Down, Down and Away

BanditDave Fri 08 Mar 2019, 3:39 pm

Down, Down and Away

BanditDave is on the move.

I got married in Melbourne in 1971 and moved to Launceston in 1972. I was a radio technician with Dept of Civil Aviation.

A year and a bit later, having purchased a house in Perth (Tas), I was promoted in my job and transferred to Hobart.

After 5 years in Hobart, I wanted to explore other parts of Australia, so applied for another promotion and got a job in Canberra.

15 years in Canberra I once again had nomadic urges so quit work and moved to the Gold Coast.

Three years on the Gold Coast was more than enough for me so we bought a tent and some camping gear and went exploring Queensland.

Over a 3-4 week period we got as far as Cooktown and back stopping at every town en-route.

Arriving home it was time to decide where to move to. The two picks were Cairns and Mackay and as Mackay was a bit closer, that was the decision. 15 years later and it was time to move again.

We had travelled extensively throughout Australia; mostly on motorcycle(s) so had quite a lot of knowledge of desirable/undesirable places.
The decision was Hervey Bay.

Twenty five years in Queensland and now a lone traveller I thought it time for another change.

Time for some snow, frost, rain, fog and other fun things in a colder climate.

Even though I had lived in Tasmania previously, I had been working full time and never really got much time to do any serious exploring.

Friends and acquaintances who know I am moving are asking me where I am moving to.

I ask if they know where Geelong is and if they say they do, I say I am moving just south of there.

For anyone ‘struggling’ with this, the answer is Launceston.

With access to the internet and social media it is possible to buy and sell pretty much anything, including houses, so the entire ‘adventure’ can be planned from my study without venturing outdoors

The house is pretty much ready for sale except for a few touch ups with a paint brush and some garden maintenance.

I am also selling all of my furniture to make moving simple. The motorcycle and mobility scooter will also go as they are easily purchased in the future.

I have purchased a covered trailer which along with my small car will carry all of my worldly possessions.

Selling off all of my surplus furniture and other goodies will take a little while, followed with putting the house on the market. I expect a quick sale as I am very negotiable so should be finalised by about spring. My house in Mackay was under contract in 24 hours so yes; I am a pretty negotiable person.

My two dogs will fly from Brisbane to Launceston (too challenging from Hervey Bay so I will drive them to Brisbane) and be collected from Launceston Airport by the boarding kennel staff.

I will drive my car/trailer from Hervey Bay to Melbourne, sail across to Devonport and drive to Launceston. This will take around 3 to 4 days.

Not being familiar with Launceston, I will rent for about 6 months and in that time either build or buy a house.

I figure if I offer to pay the 6 months rent in advance, I can easily get a short term lease. I will do this prior to leaving Hervey Bay so that on arrival in Launceston I can collect my dogs and drive directly to my rental house.

I already have some flanny shirts and tracky dacks so all I need to blend in with the locals is a beanie and some ugg boots. I probably should grow my hair a bit longer but will stop short of dreadlocks.

I am looking forward to my first visit to some snow with my dogs. I can just imagine there reaction to being able to walk on it and lick it. Should be very entertaining.

paul Fri 08 Mar 2019, 4:33 pm

Sounds like you've been around more than a freelance whore Dave Laughing

..................& half your luck . Making the most of your life is what a lot of people fail to do , good on you .
Have you bought your dogs trackies & flannel shirts to match yours ?
At this rate , most of the old forum members will be living in Tassie LOL ..........Hope it all goes smoothly for you , and look forward to your posts from down under down under .

BanditDave Fri 08 Mar 2019, 5:54 pm

paul wrote:Sounds like you've been around more than a freelance whore Dave ..................& half your luck . Making the most of your life is what a lot of people fail to do , good on you .
Have you bought your dogs trackies & flannel shirts to match yours ?
At this rate , most of the old forum members will be living in Tassie LOL ..........Hope it all goes smoothly for you , and look forward to your posts from down under down under .

Drop in if you are down my way.

My two poodles have good woolly coats already but I may have to get hold of two pairs of ugg boots each.
That is assuming they will venture outdoors although food usually gets the better of them.

One thing I will need to get used to is no Aldi store, although I have found in recent times that they are slowly catching up with their competitors and I do more and more shopping at Coles.

mtbeerwah Fri 08 Mar 2019, 10:47 pm

Good on ya Dave.
Lifes short. It's good you've "experienced". So many don't, and their nut doesn't fall far from the tree.

Happy new life.

gus Sat 09 Mar 2019, 1:38 pm

Tasmania has warmed up since you were last here . It was 38 the other day . Felt like 48 with no breeze .Can you bring some rain with you please.

BanditDave Sun 10 Mar 2019, 7:45 am

gus wrote:Tasmania has warmed up since you were last here . It was 38 the other day . Felt like 48 with no breeze .Can you bring some rain with you please.

Funny you should say that, Gus.

I've been checking the daily temp/rainfall for Launceston over the last few months.

When I lived in Tassie 45years ago, summer days were 20C, a heatwave was 25C. Now summer temps are getting into the 30's.

Launceston, being a bit inland seems to have a lot of variation, 32C one day, 16C the next.

Looks like I will need a pair of ugg boots and a pair of thongs as part of my extensive wardrobe.

Having said that, Hervey Bay also seems to be having longer summers with temps in the 30C to 33C range. Probably the worst part of Hervey Bay is the overnight temps staying rather high, not good for sleeping!

Maybe the scientific boffins know more than they are telling about climate change!

As for rainfall, Hervey Bay is also "As dry as a pommies towel"

BanditDave Sun 10 Mar 2019, 12:07 pm

Just doing some online shopping for ugg boots

My favourite asian online store (Banggood) has a range of what they market as ugg boots with tassles, heels, laceup and brightly coloured variations

The Bad News: I think something has been lost in the definition of what an ugg boot really looks like.

The Good News: in our now LGBTIQ+ society I guess it will be OK to wear some of these newer variations without drawing a crowd.

If I buy some for myself I probably should also consider two pairs each for my poodles. My searches have yielded some good results. I am assuming they come in a set of four boots but I should check the fine print before placing an order. I'm also a bit puzzled regarding size.

BanditDave Thu 23 May 2019, 7:19 pm

The adventure begins ...........

gus Thu 23 May 2019, 7:25 pm

Still in T-shirt and jeans in Hobart ,cool in morning .
House prices not cheap anymore down here . Basic house small block $400,000 in a place liveable .

BanditDave Thu 23 May 2019, 7:39 pm

Howdy Gus,
I'm looking at land in Launceston and "owner building" the house.
My budget is looking pretty good at this stage.

paul Thu 23 May 2019, 8:31 pm

gus Sun 26 May 2019, 2:10 pm

We keep getting told "its all you bloody Queenslanders and Sandgropers, that keep pushing land prices up ,so locals struggle ". Embarassed

BanditDave Sun 26 May 2019, 4:14 pm

gus wrote:We keep getting told "its all you bloody Queenslanders and Sandgropers, that keep pushing land prices up ,so locals struggle ".

Wasn't you a "Queenslander" (or maybe a Kenilworthian) just a little while ago?

BanditDave Sun 26 May 2019, 5:40 pm

For anyone who may be interested in solar efficient design, here is my take on it
Just to make sure I am extra comfortable, the floor will be electrically heated using solar panels.
The rooms on the right hand end (living 2 and bed 3) are for my "live in carer" I hope she isn't a blue eyed, blonde haired Scandanavian hottie!
My concern is that she may not be proficient at lawn mowing or window washing.

truck Tue 28 May 2019, 8:46 am

Love looking at house designs and new ideas - 4 toilets - WOW!
I think my house is 202 metres under roof but the design of the house means I have not got enough storage space, so I tell every one I know who is building a house take storage and cupboard space into consideration.
Another mistake I did was a window on every wall I like the fact you didn't do the same mistake.

BanditDave Thu 30 May 2019, 5:06 pm

truck wrote:Love looking at house designs and new ideas - 4 toilets - WOW!
I think my house is 202 metres under roof but the design of the house means I have not got enough storage space, so I tell every one I know who is building a house take storage and cupboard space into consideration.
Another mistake I did was a window on every wall I like the fact you didn't do the same mistake.

Howdy Truck,
Having spent a lot of time living in mining camps I can see the value of ensuites. The flat I built last year included an ensuite which with all materials supplied by Bunnings came to just over $800.
I figured that with this new design you don't want visitors using ensuites in bedrooms so an extra loo in the laundry/mudroom will do the trick. The mudroom is something I only came across recently. It allows you to shed your dirty boots (and work clothes!) before entering the main house which should keep things clean, I hope!
One thing a lot of people don't consider in a modern day house is the cost of the garage.
Present build costs are around $1500/m2 so a 6metre x 6metre garage as part of the house structure cost around $54,000.
My new design has a metal garage near the house with a covered walkway for about half this amount. I can (and probably will) make it larger than 6m x 6m to provide for storage space.
All of my north facing windows will be double glazed sliding doors, the windows on the southern side are "clerestory style" meaning they are only about 300mm high and mounted high on the wall. You won't be able to see out of them unless you are particularly tall so they won't require curtains.

truck Fri 31 May 2019, 10:19 pm

BanditDave wrote:Howdy Truck,
Having spent a lot of time living in mining camps I can see the value of ensuites. The flat I built last year included an ensuite which with all materials supplied by Bunnings came to just over $800.
I figured that with this new design you don't want visitors using ensuites in bedrooms so an extra loo in the laundry/mudroom will do the trick. The mudroom is something I only came across recently. It allows you to shed your dirty boots (and work clothes!) before entering the main house which should keep things clean, I hope!
One thing a lot of people don't consider in a modern day house is the cost of the garage.
Present build costs are around $1500/m2 so a 6metre x 6metre garage as part of the house structure cost around $54,000.
My new design has a metal garage near the house with a covered walkway for about half this amount. I can (and probably will) make it larger than 6m x 6m to provide for storage space.
All of my north facing windows will be double glazed sliding doors, the windows on the southern side are "clerestory style" meaning they are only about 300mm high and mounted high on the wall. You won't be able to see out of them unless you are particularly tall so they won't require curtains.

Yeah, I'm with you on the ensuites.
Garages are gettting expensive. I've got a 2 bay carport 7m x 6m with 100 x 100 mm RHS uprights and corrugated iron roof and concrete floor that cost $6000 17 years ago.
I always like looking at owner designed homes and the details that some people find mandatory and others not so.
And the finished product, My house is everything I wanted but there is 3-4 things that my builder pulled the wool over my eyes on that if I had my time again . . .

paul Fri 31 May 2019, 11:27 pm

Nice house .....are you going to use one of the living spaces as a dining area?
A big plus will also be all those close and handy toilets in a few more years Laughing

Vaughn123 Sat 01 Jun 2019, 11:23 am

at the age of 21 i pulled up stumps and moved as far away from my hometown of Brisbane as i could. After 15 years there i moved even further south to Hobart. Still miss Lonny. Great place and way cheaper real estate than Hobart

BanditDave Sat 01 Jun 2019, 12:08 pm

Shouldn't take long to sell house and move south.

My priorities on reaching Van Diemen's land are:-

1. Buy block of land
2. Build house
3. Grow a mullet (to help me blend in with the locals!)
4. Join local ukulele club
5. Join ride-on mower racing club

Items 2, 3 and 4 can occur within the same time frame.

That should keep me busy for a little while Down, Down and Away Haha%20yes

BanditDave Thu 20 Jun 2019, 11:50 am

Well it seemed like a slow start but my Hervey Bay house is now on the market

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-urraween-131405422

paul Thu 20 Jun 2019, 1:44 pm

Nice place ................are you camping out ? ..........furniture has gone .

BanditDave Thu 20 Jun 2019, 2:23 pm

Howdy Paul,

All furniture gone except for sofa bed and refrigerator. I still have use of kitchen, bathroom etc.

It might sound strange but I am not at all uncomfortable; in fact I am sleeping better on the sofa than on the $2500 bed. Not sure why!

BTW the $2500 bed which had presumably what must have been a coffee/drink stain an one of its edges was rejected by the charity shops. I gave up on Gumtree etc. and took it to the tip, paying $9.50 dumping fee. I am sure someone out there who is sleeping rough could have made use of it but I don't know how you find them. I had it in the trailer so delivery would not have been a problem.

If all goes to plan I should arrive in Tassie in the middle of winter. Oh well, rubbish happens!

BanditDave Fri 27 Sep 2019, 1:10 pm

I have waited for over 4 months for my present real estate agent to sell my house and I have finally given up on him. I have appointed a new agent starting next week.

In the meantime I have packed up and am moving out on Saturday 2 November.

I am leaving at 2.00am (unbelievable!!) to get the dogs to Brisbane by just after 6.00am for their flight to Launceston.
From there I have allocated 4 days to drive car & trailer to Melbourne.
Overnight on the boat arriving in Tasmania on 6 November

Any suggestions regarding overnight accommodation on the Newell Hwy will be appreciated.

Chook Fri 27 Sep 2019, 8:59 pm

BanditDave wrote:

Any suggestions regarding overnight accommodation on the Newell Hwy will be appreciated.

a few get a mention in here

https://nswbandits.forumotion.net/t5550-new-south-wales-bike-friendly-accommadation

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