Author: Rob

In Canberra for a lakeside chilly shower. Just got here. On the way in got water, saw Queanbeyan pool was full, and sold my two much appreciated batteries for $10 each, in fyshwick.

Then ordered a cheap inverter with thanks to MH who let me deliver it to him.

That’s it. Canberra done, and literally a huge weight off not carrying around two sets of heavy batteries.

WTF to do now?

That’s one of them above sitting on the ground at the fyshwick scrap metal yard after being sold. Marcus the mechanic gave them both to me in payment for a Transporter van that gave me endless grief. $500 in lieu of.

Here now:

And during a very chilly and twice loudly interrupted night I took this shot over the toilets of the moon. From in bed the only angle I could get.

11.21 AM Just boiled the jetburner and ready to go and sure enough, because I’m here it gives them the idea, down come people so I can’t shower with it. Cold southerly and my shower is getting cold! My fault I should have gone somewhere invisible. But it’s the same principle as people who park right next to me in two hundred yards of open space. People are sheep.

12.10 PM

Managed a shower by angling the car. Added a new glucose sensor. And just this minute chucked outvthe rwo empty Dune Battery boxes that I’ve been carrying around in case of returns. Overcautious but free now, decision made.

I really have to work out where I’m staying, pushing it at Brooks Hill with the prying natives.

4.38 PM

Back at Brooks Hill having a coffee. Got more $4 clearance lights at BigW which are bright, then out to Gungahlin Anaconda to get inverter cables, ordered earlier today, because I thought I’d stay out there.

But it was late, and I went only as far as just before Lake George then chickened out and drove the old Federal Hwy until it looped back, past some campers which might be the spot, then the Sutton Rd to Queanbeyan which bypasssed the whole Canberra thing. Still late re dinner.

Very tired and lonely, alone. Don’t want to go back to the coast.

7 PM

Been a lovely sunny morning then a rain threatening sky and now overcast and chilly.

Shower at Queanbeyan, onto a beaut place beside the Molonglo before it becomes lake,cehere rowers house their canoes and kayaks.

Did some admin on pest inputs at cvx and some money calculations. Hopefully solved those niggling things. Then slight rearranging makes the inside very nice. Much better.

Out to Brooks Hill for the night. Drop off the ssd batteries tomorrow as it looks like the new ones and the monitor work really well. Down to 97% overnight.

Still clueless, but really enjoyed last night in the rain, back in my old stayover spot, and hopefully tonight is as good.

Some gratification that the monitor (and the inconvenient surroundings in which to put it in) and the shunt in the battery compartment, along with the new AGM batteries, works.

Seems to. Down to 98% for running the fridge overnight, which is pleasing because it’ll keep the batteries at a strong level and there’s plenty of room for discharge if needed.

Good sleep but woke too early. 3.45 AM.

 

10.34 AM

Finished shower, at the lake. Sensational.

Forgot yo mention that yesterday I pulled the doors apart enough to spray a heap of lanoline into the lock mechanism thereabouts. Not sure if it did anything.

4.40 PM

At Brooks Hill. Got here alone and fell asleep.

Today I went to a govt carpark at the end of Kings Ave and cleaned out my two food containers. Massive waste. Chucked a heap of stuff. Then cleared out a shelf section and rearranged. There’s now room to build in an inverter and to sit comfortably on the fridge.

Checked oil – strangely it hasn’t needed any for a long time, including the Snowy Mountains Hwy. Put a little in anyway.

At my old favourite spot here at Brooks Hill now I know the old homeless guy isn’t here who pinched it from me.

Instead of outlooking up the weird settlement road I get bushranger bush.

Installed yesterday and looked like it was all wrong. The batteries had time to settle overnight if they need that, then arriving in Queanbeyan this morning the redarc was showing “float” meaning charged.

Came here to Weston Park and hooked up the monitor again, and no alarms. Put in the parameters as internet search suggests and no alarm. All on fully charged batteries as required.

So the system is now both charging and running the fridge. All looking fabulous and no alarm.

11 AM.

Had a good sleep and said goodbye to paul and heidi, paul trying to shove a religious app down my throat and I flew into him. He sorted himself out and we got back to amiable. Nice people but on the surface thanks. No wonder he kept prying for weakness.

About to go somewhere here and shower, see how the pump runs and charges all the while.

Then clueless again.

7.03 PM

After showering at Weston Park I filled the water tank, 5 buckets, and at a loss drove out to Gungahlin. It was very hot and me tired.

In Anaconda I again checked out the inverters but can’t justify the cost for little use, just ironing. The big Bluetti charged full, amazingly, but it was taking 130w. Bought some warm thin boots replacements instead.

Hell of a place to get around. Bad signage. Eventually found Woolies. Then, what fuck?

Could have gone out to Yass but I was going to be late for dinner and tired, hot, sugar low. Just fanged it all the way to Brooks Hill. Absolutely stipid. But I was allowed to be here.

No one here, unbelievable because of heavy Queanbeyan traffic. Then young Germans pulled up too close in front but they were, are, quiet and considerate and it’s good it’s them and no other.

New batteries are going well, got the fridge on higher safety settings, monitor is excellent, so a test will be tonight. Still carting the old SSD batteries around, and will until Monday, as I don’t want to get caught out if they’re fucked. But I’m sure now they’re good.