We received word when we were in France that we had to move our motorhome from the warehouse where it was stored at home. It was a message I was loathing. We couldn’t just ask someone to move it for us as it was packed to the gills with our personal belongings that were, towards the end of our travel preparations last year, just thrown in with little to no order, and boxes were stacked to the roof! To be fair, I did say we’d be away for twelve months and we were pushing eighteen by this stage! They did offer to put the move off until the end of the year but we didn’t want to be committed to that as we were likely to be travelling a further twelve months, or more, depending on what opportunities were thrown our way.
Our own pooch Merlot had also outstayed his welcome with the people that were looking after him while we were away. His carers looked after him well and he was much loved but they had since got their own puppy and it was all a bit too much as Merls has become a bit of a grumpy old man in his old age (happens to the best of us!). There were also a couple of issues that couldn’t be handled remotely so as we were settled in a long term housesit and had just the one cat to look after, it made sense for me to shoot back while we had the opportunity. Catching up with some friends and family was a bonus, especially as my mother’s ninety sixth birthday would be celebrated while I was there.
We co-ordinated my flight with the expiry date of our leased car. It had to be returned to Frankfurt, about a five hour drive to the south, so I set off with a large suitcase containing our surplus luggage. The next stage of our travels was going to be by air, so we needed to slim down.
I was flying Qatar airlines so I would be stopping off in Doha. The first leg of the journey was easy as it was not a full flight and I had the luxury of four seats to stretch out on. The food service was good, offering a variety of options on the menu. I selected the lamb and as I was about to tuck into it the stewardess returned with a meal asking if I was Laurence Briffa. She told me that I had preordered a ‘low fat, low carb’ meal. “Ahhh, that would have been my wife” I replied, “And she’s not here so if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather have the lamb, thanks”. She seemed a little bemused and I did offer to eat it as well if it was going to cause any problems but she took it away.
The next sector from Doha to Melbourne was fully booked so we were shoehorned into our economy seats for the fourteen hour haul but fortunately it arrived on schedule in the evening and I was able to smoothly pick up a rental car, drive to St Kilda, where I was staying, and get a good night’s sleep.
I needed the rest as I was staying in Melbourne for the first week with appointments and chores lined up with few breaks, and the spare time I did have was spent getting the motorhome prepared for relocation.
Understandably, the motorhome’s engine battery was flat but the storeman at the warehouse it was stored in, helped me get it started with some heavy duty jumper leads. Once I had all the boxes rearranged and stowed suitably, I set off to Grantville with my little buddy ‘Merlot’, who I picked up towards the end of my busy week.
Grantville is a small town in South Gippsland on the way to Phillip Island, where my sister and nieces live and care for my elderly mother. I had prearranged a storage space in a shed of a firewood yard. Murray, the jovial proprietor offered to drive me and Merls to San Remo where my niece would pick us up and drive us the rest of the way to the ‘lsland’. He had a couple of deliveries of firewood to make along the way so I took some cold beers from the fridge of the motorhome and we acquainted ourselves over a couple of coldies in the tip truck- it was good to be back in Oz! (I also couldn’t pass up on a piece of fried flake and a dimmo!)
As I mentioned earlier, it was my mother’s ninety-sixth birthday so we had a family gathering to celebrate the occasion and I was really happy to be there for it. Quite a milestone given her hard upbringing. Surviving WW2 in Malta which was given an absolute hiding with constant air raids, raising four children without the aid of parents, losing her mother at a young age and starting a new life in Australia. Although I was telling someone recently that I was no trouble as a child- not once did I ask for an iPad!!
I spent the best part of a week at Phillip Island. Relaxing from the busy week prior and from preparing the motorhome for another storage stint- We hope to travel across to Western Australia in it some day but we will need to have a major garage sale before we can do that.
It was nice spending time with my nieces and their growing children. When I was leaving to head back to Melbourne for a few more days before returning to Germany, it was difficult saying goodbye to my mother. Goodbyes are never easy but given Mum’s age and her frail condition, the reality is, it will probably not be too long before I receive a call that would be harder than someone asking to relocate the motorhome! Obviously I’m hoping she will be with us for many more years, but age catches up with everyone! Thankfully, she is well cared for in a loving environment and has seventeen great grandchildren around to keep her young- not all at the same time!!!
I enjoyed my last few days in Melbourne. Picking up things I had ordered and catching up with more family and friends. I filled my empty suitcase with chocolate and wine and even enjoyed some sunny spring days- I was keen to soak it up because I wouldn’t be seeing the sun for a while back in Germany. The flight back to Frankfurt was tolerable (thanks to the odd Bloody Mary!!!), but the five hour train ride, with two changes, to Hude was torture.
A bus, 2 planes and 3 trains- 37 hrs door to door! Being back with Linda, and the aroma of freshly cooked curry as I walked in the door made it all worthwhile.
People ask us about how we get our house sits. This is the main website we use. https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF147238/
If you use the link above you will also get a discount on membership.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.
Enjoy.