Thursday 28th March 2024,
Batty Tales

Busy, too busy

We have been so busy since the last post. In fact I think this is the first time I have actually logged into back end of the site since the excitement of the first week or so. I had to look up the link and my password because even my computer had forgotten it.

Anyway this is what we have been up too and how it is getting us closer to getting away.


Moving house. We decided that if this was ever going to happen, we needed to get rid of a lot of stuff. Fortunately for us (or so we thought), Mum lives in a huge house all by her lonesome and was thinking of turning half of it into a granny flat. Offering to help with the reno’s in exchange for cheap rent, we advised our current landlord we were moving out and got started sorting stuff into two piles – boxes and the tip (or council clean-up in which ever suburb it was happening in at the time). We dumped more than a tonne of stuff at the tip (or onto council clean-up piles) and will have to do at least another trailer load before all of the junk we had accumulated over the years is finally gone.

Buying a Surfboard. Arguably this doesn’t help us get around Australia, but I do consider it an essential for the trip. For anyone interested it is a 5’11” semi-fish thruster made by Chilli Surfboards in Manly, Sydney. Check it out here – http://chillisurfboards.com/_webapp_733050/Birds_Eye. I’ve only taken it out a couple of times so far but got some mad waves already (and also some not so mad ones. I did get held under by one longer than I ever have before, then by the two after it)

New stuff for the Patrol. I have fitted a second battery and battery tray, with a Narva controller sitting next to me on the floor waiting for a few spare hours to finish the job. I went with two of the same 80ah dual purpose batteries, as the Narva controller will charge the second battery better if it is the same as the first. I have an 80watt solar panel lying around somewhere to boost it all as well. My mate Ev at TJM Parramatta talked me into fitting a new set of TJM XGS Gold shocks, which I did last night, in the rain. I am looking forward to seeing what they are like, as the last set of shocks have done 50000km now and were getting a little rough. I am still looking for a secondhand roof cage to replace the roof bars and need to fit a snorkel and build a storage system in the back. I also have one half of a split fold seat to replace the one peice back seat, so I can use half of that area for storage. At the moment it makes a pretty comfortable, leather reading chair on the bedroom floor.

All going to plan, we should be out the door, on Wednesday the 27th of April, the day after the easter break and day one of the NSW School term, so we are hoping to avoid all the crowds, peak season rates and having to book a campsite. That is almost exactly one month from now, which leaves us with quite a bit to do in that time.

Can’t wait

Brendan, Angela and River

PS, you can follow us on twitter @brendanbatty if you are into that sort of thing. You can join KRuddMP as one of our stalwart and devoted followers.

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3 Comments

  1. Megan 29 March 2011 at 6:45 am

    oooh the first comment….thrilling

  2. Sandra Batty 20 April 2011 at 12:26 pm

    When will the “help with the renos” be commencing?

  3. Sandra roeg 23 April 2011 at 9:28 am

    This is agreat idea

    You sound so organised…and must be very excited. Ella and Tom brought surfboards last year and I think thay would support you in that this is an essential travelling item. Recommended read Tim Winton ‘Breath’
    love to you all
    Hi Megan and Sandy

    Sandra

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