We've started!

We’ve finally headed off, although at about 11.30am today it didn’t seem like it would ever happen as we were really behind in packing and cleaning. In the end we were only 15 minutes late in taking everything out of the house for the deadline when the tenants were to move in (luckily they were late). Of course we still had another run to the storage unit and recycling centre to complete after that, and finally headed off just after 2pm.

Once we were on the road Daniel commented that we were just like a snail on wheels, carrying our house on our back, and so now we have christened our trailer ‘the snail’. Conor also took some pictures in the car which we will load up soon.

We can’t start this adventure without thanking everyone who has helped us to make it happen – we fully appreciated the enormity of it today, that we wouldn’t have been able to do it without so much help from all of our family and friends.

So a big big thank you, you know who you all are, to those who fed us this week in their homes and with food parcels, welded bits onto the trailer, entertained the kids, lugged boxes, gave or found us packing boxes, those who gave the kids trip-sized presents, organised goodbyes, who came and laboured at house working bees, lent us a trailer, put up with our extra recycling in their bins, took our ‘last minute’ mountain of rubbish to the tip, who are looking after our mail, looking after our house, fish and worm farm minding, and of course those who provided moral support.

Because we were a bit late heading off we didn’t make it to Jingellic unfortunately (sorry Julie), and have stopped at a caravan park in Holbrook for a lovely night under clear skies, with lots of stars and a nearly full moon. It wasn’t quite our idea of a free, self sufficient camp but it was just as well in the end because we had the car fridge up too high so the sausages, lettuce and tomatoes were frozen solid (the beer only had little shavings of ice in it) and it was just as well that we’re somewhere civilised enough to have a microwave to defrost them in J

The only other slight bother is that what with the new bike rack, we now can’t open the tool box with the tarp, tool to put the trailer legs down and dustpan and brush in it. Might be a job for Melbourne to work that one out.

Tomorrow we keep on going down the highway to family and friends in Melbourne.

We’re finally on our way, hooray!