February ‘25 Update

A time of preparation and planning.

The new year has come and gone, and somehow, we’re already halfway through February!
Time is flying, and we’re more than ready for a bit of a break.

We’ve got a long weekend trip planned soon — much needed after weeks of relentless monsoonal rains.
Cabin fever has been well and truly setting in, and we’re itching to get out and about again.

To put things into perspective: the last time we had a full week of sunshine was back in early to mid November.
That’s months of damp, soggy weather.

At this point, the mould is practically growing its own mould!

Fixing, Sealing, and Rolling with the Punches

We’ve been keeping busy with various maintenance and upgrades.

The air conditioner is finally fixed, which has been a game-changer in this humidity.

Then there’s the saga of the leaky roof…

We took the bus to Cairns for a full reseal of the roof, which took two days.
We had it back for all of two and a half days before realizing — it was still leaking!

Gutted, to say the least.

After a broken nights sleep for us both, we decided to tackle it ourselves.

Thankfully, our new massive 3.2m ladder had arrived, giving us much better access to the roof.
Instead of blindly sealing multiple spots at once, we took a more methodical approach — sealing one suspected leak at a time, day by day, to pinpoint the culprit.

By the second attempt, we had found the issue: the area around the wire running from the solar panel into the bus.

Once sealed, the leak was finally gone!
The feelings of relief were almost beyond description.
It took almost a full week of each of us checking it numerous times a day before we truely believed we’d won the battle.

Yes, it was frustrating that the original job missed such an obvious weak point, but the joy of finally having a dry interior overshadowed any lingering annoyance.

Servicing Henry

Henry (our bus) was due for a service, so we took him to our trusted mechanic, Charlie.
Along with the usual filter changes and tune-ups, we asked him to:

• Walk us through the under-bonnet maintenance we can do ourselves
• Order a list of spare parts so we’re not caught out on the road like we were on our trip big last year

Charlie was more than happy to help, and we spent a solid hour going over everything.

We’ve also decided to install an engine temperature monitoring system later this week, adding another layer of protection against unexpected breakdowns.

Weather Woes and Wildlife Run-Ins

As mentioned earlier, the monsoonal rains have been intense across Far North Queensland, causing devastating flooding in many areas.
We’ve been incredibly fortunate that our Farm is waterlogged and mostly un-walkable, but we haven’t suffered any major damage.

On a less fortunate note, our car that was hit by a kangaroo before Christmas was officially declared a write-off.
Not the outcome we were hoping for, but nothing that can be done about it.

Upgrades and Improvements

We’ve slowly been making small but significant improvements to our setup:

• An extra fridge/freezer:
We picked up another ‘Brass Monkey’ chest fridge/freezer to store under the bed.
We had one in our old bus Noah and loved it, so it made sense to add another for extra cold storage space.

• Exterior Art:
We’ve added some snazzy homemade decals to the bus for a more personal touch, with plans to add more once we’re done with the external sealing.

• Bed modifications:
Our bed has been reconfigured once again, and we’ll see if the latest iteration works for us, as we spend more time on the road in Henry.

• Sink cover:
We’ve made a cover to go over the sink to give us some extra bench space when we need it.
Or maybe to hide the dishes! 😉

• Maxxfans Installed:
Our static vents have been replaced with Maxxfans, making a huge difference.
Now we can circulate air without running the AC — especially helpful since we can’t open any windows when its raining, unless the awning is out.

Of course, no upgrade goes completely smoothly.

The company that installed the Maxxfans left greasy boot prints all over our roof.
When we lodged a formal complaint, they offered to clean it, but we opted to do it ourselves — no way were we letting anyone stomp around up there again, especially after all our re-sealing work!

To Add a Washing Machine or Not?

One big discussion we’ve been having is whether or not to install a washing machine.

On the plus side:
• Convenience—no more relying on laundromats or camp-ground machines
• Long-term savings

On the downside:
• Space and weight considerations

Laundromats typically charge around $5 per load, and on our three-week trip at the end of last year, we spent $37 on washing.
Over a year, that’s around $640+, which is money we’d rather put toward fuel or groceries.
The debate continues…

Meal Prep for the Win

We’ve been doing more of our infamous meal prep, and we think it’s a game-changer.
It’s cost-effective, saves time, and ensures we have good food ready to go when we’re tired and hungry.

Our current stash includes:
• Smokey Beef Rissoles
• Chicken Satay
• Beef Satay
• Beef and Veg Casserole
• Mustard Chicken with Veg
• Green Thai Chicken and Veg Curry
• Strigidae Mince (a versatile mince and sauce base for bolognese, nachos, baked potatoes, and wraps)

Having home-cooked meals on hand makes it waaaay easier to avoid the temptation (and expense) of takeaway!

A Disappointing Auto-Electrician Visit

This morning, we met with a new-to-us auto-electrician to discuss upgrades to our bus’s house electrics.
Let’s just say, it didn’t wildly inspire confidence…
• he arrived 45 minutes late
• he had to borrow a ladder from us
• he had to borrow a tape measure from us

Not exactly the level of professionalism we were hoping for.
While we did get some useful feedback, we’re not sure at this point that he’s going to be ‘our guy’, going forward…

That’s a Wrap

So that’s it for this update!

Despite the rain, setbacks, and frustrations, we’re making steady progress, and with our upcoming trip on the horizon, we’re looking forward to a much-needed break — and hopefully, some sunshine!

Until next time – safe travels, and remember to make the moments matter.

~~~

 

filthy boot-marks left on our roof, when only socks should have been worn.

 

cleaning off the roof

 

meal-prep

 

Mabi makes sure no one leaves until the work is done.

 

making room for the latest ‘brass monkey’ fridge/freezer

 

lovely & useful sink cover