Well, a month later we are still in Mt Isa waiting for visas to be issued. I have been away for just over three weeks with Monique. We left on the 14th of September to drive to Townsville for an appointment with the oral surgeon & orthodontist about Mon's teeth. We spent two nights with Tiarna having lots of laughs and adventures. Monique was recommended to have braces so we made an appointment for her to see Bill Cadell in Cairns to have treatment started. We left on Thursday morning to go to Cairns for a look at Monique's new school and to confirm that she was able to start school there for 4th term. We had a good look around the school and really liked it and the staff, so it was all confirmed. We spend a couple of days with my sister Sylvia and her family and my grandparents who were there for a visit. Monique decided she didn't want to drive down to Brisbane so she stayed at Sylvia's place spending a heap of time with her cousins. I left to drive to Brisbane on Tuesday 21 September by myself. It was a very long way but I was able to get hold of the 4th Twilight book on audio cd so I listened to that all the way down. There was water over the road outside of Proserpine where a heap of us were held up for a couple of hours. Once we got through, I kept going to Sarina where I booked into a motel to sleep for the night. I got to Brisbane the next day at about 6pm. Two huge days. Brisbane traffic is so scary. And I didn't know exactly where Yolander lived (my youngest sister) so I pulled into a service station to have a quick look at a map, worked out that Beenleigh is on the way to the Gold Coast so I got on the Pacific Motorway and followed the signs toward the Gold Coast until I saw the turnoff for Beenleigh. Then I pulled up and called Yolander to come and get me. So much easier than trying to find her. It probably would have made sense to use the GPS that Sylvia offered me too but I forgot to get it from her before I left. Oh well. I now know exactly where Yo lives so I can find it again for her wedding next month.
On Wednesday night after a lovely day wandering around a huge shopping centre and chilling out at Yo's place, I headed to the airport to pick up Esther as we were spending the night at Sunshine Beach before heading to the Joining Festival the next day. The Brisbane Airport has recently started being renovated or expanded or something and they have moved the short term carpark to the far side of the domestic terminal. But to get there you have to drive in a circle past the long term carpark, past the terminal, back around the long term carpark and then into the short term carpark. The signs are not very good and it was difficult to see some of them, so I ended up going around a couple of times before I worked out where I had to park. What a nightmare. Anyway, I finally found the carpark and rushed to the terminal just in time to catch up with Esther as she was collecting her luggage. We drove to Sunshine Beach talking heaps to catch up and then collapsed into bed as it was well after 11pm when we finally got there. In the morning we went for breakfast and a walk on the beach front at Hastings Street, Noosa. It was very relaxing. Then it was back to our accomodation to pick up Esthers car so that she could drive home after the Joining Festival. (It's a long story as to why Esthers car was there and not in Mount Isa so here is the short version - her children drove it down while on holidays and left it there when the flew out back to Italy where they live).
So........... the adventure of getting to the Festival begins...... first, Esthers car had a flat battery. She called RACQ to come and start the car. They did. So we began driving towards Maroochydore to look at a couple of shops. Half way along the Sunshine Motorway, Esther pulls over (I was in the car behind), the water cooler was boiling over - the RACQ guy had forgotten to put the cap on when he checked the water. So we let it cool a bit, then filled it with water, then tried to start the car again. No go. The battery was dead again. We were on the motorway with cars speeding by us at 100km continuously. I couldn't get my car in a position to use the jumper leads as it was seriously muddy on the edge of the road. Luckily a lovely couple in a 4wd pulls up and was able to drive into the bush to turn around and come back at the car head to head. We got the car going and took off. Another 10 minutes later, Esther pulls up again. The water is boiling over again. We had no more water left, so I drove away to get some more water and came back to refill it up again. (we were still on the motorway at this stage). Again the battery wouldn't start. So another call to RACQ. Well..... RACQ was not allowed to come to start the car on the motorway, so they called a tow truck to pick up the car and get it off the road somewhere, then the RACQ guy (a different one from earlier on) came, checked the battery and declared it dead. It was replaced, the engine checked over and finally given the all clear. So off we went to have lunch at 3pm. We decided after much laughter that it was meant to happen that day so that Esther would have a clear run home to Mt Isa. We arrived at the festival check in just after 5pm and spent the next three days having a fantastic time. On Sunday afternoon, Esther headed to Mt Isa and I headed back to Yolanders place for a couple of more days. While there, I had lunch with Tamara (my sister - yes another one) and my aunty Karen. Then on Wednesday night, I flew into Cairns to finish getting Monique ready to go to school.
On Monday 4th of October, I drove Monique to her new boarding school and helped her unpack and settle in. I stayed in Cairns for another day to make sure that Monique was ok and then left Wednesday morning early to drive back to Mt Isa.
And that's what has been going on. There is still a bit of painting of walls to complete, the yard to tidy up and then we can put the house on the market. And wait...............................................
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