The last entry - the lap complete......

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The Final Washup

Well we are now home and safely ensconced in our abode in Perth. After a few days of rushing around doing the fetch-lift-carry-place-unpack we are well and truly back into the civilisation grind! So after all this traveling what was the final washup so to speak?

For the logistical aficionados amongst us….


We traveled a total of 42,243 km over 317 days (discounting the original pre-trip trip)
Used 7,478 litres of diesel
That cost us $10,818.37
Average price was ~$1.45 (which is less than the current price in Perth)
At an average economy of 17.70litres /100km -eg: the old Tojo isn’t fast or efficient but it is considered to be pretty reliable!
Rarely got above 100km/hr! (although we did crack 120km/hr on the Nullabor with a following wind!…OK well it was a slight downhill as well…)

Only had 1 staked tyre on the trailer (BF Goodrich All Terrain - near new)
1 Kangaroo strike (mid sized joey unfortunately on way in to Wolfe Creek Crater)
Temporarily laterally challenged : twice (once requiring handwinch) Many other nearlies…
Creek crossings : too numerous to mention! (Some deeper than others though…)
Replaced 4 batteries (one main starter battery, two on dual battery system, one on trailer)
Remaining tyres on car have a good 20-30,000 km left on them I reckon - although they are significantly chipped on most tread blocks.
Central locking replaced (bugger!)
A few windscreen chips but still intact.
One throw out bearing on clutch replaced (under warranty)

Camprite camper trailer - pretty well followed us most places and learnt to swim in Nolans Brook on the Cape York trip!
Apart from stone damage below(nothing major) and some canvas repair (mainly in the form of replacing of some press studs and some stressed stitching areas requiring a going over {well OK and a bloody good clean to spruce it up a bit}it did pretty well and has probably gone through the equivalent of 15 years worth of use. Repacked the trailer wheel bearings pretty regularly and they are still in good nick.

Other than that it did pretty well as our home for 11 months….and certainly beats setting up beds on the hard ground each night. It will sit in the yard for a while to recuperate and their might be a few mods to be done at some stage…..

Experienced extremes of temperature - 50 degrees at Nanga in Shark Bay, sat through a couple of cyclones, -10 degrees in the central desert, coldest June in Darwin recorded, wettest June period in Nhulunbuy, snow on Koscisuzko…the list goes on!

Finally got to the Northern most point of the Mainland, the eastern most point (not exactly difficult), highest point at Mt Kosciuszko, southern most point and saw the many faces of the great contrasting landscape that is Australia. Missed out on the state corners but then that might have to be another trip…..

As to how much it cost…? Haven’t really counted the gold coins per se, suffice to say that the differential between day to day living expenses (you gotta pay them anyway) and travel costs isn’t that much in the overall scheme of things. Spread it over two tax years and allow for the tax offset and the cost to do it suddenly doesn’t seem all too bad. Admittedly you need the cash in bank to allow things at home to continue without the bank foreclosing - but then that is what 20 years of working away in the mining game is for…. as opposed to drinking it at the bar! Admittedly you miss out on the years salary/wages but what you gain is priceless. As it said on one of the el cheapo Wicked vans…

“Its all about luck….just ask any loser!”

ie: it doesn’t just fall in your lap and you help to make your own luck by working hard.

It also helps to have a father-in-law who helps to look after your affairs whilst away (Thanks a heap Dad).

Ultimately our main aim of getting back on track as a family is something that you can’t value. The trip certainly did that and although you are living within a very small area we had minimal arguments. Don’t get me wrong its not all roses but it sure beats the daily grind we normally deal with in our “normal” lives.

The kids schooling was perhaps the biggest challenge but was also pretty fulfilling and was a good way to ensure we didn’t try to do too much from day to day. The kids schooling was pretty well sacrosanct and although not stuck to a rigid 5 day week 9/3 timeframe we were always cognizant of ensuring they kept up with their set work and completed it within a timeframe not too far outside the normal school terms. We also have the added advantage of having a much better feel for their learning capabilities and knowing their strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps one of the big advantages we have seen is in their reading ability - and their associated increase in vocabulary, sentence structure spelling etc. Admittedly with younger kids who cant read, the DVD thing might have to be utilized but for older kids it’s a great way to get them into books…and hopefully something that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

What about the cost…in ten years time the money side of things will be near on irrelevant!

Would I recommend it - absolutely.

Would I do it again….tomorrow!!!!

Is it worth it - priceless memories and experiences. Pretty hard to beat.

Which was the best bit? Hard to really pick out best bits but general consensus amongst us all was that the Northern Territory was probably where we enjoyed ourselves the most….but shes all good!

Learning experience from the trip….recognition of standard of living and standard of life. Find the balance and don’t let it swing too far towards the standard of living - its not the same as standard of life!

Hopefully I haven’t offended too many people with my opinionated statements! Bear in mind that its usually with a view to “taking the p..s” out of people as an observer and not meant as anything derogatory…having said that I’m sure I’ve been the subject (in a negative sense)of many a conversation around some of the grey nomads drinkie-poos!

All in all a fantastic year and if your contemplating doing it - then just go out and do it…you wont regret it. She’s a great country this one of ours and a land of contrasts you would be hard to beat.

Well I trust if you have been reading all, or part, of our journal it has given you some incentive / inspiration to go out and do it as well. If that doesn’t fall within your means and you have been able to vicariously live a trip through our eyes all well and good

So I now start back to work tomorrow….perhaps 10:30 am might be the limit and I might have to be handing my resignation in by then! Admittedly it will be hard to fit back into the “normal” scheme of things….but I guess its got to be done.

Regards to all - Russell, Amanda, Brayden and Rhiannon Panting

Around the Block 2007

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