A bit of a ‘housekeeping’ post tonight I’m afraid, not very interesting to most of you but I am hoping that when we look back on this post in a month’s time we will have made some big progress and can give ourselves a pat on the back! I am a huge fan of our whiteboard here in the office at home (and it is used for more than just a job list for Matt!!). This ‘To Do’ list for the trip is probably the 10th version of the list that has been ongoing on this board over the last 18mths. The problem with this version is that it just doesn’t seem to be getting any shorter! So I need your help, I’m going to share our current ‘To Do’ and ‘To Buy’ lists below in the hope you might be able to tell us what to forget about – and hopefully not, but possibly, add anything else to the lists that we have forgotten!
The ‘To Do’ List
- Service Toyota Yaris & get safety certificate for sale
- Sell Toyota Yaris
- Camper to Auto Electrician to sort out brake lights and move licence plate due to second spare tyre carrier on the back
- Service Camper & sort out water tank problem
- Service Prado and Matt to spend day with mechanic (Prado Point member) doing the service with him
- Windscreen repair kit on small chip in car windscreen
- Put together tools/spares kit for car/camper
- Replace LED lights in lounge room so all are working
- Replace non-working ceiling fans
- Restain Deck
- Patches and Paint for wall/door repairs in house
- Tidy up Pavers around house
- Finalise storage solution for our house for the time we are away (ie container and removalists!)
- Decide what to do with our cat (anybody want to look after her for us?)
- Organise Insurance for Home Contents and Camper (upgrade)
- Change mobile phones over to Telstra for better coverage
- Upgrade RACQ membership level
- Pick up a set of Australia wide (state by state) maps from RACQ
- Organise paperwork for rental of our house
- Meet with kids teachers to finalise any work to take with us
- Renew passports for the five of us in case we decide to hop over to Bali from Darwin
- Load electronic devices with movies and music to take on the road with us
- Add all items to Gumtree that we still want to sell
- Dump Run for all the rubbish we have accumulated!
- ‘Vinnies’ run to donate goods that others might want
- Squeeze in one final rehearsal camping trip and hopefully have everything working!
- Redirect mail/update address details, organise email billing where possible!
- Pack House
- Clean House
- Make sure we remember to go to work and take kids to school during this!
- Oh, and pack Camper!
The ‘To Buy’ List
- Spare Tyre for Camper
- Fuel Filter for Prado
- Snorkel for Prado
- New Tyres Prado
- Mud Flaps Prado
- New Camera
- Iphone/Ipad mounts for car
- Smoke Detector/Fire Extinguisher for Camper
- 1st Aid Kit (any recommendations???)
- New Wiper Blades
- 2 x Fuel Jerry Cans
- Rubbish bag for spare tyre
- Portable Fire Pit
- Heater for camper
- Twin UHF pack for kids
- Audiobooks for listening in the car
- A set of thermals for each of us
- Warm insert for Lexi sleeping bag
- Waterproof jacket for Matt
- Birthday present for Lexi whose birthday (turning 4) is the day before we leave – so tough as it will have to be something we can take with us as house will be all packed up – any ideas?
Ok – hit us with it – what can we scrap? What are we missing???
I have some UHF for kids in shed I think
Tools for trip
Dunc – you’re right – definitely got to get together a tool kit for the trip – I think Matt is going to go over this with you if he can!
scrap fire pit and new camera you’ve got a good camera and you’ve got a bush pig havent you
Bought a new Camera today as we wanted a really good one – one of Matt’s goals for the trip is to teach himself (and me) so more about photography. Selling the old one. Think you are right to ditch the fire pit and just go with the Pig if we can fit it in.
Thermals and a couple of Audio books are almost ready to post.
Thanks Gayel – that would be great!!!
Jeepers Jess that list is making me feel stressed! Some ideas for Lexi – what about some dress up costumes that can be rolled up easily so that she can be a beautiful mermaid/fairy/princess/cowboy wherever you are. Also some fabulous picture books- I saw Lexi reading Matilda’s Little Mermaid book for ages. Some little notebooks/diaries and super colour pens to go with it. Maybe even one of those paper doll books you can get from the newsagency. Really with small kids it’s all about the excitement you create rather than big things. Maybe even her own butterfuly net (the game Elefun comes with these actually).
Thanks for the ideas for Lexi, Michelle! Funny that you suggested the mermaid books because when I asked Lexi what she wanted she said a Mermaid doll – you are right on the money for little girls!
Priority one: upgrade the RACQ to top level cover ASAP. That’s personal experience talking! That saved us at least $3000 on our trip.
When you get the new tyres, ask them to give you a couple of inner tubes (for use in the water). They last much longer than the kmart type pool ones. Great for caravan park pools/floating down gorges/floating gear across rivers.
Have you got a compressor to blow them up though? You’ll need to take one anyway as part of your ‘tool kit’. ALso get a valve remover, as it’s quicker to deflate them by removing the valve rather than just depressing the valve.
Add tyre repair kit… and know how to use one!
Also ditch the fire pit. It’ll be either a) too hot for fires or b) they’ll be camp fire areas where you’re camping.
Not too sure the smoke detector’s needed in a camper. Extinguisher, yes.
Also anything to do with the house should be a the bottom of the list. Get the trip sorted first. It makes me anxious just reading your list!
Great tips – thanks heaps Lee – especially the idea about the inner tyre tubes for swimming!
I have some Audio books for the kids….Roald Dahl: The BFG and Matilda! Rod might have some free time depending on what is happening with his work, might send him down to you for a loan!!
Hehehe Beth – send Rod down for sure!! And those audio books would be fantastic – thanks heaps!!! Will swap you in Winton for the Faraway Tree series?
I can take care of your cat problem Jess…he he he..
Can I suggest if you don’t already have it but put a windscreen excess on your prado insurance. That entitles you to one free windscreen a year for just a little more on your insurance value. When we lived in Karumba it was definitely what we needed wasn’t one trip that we didn’t end up with a new rock in the windscreen. Once there is a crack, chip or line from the crack over your view in the windscreen they are illegal. With all the travelling you will be doing on dirt roads it will be neccessary.
Thanks Michelle – I will definitely add this to Matt’s ‘To Do’ list hehehe!
My daughters turning 4 on Sunday and we leave on Thursday for 6 months and my son also just had is 7th birthday. We have got her a Barbie campervan so she can keep all the toys in that and its compact. I also got my son (7) and her some Hema kids atlas and wildlife activity books, DVDs, for the car and a $99 7″ pendo pad tablets keep them entertained and learning. I also have taken along small games etc like Uno that we can all play.
I’m getting scared looking at your list. We are hitting the road in July and still haven’t started one!
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