THE PLAN: Leave the caravan and Jeep at Nic and Mick’s until we return to Australia some time next year.
Tuesday 11th: Caravan and Jeep to Caloundra for servicing. Collect late afternoon. Return to N&M’s.
Wed. 12th: Big clean-up of both including vacuuming etc. Cover both. Final packing.
Thurs 13th: Fly home to NZ.
THE ACTUALITY:
Tues 11th: Drove to Caloundra. A km or so before the caravan servicing place, there was a sort of crunch but we thought it was the road. Dropped off caravan at servicing place, drove to Jeep servicing place. Received a phone call …..
The crunchy bit was the spring which Dave had repaired in Mt. Isa, breaking …
These are the spring pivots supposedly “serviced” when we bought the van in Melbourne, they did a great job on them.. not.
This is the spring leaf that was bent when the locating pin sheared on the road to Gregory Downs, I am amazed that it lasted so long but this was the main reason for taking it to a service place to be checked out, very lucky it was so close when it finally broke and we were able to limp the rest of the way.
SO the caravan will have to stay on the hoist for a week or so until they can get a new spring/springs. By which time we will be in NZ.
SO we were not able to access the caravan to retrieve my favourite NZ kitchen knife, empty the rubbish bin (including some sugar), do final cleaning, vacuum, insect spraying etc etc. Thank goodness all linen, the duvet, spare clothes, towels and so on are already washed and stored in plastic bags.
Apart from the above we have been enjoying the ambience at Toogoolawah, and caring for the dogs/cats/horses since we arrived last week.
We made an earlier trip to Caloundra, with wonderful views of the Glasshouse Mountains on the way, but unfortunately we could not stop on the very narrow twisty road to take good photos.
We had lunch at Moffat Beach, where the waiter just happened to be wearing a T-shirt featuring a Christchurch cafe! He said it was the first time he’d worn it for months, and couldn’t get over the coincidence… (Photo by Dave)
Dave managed to find time to have a snooze…
…and I investigated the flowering trees – a sign of Spring in Queensland, where daffodils and jonquils are sadly lacking …
Sunrises and sunsets are always awesome around here.
Nancy's Families 
I remember that guy! He was a waiter at U.T.R.V and such a pleasant fellow. Did he tell you he used to work there? What a cincidence, as you say!
One of the things I desperately missed all the years we lived in Queensland and Northern New South Wales was the spring bulbs and the blossom – I have been lapping them up while we are down here in the south. Safe travels!