It all started New Year 2006/2007. We had been debating about travelling and all the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ associated with it, after much discussion between ourselves and friends and many a glass of wine we made our decision. I sent out some testing emails to various coach companies in Adelaide early January 2007 we found what we were looking for at Andy’s. She turned out to be a big white interstate coach that took 43 kids to school on the morning that we picked it up, the date - the 7th of February. Sunday 11 February the driving lessons began and after much practice in 40 degree plus heat, we got our licences on the 2nd of March to drive a Heavy Rigid, synchromesh gear box (never thought those words would pass my lips let alone understand them!!). Some more details for all interested, it is a 2 stroke, V8, Detroit diesel engine with a synchromesh gear box – meaning you don’t have to double clutch!!!
We eventually started working on her in June 2007 after she had been in storage in Blanchetown. And before anyone asks, coaches are ‘shes’ apparently it has something to do with temperament!!
Had been doing lots of research about registration, insurance etc but one person says one thing and the next says something different, so that part of it was all very frustrating. In between tearing down our green house, putting up a fence, having friends stay, going to Perth for a holiday, removing a huge palm tree and selling a car we eventually brought the bus home on the 11th of May 2007 and parked her in our front yard. She fitted perfectly! Don’t think the neighbour thought so but they were all good about it. Our cat Bluff thought it was a great place to sleep his days away so everyone was relatively happy!
We worked on the bus for the next 3 years! We always agreed that we would still take our holidays and this whole thing would not become a burden. There were times when it certainly seemed like we had bitten off more than we could chew, but the following week or month it felt like it was the perfectly right thing to do. We progressed through the bedroom, Paul who helped us weld up a movable bed, to the shower shoved in through the ‘kitchen window’ and a toilet designed by myself and a friend I work with. We have named the toilet ‘Michelle’ in her honour! The kitchen cupboards came from Colman’s work for a few dollars and much other stuff came from Ikea. We had heaps of help from all our friends and made lots of new friends in the process. Some friendships sadly have gone by the way and they will be missed, but this is what we wanted to do and you should follow your dreams as much as possible. Somewhere in there we decided on a name for her – MoMo, it is a book written by Michael Ende with the lead character being MoMo, more info is just an internet click away.
There are many more tales and stories, tears and tantrums as well as laughs and great memories of the last 4 years, but now we have arrived. Our house is sold, sadly Bluffy passed away and all our belongings are locked away in 36 boxes but we are now set to head off.
I finish work (going on holidays) on Thursday 1st December and Colman (taking leave without pay) finishes on Friday 2nd December. We are due to have a ‘Farewell MoMo’ on Sunday the 4th and head off on Thursday the 8th of December 2011. First stop – Who knows but if you want to keep in touch, keep an eye on this blog and if you want to see photos, they will be posted on Facebook. We want to keep in touch with all our wonderful friends and hope to do so with these electronic means. xxxM&Cxxx
