Well it's official Penny and I are heading to the Red Centre to do remote work for a number of years.
We will be based close to the SA / NT border. Not far from Ayres Rock :D
Why the change, the old saying is why not ;D
A great chance to explore the areas, save money and enjoy a new lifestyle.
We have roughly 2 .5 weeks to get things sold , give away etc then head off on a 4 day, 3500 klm, road trip to our new job.
The cruiser is getting a make over with a new exhaust , extractors, shocks, a service and bigger roof rack. The camper is ready to go with a new zip going on the top cover.
Our life will be spent on the road , in a sense, working on a 12 month contract at a time.
A big thank you goes to John, letsgoplaces, for his help, advice and knowledge.
Mark
Wowsers!! What a change.
You haven't taken up the ownership of Mt Dare by any chance?
All the best and looking forward to the updates of your adventures.
Cheers, Paul
Quote from: Paul (SA) on January 16, 2015, 07:51:22 PM
Wowsers!! What a change.
You haven't taken up the ownership of Mt Dare by any chance?
All the best and looking forward to the updates of your adventures.
Cheers, Paul
No :D
Working in a remote community.
Mark
Sounds like a great adventure :worthles: ;D
Congrats on the move, be a big change from Cairns.
All the best Mark.
Hope everything goes extremely well for you.
Next thing you know you'll be leading MySwag Red Centre trips every two years!!
Awesome. Best of luck with everything & we hope you keep us all updated on how you go & what it's like.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This will be us ;D
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jY9xZoKiBgU (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jY9xZoKiBgU)
Mark
Good on ya mark. Big move, and 90% of people don't take risks like that. I did once, and it was the best thing I ever did. Hope it is the same for yourself.
;D ;D
Congratulations to you both.
Ok...lets see....ayres Rock.. When can we get out that way... Have to have a chat with Kerry.
PS. Mark i dont think the fishing there is going to be as good as you thought.
Good on you for taking a chance :cup: not always the easiest decision to make, but sometimes you just have to to say "ferkit, I'm havin a go " and grab the chance with both hands. :cheers: :cheers:
I wish you all the best. :cheers:
ps in years to come when somebody says "aren't you lucky to have....." you have my permission to smack em in the mouth ;D
Remember to take some woolies with you for winter, good luck with the plans, at least you will ditch the humidity of the Far north
Ohh and thumbs up for calling correctly " Not far from Ayres Rock " ;D
Congratulations Mark and Penny. Hope you both have a fantastic time.
KB
That's a bold move Mark and Penny. Congrats for having the strength to have a go. :cup:
If anyone can make a go of it, I know you can.
You'd better keep a kettle on. There might be a few passers-by.... ;D ;D
Quote from: GeoffA on January 16, 2015, 08:26:36 PM
That's a bold move Mark and Penny. Congrats for having the strength to have a go. :cup:
If anyone can make a go of it, I know you can.
You'd better keep a kettle on. There might be a few passers-by.... ;D ;D
Geoff you know I will be organizing trips. I just can't help myself ;D
Mark
If your quick you might see water running in the Todd.
Going from extreme lush to extreme dry..... Enjoy.
Regards
Angus
Good stuff, all the best to you both!! :cheers:
Good on ya Mate. Happy trails.
Congratulations Mark and Penny. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours and make sure you let us know how you are getting on :cheers:
Well done to both of you :cup: :cup: :cup:
If you see TJ on your travels .. Give him an uppercut from me ;D ;D
Jet :D
Quote from: jetcrew on January 16, 2015, 10:39:11 PM
Well done to both of you :cup: :cup: :cup:
If you see TJ on your travels .. Give him an uppercut from me ;D ;D
Jet :D
Hahahahahahaha.
Congrats Mark and Penny..
:cup:
:cheers:
Quote from: McGirr on January 16, 2015, 08:29:50 PM
Geoff you know I will be organizing trips. I just can't help myself ;D
Mark
Yes, of course you will Mark. It should be a great base for some research :cup:
......and it's
Ayers Rock (named in 1873 in honor of the Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers), or more correctly now,
Uluru..... ;D ;D
The community you'll be living and working in........is it dry? :o :o
Have fun...
Bill
Sounds like a great adventure guys, maybe when the kids leave the nest we might do something similar, when ever that is. I am sure you will get enough MySwag passer throughs that you will never be bored
GG
Congratulations Mark and Penny, you can light up the Red centre with lightbars. Best wishes on your new adventure. Darren & Wendy.
bit different selling 4 bedroom 3 bathroom 4 car garage to selling a corrugated iron humpy with dirt floors ?
Mark, Penny & Bisket,
Congrats and best of luck. We will have to put you on the itinerary :cheers: when we do the big lap in a year or so.
Tina & David
P.S. Can I have first dibs on the Ice Making machine
Quote from: GeoffA on January 17, 2015, 05:19:12 AM
Yes, of course you will Mark. It should be a great base for some research :cup:
......and it's Ayers Rock (named in 1873 in honor of the Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers), or more correctly now, Uluru..... ;D ;D
The community you'll be living and working in........is it dry? :o :o
Yes a dry community :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Mark
Quote from: McGirr on January 17, 2015, 11:10:57 AM
Yes a dry community :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Mark
Never mind Mark, every time we have a get - together somewhere in Australia, all of the Myswaggers will have several drinks for you. ;D ;D All the best for you and Penny in your new career .
cheers and beers , duggie
One small step for man... One giant leap for Mark & Penny... hope you guys have a great time... I am sure you will be missed from all the Cape trips.
Regards
Hem
This is so unfair, no consultation with the northerners, who's going to lead us on our next adventure. I hope arrangements for a new Russell Coight have been made.
See You and Penny in the middle some time soon!
Chris and Janice
Good on ya, i'm coming to Cairns in March and you're running away...... chicken.
Good onya Mark, we have very good friends that work at a community on the SA/NT border.....they love it.
Good one Mark all the best we spent three years in a remote community up near fitzroy crossin in the Kimberly on the border of the sandy desert and loved it the wife was a teacher and I got a job as a project officer learnt a lot of the people out there its something you will never forget.
Dicko
Congrats on the big move! What a fantastic opportunity :cup:
All the best.
Cheers
Karen
Update
2 weeks notice given to work and rental agency
The cruiser has had a make over.
So far
New OME shocks
Extractors and a 3in exhaust system courtesy of my brother sending me one about 18months ago.
A complete service
Goes in tomorrow for a new sound system and UHF radio to replace the original system plus a bigger roof basket.
Purchased 6 months worth of toiletries, medications, etc
Purchased new clothing for cold weather
Cleaners booked to do the unit
Sold my lancer and that gets picked up tomorrow. Made sure they pay in cash.
Ergon booked for last meter read
Things to do
Have a garage sale Sat
Dispose of things that I don't need
Start arranging the cruiser and camper over the Australia Day weekend
So far everything is on track.
We should end up living in a close to empty unit for a week with 2 deck chairs , camping fridges and a Queen mattress on the floor. Yes the ice maker is coming with me ;D
Hoping to be on the road Sat week.
Mark
Quote from: McGirr on January 20, 2015, 05:58:15 PM
We should end up living in a close to empty unit for a week with 2 deck chairs , camping fridges and a Queen mattress on the floor. Yes the ice maker is coming with me ;D
Mark
Sounds a bit like camping Mark :cheers:
Thats a big lifestyle change mate. Hope you have a great time. So what kind of work will you be doing?
Cheers Nomad :cheers:
Quote from: Nomad on January 20, 2015, 06:38:52 PM
Thats a big lifestyle change mate. Hope you have a great time. So what kind of work will you be doing?
Cheers Nomad :cheers:
Managing a small food shop in a remote area.
Mark
I think that this is one big excuse to upgrade the cruiser, next thing you know you will have a new trailer attached to the rear >:D
GG
Quote from: GGV8Cruza on January 20, 2015, 06:43:46 PM
I think that this is one big excuse to upgrade the cruiser, next thing you know you will have a new trailer attached to the rear >:D
GG
It will depend if I run the myswag raffle this time. ;D
Mark
Best wishes on your move.
You are living. Enjoy it to the fullest.
Can't wait to hear your reports.
Cheers
Brian
Quote from: McGirr on January 20, 2015, 06:41:22 PM
Managing a small food shop in a remote area.
Mark
I am sure the pair of you will do an excellent job.
Hoping you enjoy this big adventure. :cheers: (soft drink, of course ).
Mark can sell ice to eskimos................he'll have that shop at record sales levels in no time.
:cup:
Dont realy know if the place your going to does take away food, If it does you might need to get used to flipping hamburgers .. O'l mate of mine reckoned the comunity he and his wife worked in, he was making an average of 200 burgers a day ..
Not sure if he was pulling my leg on that one though .. sounds feasable though .
You sure 12 months will be long enough to dry out ;D ;D ;D
All the best and look forward to catching up again soon :cheers:
yogi
All the best to Penny and you in your new job Mark. Hope it all goes well and you will be missed in the Far North.
Regards
Martin
We left Cairns on Sat and arrived in Alice Springs yesterday afternoon.
The trip so far has been great with perfect weather. Not much traffic on the roads as expected and the country side is nice and green.
The car and camper have gone perfectly with no issues.
First days drive was Cairns to Hughenden. We stayed at the local caravan park. The next day the plan was to stay at Camooweal but we decided to push on to Barkely Homestead where we arrived at 6.30pm NT time. We booked a cabin and had a great meal.
Day 3 and we were ahead of schedule so we left Barkly Homestead to make Alice Springs that afternoon. There are some interesting places along the way with one place that stood out. We stopped at Barrow Creek as Penny needed to use the rest room. It was run down and strange looking. I said to Penny that it has that eerie Wolf Creek feeling and if you don't come out in 10 min I am leaving. Record timing for a rest stop but it is a quirky place with a bar.
We continued on and with a little head wind I started to notice the fuel level dropping. 90klm to Alice Springs and a qtr tank of fuel left. But we managed to arrive in Alice and dropped the dog off at the boarding kennel and booked into Lassiters Casino for a night at only $99. Great place and great meals.
Today we head to Erldunda and then on Wed we travel to our remote work place. The scenery has been great and we get excited if there is a bend in the road.
More to come.
Mark
the car looks too clean... ;)
Safe travels mate.
KB
Hi Mark and Penny,
You will be missed , that is for sure. Take care, be good, be happy and be safe.
cheers duggie
Glad to hear you're enjoying the drive heading out there. I definitely miss the straights :D and the other roads too :p
The Red Centre absolutely gets in your blood
Cheers
John
Quote from: oldmate on January 16, 2015, 08:13:27 PM
Good on ya mark. Big move, and 90% of people don't take risks like that. I did once, and it was the best thing I ever did. Hope it is the same for yourself.
yeah but you moved from NSW to Qld mate, of course it was a great move 8) ;D ;D
good luck with the new life style Mark and Penny, i hope it works out how as you want it to.
Quote from: McGirr on January 16, 2015, 07:52:42 PM
No :D
Working in a remote community.
Mark
Hi mate, which one/community.
See you sooner then as we will down that way this year :cheers:
All the best to you and Penny, I'm assuming it's Hermansberg?? if it is, we could drop in for a chat on our way to the Rock in July.
Baz.
Good on you!! Best thing we ever did was take a risk and has paid off BIG time!! We love working in remote areas, experiencing things most others don't and challenging ourselves.
Good luck!
Lil :)
Well after a 4 day drive we have arrived at our destination. The turn off is 10klm in from the SA /NT border. It's a dirt road for approx 146klm.
The small community has about 600 people and the shop we work at is 100ft from our accomodation.
We live in a converted 40ft shipping container that has 3 patios and backs on to a large carport. Inside the place has a small lounge, dining and kitchen, bathroom and a good size bedroom. It's fully air conditioned and has heating for the winter months. We have made it into a nice home and just relax as there is not much else to do. ;D. We are in a fenced compound with an old house next to us for the 2 other workers. We have the best set up as the container is new and fully equipped. We are just waiting for the satellite tv and Internet to be hooked up. Currently using the Internet from the house next door.
I have set up led lights in the carport and tided it up a little. There are wild donkeys roaming the area and the gate was left open and one wondered in. I had to use a rake to coax it out.
Mark
Inside the container.
Mark
Quote from: McGirr on February 08, 2015, 03:52:55 PM
......There are wild donkeys roaming the area and the gate was left open and one wondered in....
A bit like Seisia.....;D ;D
Some of the scenery coming into the area.
Mark
Ahhh..............................roughing it McGirr style :cup:
Glad your all settled in and getting it all sorted. I'm off to have a beer :cheers: , oops sorry,.............. forgot it's a bit on the dry side where your at !!
Quote from: jk on February 08, 2015, 04:36:54 PM
Ahhh..............................roughing it McGirr style :cup:
Glad your all settled in and getting it all sorted. I'm off to have a beer :cheers: , oops sorry,.............. forgot it's a bit on the dry side where your at !!
:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Mark
Some of the area.
Mark
Nice one. So no TV, no internet and no grog. Hmmm, what is left ;D
KB
Donkey.
Will have to change his user name to shriek.
Quote from: McGirr on February 08, 2015, 04:42:16 PM
Some of the area.
Mark"
What you get a sign post, I throught you were leaving the big smoke.
A 5.56 mm Double tap usualy fixed any Donkey problem we used to have on the stations up in the Kimberley ;D
get me a donkey foal please ..
good luck with your big move Mark .
chow .
Quote from: oldmate on February 08, 2015, 07:03:48 PM
Donkey.
Will have to change his user name to shriek.
I dunno, Marvin the Martian sounds good, all the land is on strange angles up there....
Wow - I drop out for a while, and McGirr goes and moves to the red centre!
Well done mate - that's a massive decision to make. You'll have a blast I'm sure. Amazing scenery out that way - please keep the photos and anecdotes coming.
Love the new digs. At least if you want to move again, you can just call a flatbed and you don't need to worry about packing anything into boxes. It looks surprisingly comfortable inside.
I was thinking I should get back in touch with you over the weekend - I had a real estate question, and knew you'd be the man to answer it. I must admit, this is the most effort I've seen someone to go to, just to avoid me picking their brain...
All the very best with the new locale!
Cheers,
Matto :)