The Longest Transformation In History...

It's been over a month, but the car is finally [almost] finished, so we are leaving the farm!! I had no idea it would take so long to fit out, thought we'd only be here for a couple of days, a week tops.

But here it is in pictures. The longest transformation in history...

To create a false floor with storage space underneath we had to first construct supports to take our weight and hold the board in place. We anchored these to bolt holes already in the floor of the car, which meant we had to get the measurements exact to the mm as there was no room for error.

Then we cut a big sheet of plywood for the back, chopped out pockets for the back corners and drilled holes for dowels to hold it them in place.. 

We constructed a support board for the front which screwed into the bolt holes for the seats. That was one of the biggest challenges, bending 4 individual pieces of steel to exactly the right angle. 

We fitted 4 central support bere fitted between the back board and the front support - held on with bunk bed brackets. Then 6 triangles of wood screwed to the front support gave us an extra 15cm of support for the front board. Sebastian is really tall, so though I could have easily slept just in the boot without any of these renovations, we had to make a long bed to fit him in!

The front plywood sheet is on a hinge, partly to be able to get it into the car, but also so we can easily fold it up and store it onto of the back board if we want to put the seats back up. We also have some storage space underneath. 

We've had some engine issues too. We had to replace the gas seals [whatever they are] to stop leaks. Greg's friend Huen helped us to do that. Then the radiator blew a hole. The garage/mechanics said 'maybe $200', so we said 'no thanks' and did it ourselves. We picked up a radiator for $50 from a guy we found on Gumtree who rebuilds cars, and then we (and by that I mean Sebastian mostly) replaced it. Drained the radiator fluid, pulled a lot of hoses free and wrapped them in cling wrap, pulled out different pieces and boxes and things I had no idea what they did, eventually got the fan cover off and pulled the radiator out. Putting the new one back was a bit more difficult, but we did it.

Then the worst part; The Door Hinge. 

The drivers door hinge was worn when Seb brought the car and it didn't close properly. We brought one from a car wreckers and attempted to replace it. It's only 2 bolts, but when we began we failed to realise that the bolts were at an awkward angle and the door was incredibly heavy, and the electric cable for the windows and the mirrors only had about 30cm play. We also didn't know that you usually have a hoist for the door so it can just hang while you refit it. We got the hinge out no problem but could not hold it in place for long enough to screw it back in. We tried different techniques for a couple of hours, getting hotter and hotter and more stressed with each failure. Eventually we had to walk away from it, starving and down hearted. 

When Greg came home that afternoon he came up with such a simple box and wooden plank jack system that worked perfectly. For 3 of the bolts. One hole was cross threaded. So days of worrying, visiting engineer companies and wondering how much it was going to cost us. Just by chance talking to a guy in Bolt Barn he gave us a bolt to try screwing in. Incredibly it went in straight away, and must have cleaned up the hole because the original bolt went back in without a problem after that. We brought the saviour bolt, so the whole ordeal only cost 50cent in the end!

While Seb was getting his hands dirty I was busy doing this:

And this:

To make these:

We cut flyscreen and velcroed it on the the doors. Then sealed it with silicone sealant.

And then we needed furnishings. It was a bit like shopping for our first house, deciding on colour schemes, a duvet cover and plates and bowls.

We tested the 4 wheel drive function by running the car around Greg's neighbours paddock. It's incredibly steep, with lots of trees and hills to navigate. And lots of cows who all came to check us out.

This guy got really close. He put his head down and made to gore the car, but then turned and started fighting another cow, locking heads and bucking their back legs...

And then we finished everything. We packed everything in, put the mattress up and made the bed. We had a trial night in the paddock and it was so comfortable. We're definitely going to enjoy sleeping in the car.

So we're off to see Australia. First stop, Sunshine Coast with the Didgeridrews - my aunt and uncle, cousin and husband and second cousin. Then we will make our way south ready to meet Mom at Melbourne airport on the 8th December.

Unfortunately we will have to stop back in at the farm on the way back down. We need to construct a rig to hold the gas bottle outside the car. We didn't think about it until we started packing everything up and realised we really did not want to store it inside the car. And a roof basket will not work as we want to get a top box on one side and surfboards on the other. So we'll construct a little box that will weld onto the back of the car and screw in to the tow bar. 

But for now we are off. And we'll return briefly to get that done. And see Gary again, our garden Kookaburra.

Transformers. Robots in Disguise.

Things are getting very exciting (for a change). Soon Seb and I will begin our road trip that will take us all around the country, and we've begun with the preparations. First off we brought a tent. 

It was a leeeetle bit small. 

So we brought a new one.

Plus mattress, chairs, table and stove.

But what we really want is to be able to just sleep in the car. So we are transforming it. 

When Sebastian and Max left the farm in Federal, we headed to the beautiful Bri's house for a few days, up in Kingscliff. Then we returned to the farm where Greg (the farmer) is helping us with the car. And by 'helping us' I mean he is doing all of the planning, all of the difficult stuff and telling us what we can do, then redoing it when we do it wrong... 

We are building a false floor to put the mattress on, with storage space underneath. Sound simple, yes? WRONG! It's a serious challenge. Not only do we have to cut all the wood exactly, but we have to anchor it to the car so it doesn't move around. Easier said than done when the car is wider at the back, tilts forwards, and has carpet that is higher some places than others. 

While the boys are doing all the sawing and drilling, I'm feeling pretty useless. I have no idea what I'm doing so can't add any constructive advice, and I haven't got a clue how to handle power tools. 

BUT I'm a boss when it comes to measuring!

(sometimes - we'll ignore the time 1030 became 1032 in the middle...)

There's been a lot of sparks. We are having to create all the anchors and mount points ourselves, so there's lots of beating, grinding and welding steel.

We have taken the back seats out and designed a mount to screw into the holes where they were. It's been really hard to get the angles right as it is impossible to measure so it's all guess work. 

Finally we've attempted to attach them, and incredibly it fits! We have to remove it again to cut the top to fit the board we will place on top, but that's for another day.

Back to Byron

Get a cuppa, sit down, get comfy and take a deep breath - this is a long one! 

It's been a long time since I wrote, as my life's been flipped, turned upside down. The last few weeks have been amazing. I left the Fruitshack and headed to Sydney, where I caught up with the beautiful David. Seeing him again made me realise how much I had missed him. I met him in Kings Cross where he’s living, mostly so I could get one of the amazing curry wraps we had on Christmas Day. He’s working at the Opera Bar so we walked through the botanical gardens to get there just in time for the sunset.

Spending just a few days in Sydney rekindled my love for it. When I lived there for 4 months, the spark died and all I noticed were the stressed people and the busy streets and expensive shops. After initially freaking out at the sheer number of people (I'd been living on a farm with max. population around 15 remember), I started noticing all the quirky alleys, interesting street art, music and greenery.

And then I finally travelled onwards to Byron Bay where my gorgeous Sebastian was waiting for me in his new beast, the Nissan Pathfinder that we will be road tripping in soon. He took me back to the farm he his working on, and though I didn’t see anything other than a possum that night, the next morning I awoke to discover I was in paradise.

Greg’s farm is stunning. It’s set at the top of a hill about 20km inland, with a view over the valleys below that reaches almost to the coast. His house is surrounded by wonderful smelling jasmine trees, thyme, hibiscus and palm trees, and there’s even a bamboo forest down the hill. 

He mostly grows custard apples, the weirdest looking fruit I ever saw, as well as lemons, a few oranges and pumpkins, and there’s a well stocked vegetable and herb garden (which only occasionally houses snakes…!). He has a little stall on the road where he leaves his offerings and people pay into a little honesty box.

Max and Sebbe took me to the stunning Minyon Falls.

And a few days later, Greg took us all to Mt Warning, the remnants of a volcano that erupted 50,000 years ago. The walk up was through breathtaking rainforest – and Greg put up a fast pace making it even more breathtaking! The top 200m or so was a steep climb with the aid of a steel chain. And the view from the top was absolutely incredible. As well as the view underneath the platform that surrounded the peak – a little bandicoot snuffling around.

But the most amazing part of the day was before we even started walking. In the car park I looked up and saw Bri, my gorgeous Australian friend who I worked and lived with in America! Completely by chance. It was unreal. Greg, who’d already started walking towards the mountain thought I’d stood on a snake by how loud we both squealed!! She only lives about an hour north of here so I am going to go and stay with her next week, and I cannot wait!

 I moved into a hostel in Byron Bay and I’m discovering my inner hippie. There’s lots of dreadlocks and baggy pants and yoga. And no one here wears shoes. I’m staying at The Art Factory which is full of creative people. There’s music being played everywhere, guitars, steel drums, and the Didge Pit where you can learn to play and make a didgeridoo. And lots of hulahooping, fire sticks and poi – the swinging balls; it’s incredible what these people can do!! There are teepees, giant gypsy caravan style dorm rooms, tents and my lakeside cottage.

And by 'lakeside' they mean 'swampside'. It has a deck that looks out on the swamp and the jungle behind it, as well as it’s own little kitchen and 5 little bunk beds for 10 of us girls. It’s a lovely quiet area with space to breathe and relax. The patch of grass out the front is where the yoga happens, so I don't have to travel far.








And it’s surrounded by water dragons. There’s maybe 20 or 30 who live around the swamp. They’re not afraid of people and will happily sit next to you and soak in the sun. It’s a bit like having a funky looking cat. I’m really enjoying just sitting with a cup of tea and my book on the deck, slowing down after a long 4 months on the farm.







I’m doing yoga every day and taking some me time to just sit on the beach or falaffal around and do whatever takes my fancy– after all I am on vacation! Some days are beautiful and sunny and warm; perfect beach and exploring days. Others are much cooler and grey and drizzly; perfect for curling up with my book and a cup of tea. Unfortunately the surf has not been very good the last few days, so I’ve not been in the water yet, but I’m gunning for a good, warm day soon so I can get back into the waves.

I’ve climbed up to the lighthouse a couple of times, it’s got the most amazing view of the bay, the whales passing by and the sunset. It's almost unreal how you can look out at  200degrees+ of horizon!

Sometimes Seb, and maybe Max, will take a day off and we’ll go and explore the local area. We found Lake Ainsworth again, the tea tree lake that mom and I discovered on our road trip.

On a drive up the coast Seb and I stopped at a lookout and spent the day watching the whales pass by on their migration back south with their calves. They were maybe 3-400m away, except one who came maybe 100m from the cliff where we sat. It was unbelievable. They are so big! When they rise out of the water to breach and smash back down the splash goes so high!! That’s how you spot where they are and then you see the enormous grey body underneath.

And then we found Café Sebastian, so obviously we had to stop there for coffee (and by ‘coffee’ I mean ‘chai lattes’ – well Seb had a ‘chai dirty latte’ chai tea AND coffee).

Max leaves the farm in a few days; his regional days will be complete and he’s ready for a bit of an adventure. Seb still has a month or more to do, so I am really hoping that I can take his place on Greg’s farm. He’s a bit sceptical about having a couple there, but Seb is attempting to talk him around. If not, I will go and stay with Bri and make a new plan. So I’m a little bit in limbo, but it’s a good place to limbo in.  

The End of an Era

Well it's all change again.

I'm writing this from Sydney, as I have finally left the Fruitshack!!

The last few weeks were kinda fun. The most exciting news is that I am now a Hollywood A Lister. Just kidding, but I did make an appearance on Australian breakfast TV show, Sunrise. They filmed a live segment about Sumo Mandarins, a variety of mandarins grown only in Leeton. I was just an extra, picking in the background and throwing mandarins in the air, but hey, I was on TV =]

The day before I left we got the fire pit going and I learned how to make stick bread. It's incredible. You make a simple bread dough then knot it around a big stick and toast it over the fire. After 10 minutes you twist it off the stick, which leaves a hole down the middle of the bread which you fill with jam. It is delicious!

And then on my final night the sunset was the most beautiful I have seen yet!

So finally, after 4 and a half months and picking over 31 tonnes of citrus fruits, I am back in the real world and on the move again! I caught a bus from Leeton to Sydney yesterday which took 9 hours and 30 minutes. But it was an incredibly beautiful drive through miles and miles of farms and hills. I even saw kangaroos from the bus.

Michael and Debbie, my boss and his wife, took me to the bus stop and waved me off. And Debbie baked me cookies that were still warm when she gave them to me. They are such lovely people, I am really sad to leave them.

Now that I'm back in Sydney, things are weird! There are so many people!! I forgot how busy the real world is. And I also forgot what it felt like to be warm - I am just wearing a tshirt after months of jumper, jacket and scarf!! And to be able to buy food within a minute in any direction, what is that about?! I'm used to walking 40minutes to get to a store, then 40minutes back to actually make anything.  But a step off the bus and there's 3 cafes just calling to me!

Just to share, I have found HEAVEN in a bakery called The Dough Collective. They do so many different delicious breads and rolls. For example, Kidney bean and walnut scroll, Pumpkin and sweet potato and cream cheese knot, Mixed bean and cream cheese roll, Gagnam crown (Korean kimchi and cream cheese - Oh My God!!). And then there's all kinds of fruit or cheese or chocolate breads, even Mocha and walnut rolls! I've possibly spent all the money I made on the farm already…

ANYWAY, back to the important thing, Moving On.

I'm excited to see my friend David this afternoon. He's working in the Opera House bar now, so I'll head down there with him after we get some lunch together. And then tomorrow I am back to travelling. I catch a train at 7am which takes me up to Byron Bay where I will be reunited with the beautiful boy who is waiting for me there. I feel like a little kid on Christmas Eve!!!