test

This is test from omnia to blog.

Regards,
Mike Gentile

Dual Batteries

Over the weekend I have started to get the NS sorted for the drive from Perth to Brisbane.

My brother has installed the dual battery system, my brother is an auto leccie, so worked out pretty cheap, $140 for the tray and $135 for the 600CA battery, from a contact of his. I will try and get an engine bay pick, we did modify the lip of the tray to get a slightly larger battery in.

Friday week has the ARB deluxe bar going on with the engine bay mounted compressor and the GME TX 3440 being installed as well.

My brother will be installing the IPF 900xsddcs spooties and the fridge power connector as well.

All I will have to then is pack the vehicle.

We're getting excited about this trip as we are going to take at 3 weeks and if we decide to include Tassie, which is likely, it will last over 4 weeks.

Only 13 more days of work to go :)

New Car

Well last Wednesday night we went looking at a couple of cars, namely Mitsubishi Pajero's and we bought one. We go back there tomorrow evening to pay for it and take it home.

A 2007 NS Pajero GLX, diesel, long wheelbase, it has only don 24000kms, is in very good nick as well, and runs pretty good. The very back seats also fold down into the floor.

So I spent most of the weekend wishing I could have got it earlier, so we could go out and test it 4wdriving. I have to admit it will b fun having a 4wd again and going across Australia in this one and being able to visit a few extra places with it.

Now it is time to kit it out. This weekend I will be going to ARB to order the bullbar, spotties, UHF radio, possibly tow bar, dual battery set up, air compressor and cargo barrier. I must also get the stone protectors for the bonnet and headlights and 2 weather shields for the front windows. Then all that will left to do for it is dark tinting and a car fridge for the trip, which could also be used for a bar fridge when not travelling. Luckily my brother will set up the dual battery system, spotties and install the air compressor if it comes with ready made brackets.

We have also started checking maps and the routes we want to take as well, since we will be going the long way round, via Melbourne, but there will be lots of friends to visit on the way. We are starting to get an idea of the itinerary, and it will include at least a couple of Hawks games along the way, v Adelaide at AAMI stadium on the 31st of may and v Sydney at the MCG on the 7th of June.

Ang has also looked into removalists as well, to get all our stuff over there as well, a couple of people have been around already with a few more to come this week, then we will have to seriously start packing and sorting out what we need to take with us in the car for the trip.

Ciara is also going ahead in leaps and bounds, she will be 9 months tomorrow. She hasn't started to walk yet, but she is not far off. She will put both hands up if you ask "hands up if you are beautiful". She can now climb up the first 2 steps of our stairs and we are trying to teach her how to get down backwards after 1 fall backwards already, she is getting the hang of climbing down as well. We are hoping she will be OK sitting in a car for about 3 weeks.

The Apartment is Sold

Yay the Apartment is now sold with an unconditional contract and settlement is about 5th of June, maybe a touch earlier if they can get out of their lease.

I have also given in my date I will be leaving work as well, 15th of May and we hope to be on our way to Brisbane about a week later. If we time it right I will get to watch Hawthorn in Perth on the 15th, then in Adelaide on the 31st and then in Melbourne on the 7th of June, playing Sydney. If I can Ang into it we can then take the car across to Tasmania and watch them play against Brisbane so I might get a chance that is her team.

Meaning our next job is to get this new 4wd we want to have for the drive to Brisbane. We are very Keen on a Landcruiser Prado, but for the money we are thinking of spending we can get a newer Pajero, even if it does mean wanker in spanish. I am finding it hard to decide, but either way it will be a diesel, I still like the Peugeot 307 diesel that I owned whilst living in london.

Little Peanut is still progressing, she can now climb a step, but can't get down and can also stand without holding on to anything for about 15 seconds.

One final thing for me to say is that today is my birthday, 40 years old today!!
Sometimes I don't feel that old but every now and then it seems to catch up with me. We are having a party at mum's house on Saturday for me, but it is also mums birthday tomorrow, 3rd. So hopefully people will remember her birthday as well.

Will report bck soon as well, maybe even a picture from the party.

Holiday in Busselton

We have just got back from another holiday, this time to the South West to a town called Busselton.
We stayed in a chalet in a caravan park called Mandalay. We went there with my sister and her family and my mother.
Peanut also seemed to enjoy spending time with her cousins as well.
We also took her to an animal farm, where she got to see guinea pigs, chickens, rabbits, parrots, donkeys, horses, lamas, goats, sheep and cattle for the first time in her life. She also got to have her first ride on a Merry-go-round.

Still no real progress with selling the apartment, there seem to be a few nibbles but buyers still seem to be holding back. We just need the right offer and then I can get ready for our drive to Brisbane. We have also discussed trading in the commodore for a Toyota Landcruiser Prado or a Toyota Hilux dual cab. We both like the idea of travelling about a bit whilst in Qld, as it could only be for 2 years, but could be permanent as well.

I would also like to get this over so that we can stop having to get the apartment ready for viewing each Saturday when Ang is working Friday nights and only wants to rest on a Saturday night.

This weekend coming we have Peanuts' christening and then a few drinks afterwards, she will also have 4 god parents to contend with, we thought it only fair a pair from each side, so we selected my sister and her husband and Angie's brother and his wife.

There is also the matter of only just over 2 weeks until my 40th birthday.

The best thing on the horizon is 9 more days until the footy starts and my starts the season as the reigning premiers, but also the youngest team in the competition.

GO HAWKS.

Trip to Sunshine Coast

It has been a couple of weeks, but I was on holiday last week. We went to visit the in-laws, who live on the Sunshine Coast, which if you don't know where it is, it is about 100kms north of Brisbane in Queensland.

Was great to get away from Perth and work for a week. The trip was also to do a bit of exploring the northern subburbs on one of the days to see where we might look for a house when we get to Brisbane.

We caughtwith Ang's 2 brothers and their families, which leads us to also seeing our new nephew, Daniel (pictured with me right), who is only 4 weeks old. It just shows us how much little Peanut has grown over the last 7 months. She even has 2 teeth now as well, and she really enjoyed exploring a bigger house to play in and seeing all her cousins.

On the Wednesday we went down to Brisbane, to explore the suburbs, and from what we have seen from driving around we are interested in Strathpine and Petrie, with interest also n the suburbs in between, which were bray Park and Lawnton. There seems to be some nice houses there as well.

We also went for a walk through a small bit of forest and then went to Gardiners Falls for a swim, the whole family went. The rest of the time was mainly hanging around the in-laws place with the occasional walk outside, so I could feed the mosquitoes. Every tie I go to their house I get attacked by them and everyone living around them like to keep dams with stagnant water so they can keep breeding, I still don't understand why they all want have a dam.

My next task to get sorted is my Aussie rules dream team, I still haven't started getting it sorted, but I have a couple weeks before the start of the season. I hope I can get a team as good as I had last season.

Lastly, the apartment has been up for sale for less than 2 weeks, there has been a fair bit of interest but no offers yet, but hopefully that will change soon.

Apartment for sale

Yay, finally we have te place on the market.

All the jobs that needed to get done have been done.

We have met with a few agents and decided on one. Hopefully it will be sold quickly and then our next adventure will start, The drive from Perth on the west coast of Australia, to Brisbane on the east coast, following mostly the coast line along the south.

The apartment looks pretty good tidyed up and with a lot of the clutter gone. Since the market is in such a shit situation at the moment we will be happy to get out at break even or just above, which might be possible.

It's all coming together now.