Welcome Jack

In Port Augusta we stopped for fuel. It’s like being allowed to play with the Big Kids, at the large diesel bowser, the elevated drive through and the other really big trucks. Jack looks pretty cool amongst the other giants. Heading east and still new at driving the bus we decided to stay off the highway through Adelaide and stick to the back tracks. It turned out to be a good choice, with plenty practice of driving through the hills and over narrow roads without too many other vehicles to think about. Strong side winds made it an extra intense experience.  By the time the sun was setting we had made good progress. After crossing a very narrow historic bridge in Palingra (25cm either side of the bus) we arrived at the SA/Victoria border, where we pulled over for the night.

The next day, on our final stretch home, I felt like a real Kenny when emptying the black water tank in Swan Hill.

Meanwhile in Barham our nanny had done a great job looking after 5 excited children. We met up in Kerang (30km from Barham) on Sunday afternoon. They could not have been any more excited to see their new home, and together we started the very last bit to take Jack all the way to Barham. Taking the bridge over the Murray was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

In our absence the children had made multiple drawings of Jack as well as a cardboard model and there was a sign on the front gate.

I had previously cleared our 1 km driveway of low hanging tree branches and we turned Jack and trailer around without any complications, to park on the freshly cleared pad next to the shed.

Not a lot of people noticed us drive through town but the news of our departure plans and the bus have been spreading around quickly. Many patients ask us if the rumors are true and they feel mixed emotions. Partir, c’est mourir un peu.

Adventure Travel

The outback is full of adventure! Just after leaving Coober Pedy the sky to the west of us was still blue but the horizon changed to a red colour. A large cloud was rolling over the ground coming straight at us. Our first dust storm! I have never experienced anything like it. When the dust hit us the world turned a dark red colour, visibility was nearly nothing and the winds were enormous. Christel quickly found a place to pull off the road and she turned the bus to face into the wind. There we waited. After 10 minutes the worst of the dust was gone.  It was followed by an hour long spectacular lightning show. We had front row seats. Jack has windows all around and because you sit higher up in the bus the views are great. While the storm was blowing outside we prepared dinner (pizza from the oven) and settled down for the night. 

Very happy not to be camping out last night. This morning the sun came up again. Jack sustained no damage from the storm and we continue south bound to Port Augusta.

Road Trip

For years we have had a dream to one day take our family around Australia.

We first said it out loud in Sydney on the 10^th of May 2006, only hours after we landed freshly immigrated from Holland.  For 4 years we worked in Collarenebri NSW after which we moved to Barham NSW where we have been working now for another 4.5 years. We came to Australia with 2 children. Since then our family has grown to 5 children. We also arrived with good intentions and a degree in Tropical Medicine.  General practice is only a very small part of Dutch tropical Medicine training so we had to learn on the run everything it takes to be a good GP. Now, 8 years later I have finished my GP fellowship training and can call myself FACRRM (Fellow of the Australian Collage of Rural and Remote Medicine) with an advanced skill in Emergency Medicine. Christel is only months away from her FACRRM with an advanced skill in Population Health.

Laura (10) is in Year 5 now. She is absolutely devoted to Dance, loves to read and also likes doing craft.  Jaap (9 today) loves fishing, survival, camping and all ball sports. He also knows a lot about space. Peter (6) is an exceptional reader and like his older brother loves the outdoor and spy stuff.  Tim (5) is very easy going. Great at making contact with every one around him: “Hi my name is Tim,………”

Hugo (3) knows what he wants and does it his way.  He is a great help around the house and likes the vacuum and broom. Our kids all have interest in growing, harvesting and eating our garden’s produce. With Laura still 1 year away from high school and us finalising our fellowship training, the time has come to make our dream reality.

“a goal without a plan is a dream”

We have been planning our next move for the last 18 months. First we thought a bus converted into a school space and camping in tents next to it would be the way to go. Keep it simple. No hot water, no toilet, no cooking inside the bus, just enough space for our children to sit comfortable when traveling and enough space to have remote education.  However that has its limitations. Like where are you camping? What if you want to pull up for 1 night only? What if it rains? A year is a long time to be roughing it.

Then we went to a motorhome conversion company. This is where an old coach is taken apart completely and build into a new motorhome. Sometimes the inside of the bus is kept but most of the time only the chassis is kept and everything is newly built up on top of that.  It looked a lot more like what we wanted. We where ready to find an old bus and get it build. Then the company we visited disappeared from the internet and the owners where no longer answering their phone. Hmmm. So we contacted another few companies after searching the web.

Of course we were also looking for the end product online. It became clear very quickly that motorhomes are not usually built for 7. Two people, sometimes up to 4, but never 7.  There was 1 motorhome in West Australia build for 2+4 children. It was sold before we could even consider going to WA to have a look. We went to another motorhome converter in Beqa. He builds motorhomes for the high-end market. He was not very helpful, saw problems rather then solutions and it was clear that he was after a generous profit margin.  A company in Melbourne was more helpful. The owner there was very clear: do not get one build, do not ever buy an unfinished project to finish yourself, do not buy one that is not currently registered. Buy one that is close to what you like, is registered and ready to go and then change the few things that you want different.

Another few months of frustrating internet searches followed. We had a look at an unfinished project in Wagga Wagga as well as evening upon evening of google searches. Nothing! And then there was Jack!

Advertised:  “ Jack is looking for a new home”

Jack is the name of a Denning Denair 1981 6V92Ta motorhome conversion. It was first brought into Australia in 1981 and has been used for a number of different purposes amongst which the V-line bus company. It was then converted into a motor home in 19?? It changed hands after ? years. The next owner added a car trailer in similar colours. He had 4 children and a passion for surfing. At some stage he had over 20 surfboards in the trailer, as well as a car. Then Brett and Alana Richardson bought the motorhome, which they have called home for the last 7 years.  Their daughter Hannah inspired them to call the motorhome Jack.

They travelled with their 2 children (Hannah and Cameron) from East to West, North to South and back. All over this mighty country. Now that they have settled in Alice Springs, Jack will continue its adventures with us. 

When we first came to Alice Springs to check out Jack, it became obvious very quickly that Brett has been looking after the engine side of Jack with more passion and eye for detail then any mechanic ever could have and Alana managed to create a very comfortable and home feeling inside.  From the moment we sat down for a cup of tea inside we where hooked. 

Jack is fully set up for independent living.  Hot and cold running water. Shower, toilet, kitchen with 4 burners, an oven, microwave, fridge freezer combi, seating arrangements for 9, sleeping arrangements for 6+2 and a comfortable dining room area. Jack is powered by a Detroit engine (the same one it originally arrived in Australia with). There are the 8 solar panels on the roof, 4x24V Battery’s and a generator. With the 1000liters clean water and gray +black water tanks we would be able to stay away from civilization for about a week at a time. 

Over the last few months we have been slowly telling people about our travel plans. Ochre health, the company that recruited us from The Netherlands and has supported us since our arrival in Australia responded very positively to our plans. It will mean that we will no longer be working for them in one location. We are planning to work as locum doctors along the way so we will keep in contact with them for future work options. Our GP colleagues in Barham will be more then capable of continuing high level of care for the Barham community. 

We hope to have an article in the local paper this week to inform every one in town as well as to thank them for the great time we have had. Barham could not have been a more fulfilling place professionally, socially and life style wise.

As I am writing this, Christel is driving us south on the Stuart Highway. We arrived in Alice 2 days ago to pick Jack up. There are a lot of things to learn about how Jack operates as a house and also as a bus. As well as explaining things Brett showed me how to change the oil and filters. Then we changed the wheel bearings on the trailer and an airbag on the rear drive axle. We did a general grease job (I now have my own grease gun) and checked batteries and tire pressure. To complete the induction we changed a perfectly good tire.  There lays another 1800 km between us and Barham where we will should arrive mid Sunday.