Itchy feet

Recently we had to have some repairs done on the bus so it could pass it’s latest Cof. We knew before we even had it checked that it would need some fairly major work done on the brakes this time around and this is one of the reasons we have ended up staying in Gore quite a long time. Because there is one thing that we have learnt in our time as the owners of an older model bus, that repairs are not always an easy fix and they don’t come cheap. We are fine with that, it’s our home as well as a vehicle and we need it to be safe, usable and able to get us to all the places we want to explore. But the hardest thing about having repairs done, apart from parting with your hard earned coin, is that sometimes we can’t live in the bus while we are having the repairs done.

This time we were faced with possibly two weeks of having to find somewhere else to stay. There were not a lot of options that were a price we were willing to pay and still close to Gore so Wayne could get to work every day. We ended up in a town called Wyndham, renting a little old motorhome at the campground there. Wyndham has around 900 residents, a couple of shops and a penchant for naming streets after items of clothing. The locals were very friendly though and the advantage of small towns is that everything is literally right on your doorstep, playground, tennis courts, little picturesque creek to throw rocks in, all just a short stroll away.

In the end we were out of our bus for ten nights and I missed it more than words can really describe. Sleeping in a double bed whose mattress has really seen better days, using the shared kitchen facilities and having to make early morning dashes for the loo on the other side of the camp all made me appreciate again what a lovely home we have. Funnily enough during this time out of the bus was the first time that I have really felt like I missed having a normal home. We had been out for lunch in Invercargill and there was a garden centre and pet store attached to the cafe. So of course we wandered round the pet store afterwards. And here I was struck by a sudden longing for the time that we’ll have a place of  our own again, enough earth to plant a garden and let Oliver have a pet. I’m happy to say that as soon as we were back in our bus that feeling disapeared. Yes one day it will be nice to settle down again, one day, but not yet!

So now we have that all important little sticker that means we are free to move the bus around for another six months. Of course that means our time in Gore is drawing to an end, we have been here so much longer than we originally thought we would be. Of course now that we have actually set a leaving date it’s safe to say our excitement levels are pretty high. The hard work is nearly over for a spell and all three of us are ready for some quality time together and as always some new places to explore.