114 -Just another week at Mapleton

One thing about when we do various "tours of duty," nothing really exciting happens in the travel department. Even outside the travel department not much goes on, apart from running a property.

However what we have done, and will be doing over the next couple of months, is doing things to the RetroLiner. At present the RetroLiner is tarped up, and still in the open, as we are doing some major work. When all then heavy stuff is done, we will de tarp it, and it will go undercover.

So this what has happened to date.

(a) Old awning removed and a new Dometic 8500 installed
(b) One old gas bottle carrier removed, new 4.5 kg one fitted
(c) New wind up back legs
(d) 20 lt. water carrier fitted to rear.
(e) Internal mains pressure tap replaced
(f) Internal dining table shortened (still waiting for that one)

This is what will happen

(a) Pop top roof repainted with Therma Shield and water proofed
(b) Blue stripe painted down both sides
(c) Storage bin fitted where old air con compressor was.
(d) Improved external shower fittings.
(e) Scrub and polish
(f) Various waterproofing
(g) Annex walls to be extended (work now in progress)
(h) Front legs replaced

Now as expected, the old awning was suppose to be a new one, when we bought the RetroLiner from the Dodgy Brothers, and the annex was "sort of" the right fit. Yep since we have had the van the annex never did fit all that well anyway.

So you guessed it.............the new awning is a way bigger than the original.......and guess what........the annex walls are to 100mm short, and the front annex, where you side it along the slot in the awning roller, the rope track on the old awning was 6mm which catered to the original awning, but now the new awning has a 5mm track. So the the original front annex won't slide.....ho he, ho hum.

So now, the man that fitted the awning is now putting a new rope 5mm rope on the front annex, extending the side annexes, realigning the annex front door. Still waiting for the up grades to arrive. Once they arrive, we will put it all up, and make sure it all lines up. Then we will take some more pikkies. However in the meantime, a couple of photies of the taking down of the old awning and the putting up the new one.

The old awning about to go

The old awning gone

The new awning fitted and being extended

Nearly there

I did take another photo of the awning fully extended, but didn't turn out......next time.

Stay tooned!!!!!!

113 - Sunshine Beach

The view from Sunshine Beach surf club

As in the previous post, we wrote Noosa off as a bad joke again, and then headed to the Sunshine Beach surf club. We have been there on a couple of other occasions, and enjoyed good well priced food, and the views over looking the beach are just sensational.

We arrived at Sunshine Beach, got a park...easy......and headed towards the club. As we were walking down to the club entrance, we noted a big banner.....under new management. Mmmmmmmmm!!! Signed in as per normal, and did notice the decor, quite modern, a refurbed kichen, all the waitresses fussing over every body.....yep seen all that before in this industry. We sat down on the deck over looking the beach, and were advised that this day was the first day of the "new management and refurb." Mmmmmmmmm again.

So I ordered a couple of drinkies at the bar, while the bride went and ordered our lunch.  Me being quite a simple eater, grilled fish and salad was for me, and the bride ordered a Scotch fillet and vegies. So we sat back, yours truely sucked on a schooee of light, while the bride hooked into a chardy.

Enjoying the view, downing a couple of coldies, taking a few pikkies, analysing our travels and future jaunts....ahhhhh life's grand!

Our meals then arrived, not waiting all that long, fairly standard in this industry. "Grilled fish for you madam" said the very pleasant waitress. "No, that's for me thanks", I replied, of which the waitress placed our meals down in the appropriate areas.

I took one look at my meal and said to the bride, "Did you order me a kids serving of fish and chips," and I didn't want chips anyway. Upon further inspection I found a small piece of grilled fish, buried under a gazzillion chips, and get this, a salad arrangement in a juice glass, which wasn't even salad, just lettuce squashed into the glass with a few cheery tomatoes.  "Geeeeeezus and you payed nearly $30 for this."

To add  salt to the wound, the fish was luke warm. I will add also the brides meal wasn't much better. An extremely fatty piece of meat and luke warm vegies.

Where do these turkeys get off on! We had spent near on $80 bucks for meals and drinkies and were served up crap. Although we did eat some of our meals we let the waitress know of our dissatisfaction with the meals and to pass onto the chefs.

We left the club, vowing never to eat there again.

Check out the meals

Near on $30 bucks for this!!!

The bride soaking up the Autum sum

Great surf with an off shore breeze

On the deck over looking the beach

More surf

After we left the club we headed down the coast with our destination of Sunshine Plaza at Maroochydore.

Here is a couple of pikkies of the surfers enjoying the surf  further down the coast.

Nice break

Great right hander

After our day (hours) on the coast we headed back to the ranch at Mapleton.

Stay tooned for the fitting of the new awning on the RetroLiner.



112 - Noosa Heads

We again nicked off for a couple of hours from our current "tour of duty"  and decided to visit Noosa.

We have been there a couple of times over the last couple of years, and being a Tooooosday, figured there would not be a lot of people around, when considering the state of the tourism induastry in Queensland. We figured we would park the Val in the main street, grab a bite to eat, check out the beach, take a few pikkies.

We read all the time how the shop keepers, restaurants, tour businesses, are stuggling through high rents and lack of patronage in Noosa. So we though we would do our bit, albeit not very much,  to help the struggling businesses in the area, by spending a couple of bucks.

WROOOOONG!!!!!!!!! I figured why they don't have the numbers to help them through these tough times, is because YOU CAN'T FEEEEERK'N PARK WITHIN A BULLS ROAR OF THE JOINT.

We drove up and down Hasting street, tried the beach car park, tried the designated car parks, tried every nook and cranny.....nothing!!!! It was exactly the same the last time we were there....you just can't park.

The closest car park was at the national park, which is a skillion miles away....so we parked there. Even there, most of the park was taken up with "back scratchers" in their "Wizz Bang" vans. What a night mare!!!!! So we simply took some photies of the famous tree we used to see in all the surfing movies...all that time ago, and the surfing break off Noosa that was taken in the 60's, which is displayed on the info boards at the beginning of the national park.

After again trying to park at Noosa, we gave it away as a bad joke and headed for a trusty watering and eating joint.....the Sunshine Beach Surf Club

The bride standing under the famous tree overlooking Noosa Point

This pikkie is from the information board at the Noosa National Park

Check out the surf and the FJ Holden.

The bride on the exit of the  national park

More on Sunshine Beach coming shortly

111 - Views

It has been a while since our last posting, because like all our "tour of duties", apart from the work thingy, nothing much to report.

However the other day we took a couple of hours off, and went for a cruise to Maleny.

For those of you who don't know the Blackall Ranges, there are three towns along the top of the range, if you can  call them that.  Mapleton where we are now, Montville the trendy touro grab, and Maleny. Now Maleny is quite alternate, and has a good feel about the place. It reminds me a fair bit like Byron 30 years ago, however very much like Mulumbimby and Belligen of today.

The street scape is a mixture of modern day cafes, with quite a few boutiques selling Indian and hemp type clothing. Again the locals, there is also mix of the "suits" and the dreadlock ferals. Nice mix. However everybody just cruises around, surrounded by the smell of burning candles, and the occasional whiff of the "hoochy cooch"  "Hey Bro Peace." Ahhhh! it is all in good fun.

The drive from where we are to Maleny is only about 30 minutes if that, however the views overlooking the Sunshine coast is just awesome. We took advantage of a designated look out and took some photies, also a couple of Maleny.

Hope you enjoy the pikkies.

Overlooking the sunny coast opposite Mapleton pub

Also from Mapleton pub

From a designated lookout south of Montville looking north

A little bit more south

More south again

The bride pointing towards Brisvagus

Main street of Maleny looking up the road

Main street of Maleny looking up the road

Well seeing that we are at Mapleton doing a pre sale gig, it is time to get some things done to the RetroLiner.

A few fiddly things like a new tap, cut down the dining table, reseal the roof and just a bit of 12volt stuff as in new clearance lights and 12v sockets.. But the most noticeable will be a new awning.

A new A & E 8500 gets fitting on Monday 9th May, which should really lift the overall look of the RetroLiner. Plus now there is a good chance that the annex may finally line up with the awning. Plus I have tracked down a mobile repairer who is going to add a new 4.5 kg gas bottle carrier, new drop down legs, hopefully make a storage door where the old air con compressor was housed, add a couple of fuel carriers, and if we can afford it, a new door. However in saying that........a new  door....... there is not much change out of a grand for one of those things.

I am totally convinced that anything to do with a boat or a caravan is going to cost a gazillion. Thousand dollars for a door!!!!!!!!! Feeeeeerk!!!!!!

But hey the RetroLiner is our home, so stay tooned for that one.

Till next time

Cheers and beers