’m hoping I might be able to source things a bit cheaper. I should be able to do most of the work myself apart from some electrical which I will need to get a qualified electrician in to do, but other than that this should keep me busy for a month or so.
Before I begin my renovation I will have to move the furniture back in and get the house back in order and I’m hoping that the current tenants leave the house in good condition. If all is OK I will have to have the curtains and carpets cleaned before I move in. I might also have to hire a couple of gorillas to help me bring my furniture back into the house. There is no way I would be able to move it myself and I really don’t like moving furniture.
So what else have I been doing since last week? Well not a lot really. I’ve been out on the bike a few times and usually I’ll go for a walk after breakfast and then I come home and spend way too much time on the computer. The walk to Dangars Gorge was good and next week we’ll go somewhere else.
It’s been a mild week but tomorrow brings the first day of winter I believe and the temperatures’ are also set to drop, but it will be a lot warmer up in Queensland. Before I head up there I will need to apply for an entry permit. Due to the borders being closed I’m not sure of the reception I will receive when I get there but as I am a Queensland resident and have been for many years I should hopefully get in OK.
I’ve enjoyed my stay in Armidale and still am, but I’m looking forward to the next part of the adventure.