Lullabelle
Midlands, England
Every year management give out eggs at Easter, with my husband around they won't last very long 
The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)
- Thread starter SatNavSaysStraightOn
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I must apologise for not being around much lately. This time last week we were notified by email that our landlord is selling the property we live in. He's perfectly entitled to, I know. But the thing is he had never given any indication that he was going to and we meet him almost daily. We know why he's doing it (the bore pump is no longer bringing up water, the cups on the shaft have probably perished due to their age and the repairer is refusing to fix the pump anymore because it's that old it is no longer made our supported and they can't get parts for it, it's imperial measurements and parts now have to be handmade and they don't want to anymore, so they've just quoted for a new pump and bore hole... Problem is that's is our only sanitation. We can't flush the toilet without bore water). It's come completely out of the blue especially as he knew we wanted to stay here for the duration of our entire stay in Australia.
So we have had to find somewhere else to live. We could have chanced the new owners wanting to let it out and have tenants already in place, but when you have chickens, upping and moving isn't as easy as it could be and we want to keep them.
By chance we found somewhere on the first house inspection, but not the property we were going around (in Australia they do open house for either 15 or 30 minutes on a set date, you register your intention to go around and then apply to be tenants if you like what you see). We bumped into our old agent (who we are going to ask to be a reference for us if we ended up changing rental companies). She had something more suitable for us and also not yet on the market. She arranged for us to have a private inspection that morning, and we've taken it after negotiating extra land for the chooks to roam on.
A long story short, we move house on the 11th April. We decided we would prefer to be in before winter really starts and whilst there is nothing to do in the house, we have loads of work to do in both the garden and the area for the chooks and their coop. It needs major renovations to make it predator proof, weather proof and well everything else proof as well.
So I'm only going to be popping in every now and again at the moment. Which is a real shame because I'm not certain I'm going to make the deadline for the limes challenge and I bought over a dozen limes to make a couple of desserts with!
However, I'm gaining a great kitchen from all of this, with a new cooker (halogen) and an oven that goes up to 250C instead of the one I currently have which only goes to 160C eventually. There's loads of work surface space and cupboards plus for the very first time in my life, the place has a dishwasher that isn't human and called hubby! I'm also gaining a lemon tree (could be a lime tree) covered in fruit and 2 fig tree also both covered in fruit. There are several other fruit trees that all I can say at the moment are stoned fruit trees, plus a quince bush, bush the old veg plot needs some major work doing on it before I can plant it up and leeks, potatoes, garlic and onions all need to be planted quite soon. And sadly it means that my winter veg (leeks and kale mostly) will be lost. I can harvest both now from here but they leeks are small and the kale was meant to be my winter greens. I may try transporting it, I've nothing to lose it it dies in the process!
So we have had to find somewhere else to live. We could have chanced the new owners wanting to let it out and have tenants already in place, but when you have chickens, upping and moving isn't as easy as it could be and we want to keep them.
By chance we found somewhere on the first house inspection, but not the property we were going around (in Australia they do open house for either 15 or 30 minutes on a set date, you register your intention to go around and then apply to be tenants if you like what you see). We bumped into our old agent (who we are going to ask to be a reference for us if we ended up changing rental companies). She had something more suitable for us and also not yet on the market. She arranged for us to have a private inspection that morning, and we've taken it after negotiating extra land for the chooks to roam on.
A long story short, we move house on the 11th April. We decided we would prefer to be in before winter really starts and whilst there is nothing to do in the house, we have loads of work to do in both the garden and the area for the chooks and their coop. It needs major renovations to make it predator proof, weather proof and well everything else proof as well.
So I'm only going to be popping in every now and again at the moment. Which is a real shame because I'm not certain I'm going to make the deadline for the limes challenge and I bought over a dozen limes to make a couple of desserts with!
However, I'm gaining a great kitchen from all of this, with a new cooker (halogen) and an oven that goes up to 250C instead of the one I currently have which only goes to 160C eventually. There's loads of work surface space and cupboards plus for the very first time in my life, the place has a dishwasher that isn't human and called hubby! I'm also gaining a lemon tree (could be a lime tree) covered in fruit and 2 fig tree also both covered in fruit. There are several other fruit trees that all I can say at the moment are stoned fruit trees, plus a quince bush, bush the old veg plot needs some major work doing on it before I can plant it up and leeks, potatoes, garlic and onions all need to be planted quite soon. And sadly it means that my winter veg (leeks and kale mostly) will be lost. I can harvest both now from here but they leeks are small and the kale was meant to be my winter greens. I may try transporting it, I've nothing to lose it it dies in the process!
- Joined
- 11 Oct 2012
- Local time
- 12:02 PM
- Messages
- 19,987
- Location
- SE Australia
- Website
- www.satnavsaysstraighton.com
This is the old kitchen (very little work top space, and yes, that's it. All of it.)
This is the new kitchen
This is the new kitchen
Lullabelle
Midlands, England
Is that a ceramic hob you have there @SatNavSaysStraightOn ? If so I'd like to hear how you get on with it as I'm thinking of getting one.
Frizz1974
Veteran
How frustrating to have it thrust on you so suddenly but it looks like it might be a long term gain? That's a nice kitchen. And I'm so glad your chooks get to go too. Renting can be painful here in Australia. Especially with pets.
Will it add or subtract significantly to your drive into Canberra? Your hubby works in town daily I think? I'm driving 50km each way to get to work in Bathurst these days. 40 minutes of kangaroo alert each way.
Will it add or subtract significantly to your drive into Canberra? Your hubby works in town daily I think? I'm driving 50km each way to get to work in Bathurst these days. 40 minutes of kangaroo alert each way.
- Joined
- 11 Oct 2012
- Local time
- 12:02 PM
- Messages
- 19,987
- Location
- SE Australia
- Website
- www.satnavsaysstraighton.com
I honestly don't know...
This is the picture I took of it closer up.
Me too, but the house isn't fitted with any gas fittings and is so far from anything the only on-grid anything is electricity again. We'll be on satellite for internet again. So I'll have to manage with an electric hob.
It's a curious one because it's only 10 minutes off the highway, so whilst the distance is much greater (another 75% of what we do currently) is actually going to take exactly the same length of time to get there. we are reckoning about 1 extra tank of fuel a month because of the distance. The rent is cheaper by one tank of fuel a week! But it will still be kangaroo alert for the 45-50 minutes each way. It's now that silly season again. And we've still got dirt roads to do, just not quite as much, however there are some really bad bends (blue mountain type stuff on dirt roads) to negotiate up a very steep hill, the kind they tarmac because it's that bad... Dirt would have given a better grip in winter so we may have to consider changing over to winter tyres should the need arise. It will be safer.
It's in farmland (crops and live stock) up in the mountains. We'll be living quite high up, higher than here is and here is above 775m. Plus the area is known to be colder generally. Something I won't mind too much. I'm going to miss our veranda, but there is something that will sort of do the same thing with a grape wine (and grapes if I can stop the local bird population from helping themselves) and rose bush. At the back there is a shaded over area that needs a little work on it that could also become a seated area as well. The garden does need quite a bit of work on it mind you. Luckily the house does not!
Last edited:
Kake Lover
Veteran
How long do you think you have left in Australia?
Best o'luck with the move.
What make/model number is the pump in question?
Got parts for a relative that found themselves with similar pump problems.
- Joined
- 11 Oct 2012
- Local time
- 12:02 PM
- Messages
- 19,987
- Location
- SE Australia
- Website
- www.satnavsaysstraighton.com
We have another two years (and a few days) left on our visas and know that the company will happily renew them for us if we want to stay on longer.
It's not the pump itself that's the problem but the actual cups on the shaft that are not bringing up any water. Presumably either the pin connecting the shaft to the pump had failed (again) or the very lowest cups have perished (rusted away?) on the shaft. I'm guessing the bottom cups because the water take is very low but there is something there and is not bringing any water up at all. It's a very old Southern Cross pump. I have no idea about the shaft though except that it's imperial not metric which given Australia is one of the few countries in the world that is totally metric right down to calories being Kj not calories dates the pump immediately. I've a photo of the pump somewhere, but honestly don't know the model.
rascal
Forum GOD!
Food trucks were real good, Singapore satay chicken and salad, $11 cheap as chips.
Russ
Russ
Frizz1974
Veteran
It's wine o'clock. Actually it's tea time but we had such a big late brunch that I'm not at all hungry.
Lullabelle
Midlands, England
We went out for a good walk earlier, stopped for lunch at a Turkish restaurant then nipped into a couple of shops on the way home, it was dull overcast but warm. Now it is 
rascal
Forum GOD!
Satnav where exactly are you , area, I know Aussie quite well, normally spend 10 days in our winter on the gc. Also love Sydney, especially manly area. Driven quite a bit there as well. Have you tried the Moreton bay bugs yet?? I love them!!
Russ
Russ
@SatNavSaysStraightOn wouldn't eat Moreton Bay Bugs as she is veggan (vegan plus eats eggs). I would love them though!
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