It is safe to say this move has been one of the most stressful we have done. It has only been surpassed by the time we were planning a wedding in England and whilst moving from Germany to Spain...
I wouldn't recommend that.
I wouldn't recommend that.
It has been such a long winded thing, I won't go into all the details now - maybe one day in the future - and will just concentrate on the last week.
We had been running around in circles starting new jobs (me), finishing old deadlines (T), watching birds (Albie), and hiding from various visitors (Ralph). And so were pretty exhausted before the move even became close.
After a stressful afternoon on the Friday regarding my visa - thank goodness for my British passport allowing me to be a tourist in many countries for a period of time - our last weekend got off to a tired start.
Realizing the crate that Albie came over in from Canada was actually far too big for him, we had to get smaller ones. Although there were many in the pet shops nearby, we needed ones that would meet the airline standards, and this included circles rather than horizontal slats for holes, and metal bolts to fix the two pieces of the crate together. I could only find one shop in Sydney that stocked them - there were other places who were web-only, but seeing as time was running out, I didn't want to risk the crates being stuck in the post. I woke up early on Saturday worrying that the way things had been going, they would be out of stock at this place, but my fears were put to rest when I rang them. So, off to the Inner West suburb of Enfield to purchase two PP30 crates.
Realizing the crate that Albie came over in from Canada was actually far too big for him, we had to get smaller ones. Although there were many in the pet shops nearby, we needed ones that would meet the airline standards, and this included circles rather than horizontal slats for holes, and metal bolts to fix the two pieces of the crate together. I could only find one shop in Sydney that stocked them - there were other places who were web-only, but seeing as time was running out, I didn't want to risk the crates being stuck in the post. I woke up early on Saturday worrying that the way things had been going, they would be out of stock at this place, but my fears were put to rest when I rang them. So, off to the Inner West suburb of Enfield to purchase two PP30 crates.
In the afternoon we had a long list of bits to do - posting things, printing off new photos to put in frames that we are taking to Japan, etc etc. I had stubbed my toe badly the previous day - it had not been a good day, I came to the conclusion it must have been a Friday 13th masking itself as another date - so we drove up to Mosman High Street instead of walking as we usually do.
Jobs done, it was time to head home to work.
We walked up to where the car was parked on the side of the road, and there, totally blocking it, was a lorry, engine off with it's hazard lights flashing.
There was no one to be seen. On the lorry windscreen was a sign hastily written on a piece of cardboard which read: Sorry. Broken down. Waiting for tow truck.
Ugh.
So we had to walk home.
I went back a couple of hours later and the lorry - an international removal lorry of course - had gone, and to my relief we hadn't got a parking ticket either.
Jobs done, it was time to head home to work.
We walked up to where the car was parked on the side of the road, and there, totally blocking it, was a lorry, engine off with it's hazard lights flashing.
There was no one to be seen. On the lorry windscreen was a sign hastily written on a piece of cardboard which read: Sorry. Broken down. Waiting for tow truck.
Ugh.
So we had to walk home.
I went back a couple of hours later and the lorry - an international removal lorry of course - had gone, and to my relief we hadn't got a parking ticket either.
Fast forward the week, including dropping furniture off at places, meetings with clients, packing, cleaning and waiting for T's visa to come through. The Japanese Embassy had said to us on Friday that it could take a minimum of 5 working days. Our flights were booked for a week later so even five days would be cutting it fine...
Thankfully, he was able to pick it up on Thursday morning, ready for our flight on Saturday.
Thankfully, he was able to pick it up on Thursday morning, ready for our flight on Saturday.
So, finally, to move day.
We were awake early and decided to go down to Balmoral for one last coffee on the beach in the sunshine. As we walked up the steps from the apartment to the road, we were greeted not by a quite road, but by a carpark. There is a house being re-built a few doors down, and they had a huge crane and with it had come all the lorries loaded with bags and equipment for it to crane in.
We were awake early and decided to go down to Balmoral for one last coffee on the beach in the sunshine. As we walked up the steps from the apartment to the road, we were greeted not by a quite road, but by a carpark. There is a house being re-built a few doors down, and they had a huge crane and with it had come all the lorries loaded with bags and equipment for it to crane in.
As we stood taking it all in, quite dumbfounded, we noticed our next door neighbour doing the same thing.
"I've got a removal lorry coming." he said.
"So have we!" we answered.
Both having told the removal companies there was no problem with parking, as it was a quiet no-through road, this was going to prove fun.
"I've got a removal lorry coming." he said.
"So have we!" we answered.
Both having told the removal companies there was no problem with parking, as it was a quiet no-through road, this was going to prove fun.
We had a quick coffee and said goodbye to beautiful Balmoral, and then returned home and started the countdown to when the removal firm were due to arrive in 2 hours, and the pet people to pick up Albie and Ralph in just over an hour.
The removal people arrived an hour after we returned.
The pet people didn't come until nearly 2 hours after we returned.
We had put the boys in their crates so they wouldn't get in the way, or escape, and then shut them on the balcony out of the noise. When the pet people came to pick them up I went to get the plastic bag with their water dishes, Albie's food (he only seems able to eat one variety of food - and the flavour without vegetables, such a boy), and the certificates with their vaccinations on.
It was not where it had been.
After much searching, it turns out it had been packed.
Luckily the water bowls could be replaced by the pet people, and we had a couple more bags of cat food we were going to take with us - the certificates I am crossing my fingers a copy will suffice.
It was horrible saying goodbye for a few weeks (they will be in the cattery whilst we set up a place out in Japan). Ralph looked scared, but Albie was just cross he couldn't have a cuddle with the girl who was driving them to the cattery.
The removal people arrived an hour after we returned.
The pet people didn't come until nearly 2 hours after we returned.
We had put the boys in their crates so they wouldn't get in the way, or escape, and then shut them on the balcony out of the noise. When the pet people came to pick them up I went to get the plastic bag with their water dishes, Albie's food (he only seems able to eat one variety of food - and the flavour without vegetables, such a boy), and the certificates with their vaccinations on.
It was not where it had been.
After much searching, it turns out it had been packed.
Luckily the water bowls could be replaced by the pet people, and we had a couple more bags of cat food we were going to take with us - the certificates I am crossing my fingers a copy will suffice.
It was horrible saying goodbye for a few weeks (they will be in the cattery whilst we set up a place out in Japan). Ralph looked scared, but Albie was just cross he couldn't have a cuddle with the girl who was driving them to the cattery.
A few tears shed I had to get back into it so set to unwrapping my bike which was still in its protective polythene wrap from when we moved from Montreal to Sydney. (With the salty sea air rusting the other bikes, I thought it was safer under layers of polythene.) I wanted to check its state before it was stored, and also the sun had made the polythene brittle.
I tore off the layers. The bike looked good underneath.
I tried to stuff the wrapping in a bin bag but there was too much of the stuff, so I scooped it up and started to walk to the bins. I had taken a step or two when I saw a spider on it, at eye level. I took another step. Then I corrected myself that we were in Australia, and even though it wasn't that big - a centimetre - I should be wary. I carefully placed my load on the ground and went inside to see if anyone knew what kind it was.
I asked T but he didn't know, so we then asked the removers, "What type of spider has a red stripe down it's back?"
"That would be a Red Back, you don't want to go near those."
It was a female Red Back spider, and this species of spider can be deadly to humans (although there is an antivenom for its bite).
When we cautiously returned to the polythene scene the spider was no where to be seen, but we still pincered the wrapping with broom handles to get it to the bin.
That was not the only fun we had with bikes that morning - the other one was padlocked to the railings with a deadlock, which had jammed. A big spray with WD40 and being left for an hour thankfully got it unstuck, not sure what we would have done otherwise...although I did think with all the builders on the street someone there should have something to get it off!
I tore off the layers. The bike looked good underneath.
I tried to stuff the wrapping in a bin bag but there was too much of the stuff, so I scooped it up and started to walk to the bins. I had taken a step or two when I saw a spider on it, at eye level. I took another step. Then I corrected myself that we were in Australia, and even though it wasn't that big - a centimetre - I should be wary. I carefully placed my load on the ground and went inside to see if anyone knew what kind it was.
I asked T but he didn't know, so we then asked the removers, "What type of spider has a red stripe down it's back?"
"That would be a Red Back, you don't want to go near those."
It was a female Red Back spider, and this species of spider can be deadly to humans (although there is an antivenom for its bite).
When we cautiously returned to the polythene scene the spider was no where to be seen, but we still pincered the wrapping with broom handles to get it to the bin.
That was not the only fun we had with bikes that morning - the other one was padlocked to the railings with a deadlock, which had jammed. A big spray with WD40 and being left for an hour thankfully got it unstuck, not sure what we would have done otherwise...although I did think with all the builders on the street someone there should have something to get it off!
The next few hours were a race to put everything we didn't want the removers to pack into the bathroom before they packed it - the machines they are. Although we have had to pay for the service before, I have always done most of the packing myself, leaving them to deal with the glasswares and furniture. I think I may be doing this again...
I would ask T, "Where's the ...?"
"Packed"
And he would do the same to me.
In the end we just gave us asking - if we couldn't find it, it would have been packed.
I would ask T, "Where's the ...?"
"Packed"
And he would do the same to me.
In the end we just gave us asking - if we couldn't find it, it would have been packed.
By 5pm the apartment was empty and clean. We closed the door for the last time, locking in the memories of a very happy 20 months in Australia.