Saturday 11th October. This is a day of rest for everyone at SpectrumRV so nothing really gets done. (Religious reasons). Wendy and I have decided to take the day off as well and go and visit Currumbin sanctuary which is just down the road. The last time I was there was when I was 20 years old so that was a long time ago. After getting dressed and having a shower Wendy decided to wash our bed sheets before we went, so while she was doing this I decided to empty out the grey water (sink, shower, washing machine etc) from the fifth wheeler. Wendy had also decided to have a shower. After emptying the grey water down the drain I came back into the fifth wheeler and was horrified to find that the base of the shower had a whole lot of red stained water in it and the water was not going out the “plug hole” as it should. Illusions of women’s problems clouded the mind and why did it not drain away anyway? The washing machine had finished its cycle and had emptied out. After mentioning the “red” water in the shower to Wendy she casually mentioned that the sheets she just washed were red and maybe it was the washing machine water – impossible I thought as I had just drained the two grey water tanks and it would have gone down the drain with the rest of the grey water. And then I had this thought. The Yellowstone Fifth Wheeler has three levers, two to drain grey water and one to drain black water (toilet waste). What if I had drained the black water accumulated over the last seven days into the drain instead of the grey water? So very cautiously I pulled the third lever to see what colour the water would be when it came out – and it came out clear with suds (like you get from a washing machine, and kitchen sink water). After emptying the rest of the tank I went inside and yes, the “red” shower water had cleared. For the last week I had been emptying the sewer water into the drain, and had instead been saving up the grey water to go down the sewer. No wonder there used to be this smell outside near the drain. The only problem I have now is working out which of the other two levers is the black water?
We went to Currumbin sanctuary and apart from the rain we had an enjoyable day with snakes, crocodiles, kangaroos, emus, dingos, lots of different bird life and a fabulous little train ride around the sanctuary. On the way back we did some shopping and as we were heading back to the Caravan Park I went to turn on the car headlights and the switch broke … we had to get back quickly before the light faded.
My kind and considerate sister has just sent an e-mail: “Sorry- I'm with anonymous! I have been laughing so much at your catalogue of disasters that I haven't held myself together long enough to send a sympathetic email. Glad the views are nice. Hope Wendy found some good material for the curtains - does she have a treadle sewing machine? Might be better than trying to use an electric one with your luck! Keep on truckin'”
Sunday 12th October. Today is another quiet day – Wendy and I went for a walk along Tallebudgera Creek where it
runs into the sea – we can see the QE2 tower at Surfers Paradise on one side and Tweed Heads to the other side. Coolangatta airport is not far away and the planes constantly fly overhead on a regular basis. We walk a little way along the beach to Palm Beach and then walk back for lunch. After lunch we went for a bike ride through some of the local suburban streets. There are some very nice houses many of which face canals that have been connected to the creek (the name creek is a misnomer – it is more like a river). This is the first time that I have ridden my new bike for ages and now my back starts playing up – later that evening I feel like an old man with a crook back. We went to Palm Beach for dinner (I have managed to get David’s car lights to turn on and off with the aid of some pliers) and had Pizza at Pizza Capers – very nice but rather expensive.
Monday 13th October. I rang Jennifer who informs me that they are working on the hitch and it may be ready later this afternoon – but don’t hold my breath on it. She will be around later to bring a couple of things. It appears that most things on the fifth wheeler have now been fixed – but of course one cannot really find out until we have taken off for a few days. I feel a bit like a prisoner here as we cannot move and the rug rats have camped overnight next to the fifth wheeler and wake us up at 6am. One just has to be patient. Thomas, the guy that can fix satellite dishes arrives at lunch time – the thing that holds the Optus card is faulty and he replaces it and checks a few other things. I register with Optus over the internet and lo and behold – it works. Jennifer then turns up and I fix the fan in the bathroom with the cover she has brought, and also fix the bike rack that will carry our bikes – things are looking better. Later that afternoon Wendy and I go for a walk over the bridge to Burleigh to look at the shops. Am I able to say that at last things are looking up – or have I spoken too soon?
Tuesday 14th October. We are woken at 7.15am (a terrible hour when one is on holidays) by the gas repair man who has come to look at the stove. It needs a new ceramic ignition probe and as this is an American appliance he does not have the necessary part. This is another thing that Jennifer will have to source from the USA. Later that day Wendy
bicycled to the local pool while I posted a letter to my Dad for his 93rd birthday. The guy that was supposed to fit the hitch yesterday had not started it – so Collin picked it up last night and took it to their factory. I decided to drive to the factory to see how Collin was progressing and give him some encouragement – (to hurry him up). He was getting on with it quite well so I left him to it. After lunch Wendy and I went for a walk through the Burleigh State Forest which is a bluff that overlooks the sea and one gets magnificent views of Surfers Paradise on one side and Coolangatta on the other. We also saw a lot of bush turkeys but no whales that apparently had gone by the day before. Later we went out to tea at a local café in Burleigh - $10 roast of the day (Monday and Tuesdays only) which we had with a glass of wine while sitting out on the footpath and watching the world go by. On the way back I got a phone call from Jennifer telling me that Collin was waiting for us at the fifth wheeler with my Chevy – he had finished fitting the hitch – hooray!
Wednesday 15th October. Started to clean up around the fifth wheeler and looking to see what needed to be done before we go for a test drive. I emptied the grey and black water, successfully, and then looked at hitching the fifth wheeler to the Chevy. This was a bit complicated so I decided t
o wait for Collin to come around to show me how to do it. I was able to connect the electrics and checked that the indicating lights and all other lights were working. I was also able to get the screen for the rear camera to work so I could see what is behind the fifth wheeler. Wendy and I then drove to Coolangatta to do some final shopping before filling up with another full tank at $235.00. Diesel is the cheapest that I have seen here at $1.49 per litre.
Collin arrived at about 2.30pm and we learned how to hitch the fifth wheeler and connect the air brakes. So then we go for the first test drive around the caravan park. It is quite terrifying and just like I imagine driving a bloody great big truck. The air brakes make that loud hissing noise that trucks do, and I manage to knock over one rubbish bin – Collin now says that we should now go out on the highway and the heart starts thumping – I hope that I don’t have another heart attack. We drive for about 10ks around Burleigh and Palm Beach, including on the freeway without incident, but I am quite relieved when we arrive back to the Caravan Park. Collin reassures me that it is just a matter of practice and it will just take time – hope so. We have decided to take off on our trip to Tennant Creek tomorrow.
We went to Currumbin sanctuary and apart from the rain we had an enjoyable day with snakes, crocodiles, kangaroos, emus, dingos, lots of different bird life and a fabulous little train ride around the sanctuary. On the way back we did some shopping and as we were heading back to the Caravan Park I went to turn on the car headlights and the switch broke … we had to get back quickly before the light faded.
My kind and considerate sister has just sent an e-mail: “Sorry- I'm with anonymous! I have been laughing so much at your catalogue of disasters that I haven't held myself together long enough to send a sympathetic email. Glad the views are nice. Hope Wendy found some good material for the curtains - does she have a treadle sewing machine? Might be better than trying to use an electric one with your luck! Keep on truckin'”
Sunday 12th October. Today is another quiet day – Wendy and I went for a walk along Tallebudgera Creek where it
runs into the sea – we can see the QE2 tower at Surfers Paradise on one side and Tweed Heads to the other side. Coolangatta airport is not far away and the planes constantly fly overhead on a regular basis. We walk a little way along the beach to Palm Beach and then walk back for lunch. After lunch we went for a bike ride through some of the local suburban streets. There are some very nice houses many of which face canals that have been connected to the creek (the name creek is a misnomer – it is more like a river). This is the first time that I have ridden my new bike for ages and now my back starts playing up – later that evening I feel like an old man with a crook back. We went to Palm Beach for dinner (I have managed to get David’s car lights to turn on and off with the aid of some pliers) and had Pizza at Pizza Capers – very nice but rather expensive.Monday 13th October. I rang Jennifer who informs me that they are working on the hitch and it may be ready later this afternoon – but don’t hold my breath on it. She will be around later to bring a couple of things. It appears that most things on the fifth wheeler have now been fixed – but of course one cannot really find out until we have taken off for a few days. I feel a bit like a prisoner here as we cannot move and the rug rats have camped overnight next to the fifth wheeler and wake us up at 6am. One just has to be patient. Thomas, the guy that can fix satellite dishes arrives at lunch time – the thing that holds the Optus card is faulty and he replaces it and checks a few other things. I register with Optus over the internet and lo and behold – it works. Jennifer then turns up and I fix the fan in the bathroom with the cover she has brought, and also fix the bike rack that will carry our bikes – things are looking better. Later that afternoon Wendy and I go for a walk over the bridge to Burleigh to look at the shops. Am I able to say that at last things are looking up – or have I spoken too soon?
Tuesday 14th October. We are woken at 7.15am (a terrible hour when one is on holidays) by the gas repair man who has come to look at the stove. It needs a new ceramic ignition probe and as this is an American appliance he does not have the necessary part. This is another thing that Jennifer will have to source from the USA. Later that day Wendy
bicycled to the local pool while I posted a letter to my Dad for his 93rd birthday. The guy that was supposed to fit the hitch yesterday had not started it – so Collin picked it up last night and took it to their factory. I decided to drive to the factory to see how Collin was progressing and give him some encouragement – (to hurry him up). He was getting on with it quite well so I left him to it. After lunch Wendy and I went for a walk through the Burleigh State Forest which is a bluff that overlooks the sea and one gets magnificent views of Surfers Paradise on one side and Coolangatta on the other. We also saw a lot of bush turkeys but no whales that apparently had gone by the day before. Later we went out to tea at a local café in Burleigh - $10 roast of the day (Monday and Tuesdays only) which we had with a glass of wine while sitting out on the footpath and watching the world go by. On the way back I got a phone call from Jennifer telling me that Collin was waiting for us at the fifth wheeler with my Chevy – he had finished fitting the hitch – hooray!Wednesday 15th October. Started to clean up around the fifth wheeler and looking to see what needed to be done before we go for a test drive. I emptied the grey and black water, successfully, and then looked at hitching the fifth wheeler to the Chevy. This was a bit complicated so I decided t
o wait for Collin to come around to show me how to do it. I was able to connect the electrics and checked that the indicating lights and all other lights were working. I was also able to get the screen for the rear camera to work so I could see what is behind the fifth wheeler. Wendy and I then drove to Coolangatta to do some final shopping before filling up with another full tank at $235.00. Diesel is the cheapest that I have seen here at $1.49 per litre.Collin arrived at about 2.30pm and we learned how to hitch the fifth wheeler and connect the air brakes. So then we go for the first test drive around the caravan park. It is quite terrifying and just like I imagine driving a bloody great big truck. The air brakes make that loud hissing noise that trucks do, and I manage to knock over one rubbish bin – Collin now says that we should now go out on the highway and the heart starts thumping – I hope that I don’t have another heart attack. We drive for about 10ks around Burleigh and Palm Beach, including on the freeway without incident, but I am quite relieved when we arrive back to the Caravan Park. Collin reassures me that it is just a matter of practice and it will just take time – hope so. We have decided to take off on our trip to Tennant Creek tomorrow.
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