Grace is heading for warmer roads :)

[KiwiBirkin]

And finally my new Longboard, hand crafted by the local Noosa surfing guru to suit Noosa'a RH point break called Tea-leaf

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Aussie%20Holiday%20Nov%202011/aussie%20move/F971AD21-3FDE-4717-B52E-35AE1177C0DF-291-0000003E250DB78D.jpg

 

This says it all

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Aussie%20Holiday%20Nov%202011/aussie%20move/4C93FE84-667C-4BB2-9C0A-FB3F81D0FA22-291-0000003E2F39EED9.jpg

[Croc]

Thaanks for the photos Kiwi. I loved seeing the "P" plate on the seven! Do you get P plates too when you register your car and transfer your license? I just cannot imagine you getting slapped with the teenager night curfew rule.

 

Also Surfers Paradise has changed a LOT since I was last there. My parents used to do the drive from Sydney with my sister and I as kids to Surfers for the summer vacation on the beach. Good stuff to see.

 

Where did you end up in Brisbane?

Edited September 12, 2012 by Croc

[timax]

Mate , it looks like your an Aussie already ! Noosa point , mid week , toes on the nose. doesn't get much better.

Tim

[twobone]

Bloody marvelous!

[slomove]

Man, that looks like a hellhole to live :cooldude:

 

How in the world are you going to motivate yourself and go to work in the morning?

 

Anyway, congratulations !

[rdymond]

Nice! Can we please get Yakima designed rag tops/doors for the sevens? With the surfboard adapter of course.

[KiwiBirkin]

Croc we are up in Brendale on the north side of Brisbane.

 

Slomove its damm hard

[S1Steve]

Bitch'in board, Enjoy your endless summer.....

[KiwiBirkin]

A update of our OZ adventure/move

 

Man its hot here today 35deg and climbing, just rode home on the scooter and it was like driving through a hairdryer the wind was that hot and dry, I thought the NWester in NZ was warm but this is on another level, so glad we purchased a house with a pool as I was taking a dip in at 2am this morning because it was so hot, tonight i'm going to start the aircon and cool the house down before we go to bed as its forecast to be 28 deg all night.

 

We have purchased a house and now settled in and have been in the house 5 weeks, starting to get out again and exploring after spending the last 4 weekends unpacking.

 

We have also purchased a JK Jeep I have also started getting some basic 4WD gear together to take our Jeep off road on the beach and up to the Glass house mountains, while its a capable machine and will handle the sand and mud we don't was to get embarrassed by not having any recovery gear to get us unstuck if we become stuck the min stuff required is some recovery gear to get your self out when bogged in so I have purchased these Tred self recovery units so we can at least go to the beach now as there is over 200kms of NP coastline to camp

on really close to us

http://www.tred4x4.com/media/rokgallery/e/e6f4fa9a-862a-49ca-9f74-5f303a2b6846/aa34591d-dc65-4a45-97f3-e8e88356dae9.jpg

 

Also sorting out a good roof rack to use with the soft top which is now on the Jeep and plan on getting this one as it will take a roof top tent for weekend trips

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img90/5088/img3158h.jpg

 

It will end up looking something like this with a tent on and perfect for beach & outback camping

http://www.markdstephens.com/jeep/olympic_sports_rack/jeep_rack_main1.jpg

 

My Lotus 7 is also very close to being on the road now with just the Road Worth Cert left to do, I have had a slight delay as I have to have chip in my windscreen fixed for it to pass the RWC, I am able to drive Grace to get a RWC even though she isnt registered yet as the QLD road rules allow me to get 3rd party insurance and documents to cover the trip to do this so I at least have managed to drive Grace on the road.

 

What has struck me the most being here the last 4 months is how constant the weather is with very little change in weather patterns unlike NZ you just cant pick the weather patterns like you get in NZ over the 7 days, its really is glorious most days, yes its hot but not as hot as I thought it was going to be, this last week it has gone up a notch and I was told today to expect 30-33degs now most days for the next 3 months and then it will be back to mid 20s again. The thing is though the sun just does not burn you as much as it does in NZ and you can certainly stay out in it longer although with the sea temperature getting up to 24 deg some days there isn't much chance to cool off in the water.

 

Well thats it for this little update, we still miss all our friends in NZ and all our Lotus friends and miss driving the great roads and scenery NZ has, but this change has been good and now with Marg working we are starting to save again and have a more positive cash-flow than feeling stretched in NZ, I can see now why so many NZ'ers leave its not so much for a better lifestyle as its very similar to NZ, but if you have a skill or a trade it certainly is for better money and in the long term being better off financially.

 

More to come another time

[KiwiBirkin]

Yes.....Grace is fully legal in OZ, just finished registration after getting the Road Worth Cert this morning, all very straight forward really, now for a good blat on the way home

 

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/IMG_2185.jpg

 

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/IMG_2186.jpg

 

:party:

[BusaNostra]

Sunshine state? ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE NOT IN SOUTH BEACH FLORIDA?

[MHKflyer52]

KiwiBirkin,

Good to hear you have settled into life in Australia and now have your 7 back on the road.

Your Jeep looks good an should be lots of fun. Might I suggest you get a small air compressor for the jeep so when you do get stuck in the sand and you lower the air pressure in the tires to make them softer to help them float on the sand you can then air them back up once you're on hard pack, also a winch and some sand auger stakes might be appropriate to care when you're out chasing the waves on all those beaches with than new long board you now have.

Looking forward to more photos and videos of the new places you will be exploring in both vehicles.

:driving:

[KiwiBirkin]

Sunshine state? ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE NOT IN SOUTH BEACH FLORIDA?

 

It certainly is the Sunshine State, so far we have been here 4 months and only really had 10 good solid days of rain with the rest of the time clear blue skies.

[KiwiBirkin]

Finally managed to get out on the water on my new surf board which I purchased back in August. A couple of snaps from todays trip to Coolangatta, surf was up from the tropical cyclone that hit Fiji and I was itching to get out on my new board now we have gotten pass Christmas and moving into the house. It was a solid 4-5 foot a bit big for me as learner but I caught plenty of waves by the shore, water was 25 deg.

 

 

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Surf%20Adventures/snapshot_001_zpsc30aae73.png

 

Managed to get up after 20 years of a surfboard

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Surf%20Adventures/P1050371_zps04e46080.jpg

 

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Surf%20Adventures/P1050383_zpsdf969a35.jpg

 

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Surf%20Adventures/P1050465_zps8ba2a86b.jpg

[KiwiBirkin]

A couple more

 

Inshore where the learners stay

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Surf%20Adventures/P1050443_zpse41c3494.jpg

 

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Surf%20Adventures/P1050396_zpscb16db57.jpg

 

One to keep you interested in this thread

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Surf%20Adventures/P1050482_zps55916949.jpg

[Jackal]

A couple more

One to keep you interested in this thread

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Surf%20Adventures/P1050482_zps55916949.jpg

 

Now this thread got real interesting. Show us more of this new foreign land. :lurk:

[BusaNostra]

that's sunshine alright!

[KiwiBirkin]

Hi guys a quick update of our adventure in OZ and CARS which we all love.

 

Since it's cooled off a bit now (avg 27 deg in the day) I have been getting out in a Grace a bit more on weekends as time allows, last Sat while Marg was in NZ for the week I went out for a bit of a drive and ended up doing around 450 kms around the back of Brisbane in the hinterland, roads were very much like NZ and so was the scenery, most of what I drove through reminded me very much of the roads. Also just twenty mins from my house, I took a video this time and when I get a chance I will edit it and post it up.

 

Top of Mt Mee 20 mins from my house, overlooking the Glass house mountains.

 

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Cars/P1050531_zpsa9d02402.jpg

 

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Cars/P1050530_zpsc22aeeba.jpg

 

Start of Lake Somerset

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Cars/P1050535_zps5***fee6.jpg

 

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Cars/P1050537_zpsda757901.jpg

Edited March 29, 2013 by KiwiBirkin

[KiwiBirkin]

Had our first run out with some other Clubmans from the Sunshine Coast, these guys run once a month and we have plans to join them.

 

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Cars/null-24.jpg

 

Real Lotus Seven S2 which is very nice

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Cars/null-22.jpg

 

3 Wheeler Bec, guy is getting sorted out to produce them, went like a rocket too.

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Cars/null-18.jpg

 

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Cars/null-15.jpg

[KiwiBirkin]

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Cars/null-20.jpg

 

Sunshine Clubbies cars

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Cars/null-21.jpg

 

Purchased another car due the 6 weeks of rain we had after Christmas, I was driving Grace as my daily driver in the torrential rain but decided it wouldn't be good for her long term to continually be wet for that long. We purchased a 2006 Mazda MPS, with 190kW at 5,500rpm and 380Nm at 3,000rpm this thing is fast and makes my WRX I had in NZ look slow, its a fun car out on the twisty roads and also great for cruising on the Motorways when heading to Noosa of the Byron Bay. There are plenty of mods around for it too but it staying stock as all the mods are being done to the Jeep. 8-)

 

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Cars/null_zps12d3b611.jpg

 

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/Australia/Cars/null_zps00a7d451.jpg