High point: Getting the laptop fixed by the dudes at Clix Computer Centre http://www.clixcc.com.au/ and saying good riddance to the scary blue screen of death
Low point: saying good bye to the lovely Miss Louise Mahoney at Byron bus station. Awesome work Lou, you rock!
No point: being a toolie
Byron Bay is the perfect place to go if you need to kick back and relax, maybe recharge your batteries if you’ve been driving a big red truck around Australia. The atmosphere is so chilled out its horizontal, with a big alternative scene and hippy population. In November however it’s a different story, the town is overtaken by high school graduates known as ‘schoolies’ who in true Oz tradition take a week off to party hard after their final exams. Who can blame them? Read more →
This is unfortunately (not sure if that’s the right word…) the last blog from me as I am due to fly out of Brisbane this Sunday. The long journey through Australia is almost at an end, and sadly I have to return to reality.
Plan for the day, head up to Byron Bay from Port Macquarie. We had another long days drive ahead of us so everybody enjoyed a bit of time out of the truck. Active start for the whole crew, Amy and Louise went for a scenic walk into town, Paul and Steve were jogging around parts of the Port Macquarie Iron Man track and I went for a cycle and swim along the beach. We decided on taking the inland road to see the Big Banana instead of the coastal, so this gave me plenty of time to reminisce over the events of the last month. So here are my top worst and best moments of the trip.
HIGH POINT: Getting to see Sydney Harbour Bridge up close and personal
LOW POINT: Navigating through Sydney city centre.
SHOCK OF THE DAY; The smell in the hostel corridor after the boys had been hanging about giggling and looking sheepish.
Safe to say when I looked at the rota for the day I was filled with absolute panic.I was tasked with navigation and the mission for the day was to get us from Sydney to North Sydney and then onto Port Macquarie for the evening. Now to most, it wouldnt seem like such a big deal but I for one was terrified, You see the problem is I dont drive and to make matters worse I cant tell my left from right. It wasnt looking particularly promising, lets just say ..
Co-starring : the FTFE crew, Sydney Fire Fighters, a Police Escort, two Ozzie fire engines, Channel 9 News crew and 14 crabs
Act 1 : A spectacular convoy across Sydney Harbour Bridge
Act 2 : A monumental match at City of Sydney Fire Station
Grand finale : The crabs go crazy at The Friend in Hand, Glebe
Today Martha was to hit the big screen, her name in lights, this was her Martine Mccutcheon moment. We had to make sure she looked gorgeous darlings. Cleaning her windscreen with baby wipes and bottled water wasn’t going to cut it, a garage screen wash the only way to make sure she was dressed to impress.
A logistical nightmare to pull off but with help from the NSW Fire Bridgae, the highway patrol and channel 9 news we did. A convoy of fire engines across the harbour bridge in Sydney. Lovely stuff.
Obviously the motivation was there but many have suggested the concept of driving a fire engine around the world has a hint of a mid thirties crisis ! In some way hanging onto my youth. At no point is this true, in no way did I drag the crew round Sydney today, showing them where I lived and played in Sydney when I was 22 and in no way I am hanging on too tight. Okay, well maybe a little bit…
Day 126: Were you the man asleep on the dog, and missing an absolute sitter for our hat-trick
Melbourne to Sydney 875km
A couple of my favourite things are coffee and chocolate. I think we all can wholeheartedly agree with Julie Andrews that Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens are also right up there but bare no relevance to the expedition so I will focus solely on coffee and chocolate. In fact chocolate has no relevance either, aside from the fact that I love it. I was hoping to eat less on this expedition and I have, not that you can tell. I will make up for that when I’m back. So I’m left with coffee. I was hoping to drink less on this expedition but I haven’t. I will be even more addicted when I’m back… Read more →
Low Point: Not winning the raffle at the fundraiser organised by Voyage Express.
Most people don’t realise how much of a battering a car receives whilst driving across rough terrain. Even fewer realise how much worst it is for an old fire truck thats not quite designed for the the job. The team has put in place a strict daily routine which is designed to spot any small issues which could latter turn into major problems. This works great for most of the time but inevitably cracks will be missed…
