The Struggle for Change.

21/06/16 Tuesday, Blog Update, Final Week at SY.

By Will.

Last Canal Boat Ride to the Boat Ramp.

When did this transformation begin ? Was it when we had children ? What about when I was made redundant by Rio Tinto ? Was it when the kids flew the coop ? How about, when we sold the Roadhouse business ? Or after our first 4.5 month unsupported Cycle Touring across Europe, last year ?

It's difficult to identify a defining moment, possibly, Jenny & I have always been this way !

After spending about 8 months living on our bicycles last year, it really hit us once we arrived home last December, just how wrapped up in the conformity of society we had become ! 

Buy a BIG house, fill it up with stuff, "consume". Take out another mortgage, struggle to make the repayments ! Work 12 hour days, 7 day weeks, buy more stuff to make yourself "happy". Exchange your youth & living life for money & stuff that you don't really need. 

Let Big Business, Government & Banks, lock you into "Golden Handcuffs".....What a con job !!! (That's our opinion these days).

Don't get me wrong, we have both had some fantastic experiences & met the most amazing people during our working lives. 

I just hope that people can consider some of the consequences of what they do, whether it's buy, borrow or interact with the environment. Most new things that we all embark on are fabulous in the beginning. Just make sure you consider the real overall cost & have a future exit plan.

First time I've put the boat on the trailer in about 2 years.

Noel & Mike, hand over a bank cheque & take the old boat away.

I know it's a cliché, but everyone is different and the "Consumerism Lifestyle" is no longer working for us. We still have a long way to go, but the first tentative steps have been taken, surely it will become easier as time goes on ?

I take more "Stuff" over to the shed at the Reno House. It seems every trip into Mandurah I'm towing a trailer load of crap.

So Jenny & I are into our final week of selling, packing & shifting from our large family home on the canals of 11 years. Over the past week we have sold the heavy glass/steel TV cabinet, our 8 seater dinning table, "My Boat" (ouch that one hurt), the Boat Dock. All our ex-stuff has gone to new homes. We also did the Final House Inspection, with the new home owners, Stewart & Anna, they are extremely excited to be moving out here.

Damian & Jason drove down from north of Perth to pick up our Dining Table. 

I wonder how it will look after 1.5 hours riding in the back of this trailer. Goodbye Table.

In between trying to shift, we've had to deal with Jenny recovering from her knee operation, complete the VW Kombi refurbishment, our tenants vacating our Investment Rental House & finally the Builders beginning the renovation of our future small "Lock up & Leave" Home Base in Central Mandurah.

Jenny & I hash out some future easy care Garden ideas at the Mandurah Reno House.

The Builders now have the permit, construction commences tomorrow 22/6/16.

Whoah it's enough to make you breathless, certainly enough stress to make me enjoy a couple of extra beers at the end of the day !!!

The whole downsizing process is starting to feel a lot more difficult then we both first anticipated, though I'm sure it's easier now then in the future when we are in our 50's or 60's & your whole life has just past you by !

"Deal With Reality, Before Reality Deals With YOU " !

We have made good progress so far, but there is still a way to go. It took us at least 25 years to dig this deep hole, so it stands to reason that filling it in will take some time. The next "Big Ticket" item on the "wiljen hit list" is the sale of the investment house (after we have finished living there for the next 4 to 6 months ?). 

Also we are taking back control of our Superannuation (some other countries call it pension plan, USA know it as 401K) and creating a Self Managed Super Fund, this is a big time consuming task but we are about halfway through the process.

2016 is really turning into a year of massive hard earned change for Will & Jenny. We are missing the open road, India is now on the horizon & we are both looking forward to that tour on motorbikes.

Our International Drivers Licences arrive, just the Indian Visa to sort out now.

Come this time next week we'll be sleeping in another house ! Below are a few more photos of our past weeks antics. Definitely won't have another chance to Blog until after the house move, until then take care everyone !

My good mate Andre needs my legal tyre/wheel combo to pass his Motor Engineering Certificate.

Andre has managed to "Shoe Horn" a Toyota 4.5L V8 into his 105 Series Landcruiser, which use to be exactly the same as our Cruiser. This is one of the "Holy Grails" of engine swaps, apparently the wiring is diabolical !

Lots of 4WD's (ours now is sporting illegal bigger tyres on loan) where are we ?

A secret location close to Jarrahdale WA. It's been a long time, well about 8 years, but we catch up with a few of my cousins. Great day out, nice to meet their spouses & children, my second cousins..? Left to Right, Dennis, Corina, Kylie, Will, Steve (my youngest brother) & Sarah.

The new owners, came and did a pre-sale house inspection. They wanted to make sure the Spa worked. Once they left, Jenny decided to top it up with hot water & enjoy one final spa bath. We never used it very much anyway.

I look out the window this morning & some Bloke is stealing my boat dock.

He paddles it down a few houses to Sid & Sheraines place, they bought it off us about a week ago. Now it's being installed to accept "Squid" their boat.

Looks like the neighbours have their "new" dock all sorted, good luck to them. I did them a very fair deal !

My last job for the day was to remove 3 fibro fence panels so the small excavator can access our yard, via our future neighbours property tomorrow. Then they will remove a couple of palms, dig a trench from the house to the shed & commence work on the sand pads for the new extensions. It took me about 2 and a half hours & OMG so many roots to chop through.

New Life Chapter About to Begin !

15/06/16, by Will.

2 Weeks Before the SY House Sale Settlement.

As you all know the Kombi is as good as done, for awhile there I thought Jen & I may have to live in the old bus over the next few months.

Hi Everyone, let the move begin. See you after the shift !

In a couple of weeks we have to move from the home we built, raised the kids in & spent the past 11 years enjoying. It's been fun, but now it's time to farewell the Dolphins, Pelicans, Shags, Gulls, Easy Boating, Great Neighbours & Driving Everywhere (won't miss all the driving!).

Jackie & Jenny enjoy the view.

Goodbye Dolphins & Pelicans !!! See you in Mandurah.

Meet the proud new owners of our SY house, Stewart & Anna, enjoy guys...

I'm a little nostalgic, it's the longest both Jenny & I have ever lived in one place, as children or adults ! You need to continually remind yourself that it's all just "stuff".

Houses are just another consumable item in our busy lives that hold you back from doing other adventurous things.

I fix the leaking SY house toilet in preparation for the hand over.

Time to start shifting the gear out of the Workshop & Garage.

The second load ready to move.

We have the family over for one last dinner at "Home".

But it's really cold outside.

Last family dinner in this house at this table.

Our good friends Muz and Jo also come over for one last session in South Yunderup.

Muz rolls a ciggy. Is it the good stuff ?

The last two cycling tours have demonstrated that you really don't need much. The time has come to simplify & selling our large family home is a big part of the process. We have also been busy selling or giving away other household items, like TV Cabinets, Tables & anything else that isn't used.

Hayden decides to take The Beast for a ride, he picks up the technique straight away. "I want one" says the Hayds !

Not much luck selling the boat yet, some interest out there, but the potential buyers all want it for way under it's value, like $10000. I'll probably wait until summer & try again.

So if we aren't having to live in the VW Kombi parked in the new Shed out the back of the Mandurah Reno House where are we going.

Rear add on room at the Mandurah Reno House is demolished by Rohan & Pete. Where will the mice live now ?

All cleared away & ready for the new additions. Still waiting for the Building Permit from Mandurah City Council. This week apparently !

I thought this may be our view out of the Kombi for a few months.

Well at least we have some free storage space now during the house juggle.

As lady luck would have it, 10 years ago Jen & I bought a small 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom spec home, investment property located in one of the outer Mandurah suburbs. It has been rented out to various people during that time. 

About 2 and half years ago Fiona, Darren & family moved out & we gave the place a full freshen up. Paint, Carpets, Kitchen, Lighting, nothing structural or to major. 

The current tenants, Heather & Gary are in their fifties & have been living there for the past 2.5 years. The  house is a credit to them & presents pretty much in the condition it was after the total revamp. Thanks guys. (Found a few pics on my phone from the time of the 2014 Reno).

May 2014, Hayden rips up the floor at the Mandurah Investment House.

Kitchen with no flooring.

New Kitchen & Flooring at Investment House. Didn't realise we'd end up living here. Welcome to the weird life of team wiljen !

Heather & Gary advised us about 2 weeks ago that they will be moving out at the end of June. For once this is perfect, we have somewhere to live that we own for the next 4 to 6 months until the Mandurah Reno House is completed. Ha ha, no rent for us !

We will then try and sell the investment house as well, failing that I guess it will be back on the rental market.

So it's been a busy time for team wiljen, the knee surgery Jenny had, has thrown a bit of a spanner in the works & she has more surgery happening it early July. Jen is busy dealing with all her health issues now, so we can continue to enjoy future life to the fullest. 

Jenny's sore knee a few days after the Op, it looks worse then it is. Hurry up and recover Jen we have heaps of traveling to do. 

This and the house juggling are the main reasons we haven't been able to escape the winter in Mandurah. Jen should be good to travel by mid August, so we'll go for a camper tour in the Kombi up north along the Western Australian coast, where it's nice and warm. Then our 2 month Indian Motorbike Tour starting in mid October. I'm not bored yet !!! 

Hot off the press: We have sold our boat !!! I should be excited but I think I'll miss old "MV Noname" the Stacer Sea Master, 10 years of good memories & history there. Anyway, try to keep positive the money we get for Noname will keep us on the road traveling for at least 3 months, see ya, you old fat dingy...! Noel & Mike will tow Noname away on Friday. This changing your lifestyle is harder then I thought !

The sunsets one last time on Good Old "Noname", thanks for the good times !

Awning, Engine Maintenance & Curtains.

Kombi update No. 6

14/06/16, Tuesday, By Will.

Dixie the Little Orange VW Kombi is so close to completion now (well for this refurb anyway) !  Are these things ever really finished ?

After waiting for a couple of days for the paint to dry on the C Channel Purlin & the rain to go away, today is the day for the Awning installation.

Rhino Rack with Universal Bracket.

Installing Rhino Roof Racks.

3 rack bars to support the C Purlin, which in turn supports the ARB Awning. We will later fit a solar panel onto the front racks.

Mock up of C Purlin in position so I can mark where to drill the fastener holes.

The Awning from ARB (a 4WD outfitting company) is 2.5 metres long, but the span where the Poptop is fitted is 2.8 metres. The only solution I could come up with was to use some light weight 75mm x 40mm C Purlin. Has to be a better option then drilling holes into the refurbished Poptop or Kombi Body.

Time to paint the C Purlin, what Colour. I have White, Black & Orange in my "Workshop".

Jenny & I decide on Black.

I also had the battery light fault on the dash to resolve. After checking all the connections & fitting the Deep Cycle battery I came to the conclusion it must be either a knackered regulator or alternator.

So last Tuesday (a week ago) after charging the battery up overnight, I loaded my bicycle into the back of Dixie Van & was just about to head up to South Street Mechanical/Volkshop in O'Connor about 60kms north when "Jip Knee" Jenny received a call from Comet Bay College.

Our 14yo niece, Shaye was sick and the School was unable to get a hold of her parents. So Uncle Will to the rescue. 

Finally an hour and a half later the Kombi, Bicycle and I headed north. Oh forgot to mention it was the coldest day Perth had experienced in 5 years, maximum temp only rose to 10C.

Riding my bike & catching the train home after dropping off the Kombi.

Once in the Perth southern suburb of O'Connor I left our Kombi in the trusty hands of Carl, Jeremy & Mick the Air Cooled VW Guru. They had her for a few days and repaired a heap of things. The big ticket items being the Alternator & Brakes. I picked her up on Friday and the drivability improvement was very noticeable.

We have a new Alternator.

From there I rode my bike 9kms to Murdoch Train Station, caught the train to Mandurah then rode 20kms out to South Yunderup. Man my ears were caning during that cold winters day ride.

Next Monday we drop the Kombi at Mandurah Canvas, Andy & his team will then install some insulation & line the Poptop. They will also cover the RnR seat & mattress sections for us. Then that's job done, Dixie Van will be ready for action.

Jenny making new curtains for the Kombi.

We think the new curtains look kind of retro.

There is one last small job that I will complete prior to our 3000km August shake down tour up to Exmouth, WA. That is fit a solar panel on the racks over the Cab area. Busy researching my best options.

Fridge in position, I used a stainless steel boat cleat as an attachment point.

The interior is really coming together now.

Last weekend Jenny & I head out on a mini Kombi adventure, Jen's knee is slowly getting better.

Fitting the Awning by myself turned into a challenge, at least all the holes lined up.

Just as I finish struggling to attach the awning, look who shows up. Jackie, Jenny & Prudence the dog.

Then my Dad, Bill arrives as well. Oh another set of hands would have been so welcomed just 15 minutes earlier !!!

Time to test it out.

Wow, it looks good.

Success, protection from the sun & rain.

I also decided to finally sort the table out, we have gone for a tripod support. Instead of drilling a 60mm hole in the floor to fit a socket.

A quick bite to eat on the new table.

Not to bad, we can use the table inside or out, I had to trim the post by 85mm.

Long live the VW Kombi !!!