1st to 7th Sept, 2023 Jon & Annalise’s place, Cairns, Qld

Fri, 1^st

Spring and the weather is beautiful. Cool morning and warm days.

Starting to tidy up things ready to hit the road again. Cleaned the vinyl inside the camper and sorted out some cupboards - nothing like a Spring Clean.

Visited Rebecca and Clive. 

After lunch joined the ladies for line dancing again.

Jon and Annalise got the results from the blood test - baby is all good and is a Boy. Very exciting. They had the 12 weeks scan yesterday and he is looking more like a baby now.

Wandered down to Pete & Lyn’s place for happy hour with Annalise. Jon & Steve had driven down to pick up the truck from Fozzies now it is up and running. Got a photo at the top of the close.

Jon & Annalise’s friends came over for a game night so we went into town to check out the Cairns Festival Lights display. First the Library.

Then to Fogarty Park - lots of people out and about. Big light show with water jets in the Lagoon which was impressive. Walked around to the other side of the lagoon. There were a few areas with laser lights and smoke machines. The big wheel added to the atmosphere too. We wandered about then had a cuppa before heading home.

 

Sat, 2^nd

I cleaned the outside of the camper now we are having sunny days.

Steve cleaned out the truck.  

I baked - Fudgie Wudgie cookies for my two boys!! I kept a few for my man too.

Jon and Annalise joined us for dinner at Kaylene and Ricks with their son Jakob and his wife Annaliese. Fancy them having the same named ladies, just spelt a bit differently. Lovely food and great conversation. So nice to get the kids together at last as they all work shift work etc so hard to get a time when they are all together.

 

Sun, 3^rd

Father’s Day - thinking of my wonderful Dad and Steve rang Terry who is a fabulous Dad too.

Jon & Annalise went to Port Douglas with their friends for a golf day for the boys and shopping day for the ladies.

We pottered about cleaning and sorting as we have spread out in Jon’s shed.

Michael from the M&Ms who we met in York, WA posted that Marion was in Cairns Hospital in ICU with pneumonia. I sent our good wishes and offered help if needed. We didn’t know they were up this way.

 

 

Mon, 4^th

Steve and I went to Pinks for a cuppa and catch up.

Dan & Fran have chosen the 20^th October for their wedding so we will go to Bathurst then leave the truck and camper at Leanne & Ricks near Brisbane and fly home for a week as we still had credit with Jetstar from our changed flights last year. They are getting married at the Registry Office with both parents as witnesses which will be lovely. There will be a family celebration after the baby is born next year. I will need to get their wedding cross stitch finished then get started on the baby ones.

After lunch met up with Margit for a cuppa and catch up. Off to Cape York for 2 weeks soon which will be fun.

Popped in to wish Rebecca all the best with her op tomorrow.

Steve filled up the truck in the morning then 10 minutes later it spluttered and stopped. It did it two more times before he got it home. He then took Brian’s ute down to fill it up and the bowsers were closed. Steve enquired and the staff said they do that when the tank is down to 1000 litres so not to get any contaminates in people’s fuel. Maybe it wasn’t soon enough and that’s what happened to Steve. He will change the fuel filter tomorrow to see.

Thanked Brian for the use of his ute and arranged to drop it back to his shop.

 

 

Tues, 5^th

Chatted with two chaps off the Cummins DIY Facebook page and one chap is in Atherton. Steve will go up and see him about a few things on the weekend. Good to chat with others who have done this but most haven’t done the automatic conversion which has given Steve a lot of headaches.

Called into Dan’s work to drop off a gift for his boss. They were out on a job so left it with the office lady as Crossy had said he didn’t want anything but we couldn’t do that. We can’t thank him enough for the use of the shed and parts etc over the past month or so.

Steve was taking the truck to Innisfail today but with the fuel issue we decided to just take the Corolla and visit Gary & Cheryl who are parked up at the Babinda Rest Area. Their kids decided on a Cairns holiday so they came up to join them. We had met them in Darwin last year so it was great to catch up with them again. They live near Melbourne so will see them again when we are down that way too.

Clive messaged that Rebecca’s hip operation was successful. She will stay in a few days so she can do rehab there so will pop in and see her when she is ready for visitors.

Back home and around to Kaylene & Ricks to take them to the airport for their holiday in SA for Kaylene’s 60^th. They gave me some left over potatoes and pumpkin so I made my gingerbread spiced pumpkin cake - yum.

Dan & Fran have put their house on the market. They are going to start packing up things over the weekend. Hope it gets a good price and that they can rent it back until they find their new home.

Steve replaced the fuel filter on the truck and there was a bit of rubbish in it but not enough to stop the engine so it is a puzzle to be figured out.

 

 

Wed, 6^th

Starting to get cloudy - forecast is for a week of cloud and misty rain!

Steve headed off early to get the car to Jeffery’s to get the air conditioning reconnected.

I headed down to Tuckshop with my cake and to tell the girls of becoming a double Granma and that Annalise is having a boy.

Back home I picked up Annalise to check out some Op Shops for frames for a lovely painting Amanda had done of the two dogs. Unfortunately it’s an unusual size so Jon will have to make a frame. But we did find a bargin - near new change table with cushion and cover that didn’t look like it had been used at all and all for only $10. Jon will be happy!

After lunch I went line dancing again with Wendy. After that we went back to her place for a cuppa and chat.

I finished Dan & Fran’s wedding cross stitch now I have a date to put on it. Now to get a frame and card.

Sadly the engine still played up on the way into town but the air conditioning is fixed and cool as. He got it around to Fozzies where they tried other ideas on why it is stopping. They thought they had it but Steve didn’t get far when it stopped again so he took it back to the workshop and Fozzie brought him home. Very frustrating.

Steve rang Michael in Atherton about it. I went upstairs and Annalise & I taught Jon how to play 3 to Kings. Obviously we did a good job as he won!

 

 

Thurs, 7^th

Grey clouds then misty rain this morning.

Dropped Steve down to Fozzie’s with cookies to thank him. We are so thankful to our dear friends who have helped Steve out with this big engine changeover job. Sent emails to DCA about the fuel issue and the chap came back with suggestions. Michael from Atherton rang and offered to come down after lunch with his scan tool etc so hopefully they can get it sorted.

I went line dancing again. Great cardio workout today!

After lunch Annalise and I went shopping. Bought a frame for Daniel & Fran’s wedding cross stitch and a couple of baby clothes for the little one - there is so much available and it is all so cute. When we know what Fran’s having I will get them a few bits too. Bought some more aida cloth to start on the two baby cross stitches. That will keep me busy over the next few months.

Ray & Carol rang to see how we were going. Told them the sad truck story and they hope we will be on the road again soon.

Michael did come down and they worked on trying to diagnose the problem. They are thinking now it the injector pump so will ask DCA to send one up. Michael was so kind too as he wouldn’t accept any payment even for the fuel to come down from Atherton. Very much appreciated.