{"id":6300,"date":"2024-11-23T14:56:21","date_gmt":"2024-11-23T03:56:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/?p=6300"},"modified":"2024-11-23T15:04:23","modified_gmt":"2024-11-23T04:04:23","slug":"we-are-still-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/we-are-still-here\/","title":{"rendered":"We are still here!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-566b4036be3a142aa4839d4989e0f8da\" style=\"color:#5208f2\">    a brief catch up &amp; a prelude<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In May &#8217;23 we left the Iron Range rainforest after a wonderful year wrapped in it\u2019s warm green &amp; sticky embrace. ( 2 years on Cape York\u00a0 &amp; a total of almost 4 years in Far North Queensland). On our way home to Victoria, we stopped en route to inspect a vehicle we had heard was for sale almost 6 months earlier. We had been in regular contact with it\u2019s the owners, &amp; hoped it would become our new home on wheels to replace the Patrol &amp; Tvan that we\u2019d called home since 2017. It was a difficult time in that we were anxious to buy, but unable to inspect until our commitment at the research Station was completed &amp; the river levels low enough for us to drive out.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When we saw the vehicle &amp; slept in it for 3 very cold nights, enjoying it\u2019s wonderful warm cosiness &amp; comfort we knew it was as close to ticking all of our boxes as we were likely to find unless we built our own &amp; that seemed unlikely given that our physical capabilities were no longer what they once were when we built the bus &amp; later the Patrol . So we agreed to buy it.&nbsp; It was a complicated sale with much trust required of both parties, aided by us having a mutually trusted friend.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We continued home to Victoria having agreed to purchase, but as yet without any money changing hands. Before leaving I had begun to feel pain &amp; was experiencing restricted movement which I put down to the cold weather, but that wasn\u2019t it.&nbsp; Over the next few weeks my condition deteriorated further &amp; even the familiar act of driving became very difficult. By the time we reached home I was in a poor way. Couldn\u2019t turn my head, couldn\u2019t lift my arms higher than waist, lots of pain in shoulders , wrists, feet etc. Pain locations changed from day to day which seemed bizarre. I had trouble walking &amp; often needed help with everyday stuff like dressing &amp; brushing my hair.&nbsp; Medical specialists were unable to decide whether it was an auto-immune related arthritic condition with the added &#8216;bonus&#8217; of enthesitis,  or some weird unknown tropical virus. Symptoms were treated &amp; hope expressed that it would be self limiting (ie. that it would come good)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well it did come good but took around 6 months to do so.&nbsp; However it was at about the 2 month mark, whilst symptoms were at their worst, that we needed to make a substantial financial commitment to the purchase of the new vehicle, or to drop out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At that time I would have been incapable of climbing up into it\u2019s driving seat, let alone actually driving it.  Making the decision to go ahead was a huge gamble but we went ahead, not knowing if we were buying something we could never use, but feeling that if we missed the opportunity to buy this \u2019needle in a haystack&#8217; that we had been searching for for so long  we may regret passing it up if (&amp; at the time it was very much an \u2018if\u2019) I were to come good.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since then the picture has changed for the better.&nbsp; We chose to act to keep our dreams alive even when highly uncertain that they could come to fruition. We don\u2019t need a medal for that but I am both pleased &amp; proud that we didn&#8217;t back out. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So now, almost December 2024, we can see the light at the end of what has been a lengthy tunnel . There have been a few unexpected&nbsp; \u2018wrinkles\u2019 with the vehicle which we have ironed out since finally getting it home back in late April \/ early May,  &amp; we have a couple of minor health things still to sort out before we take ourselves back into the sort of remote areas we love, but we are expecting to get away for a shakedown trip within the confines of the Victorian borders before Christmas, &amp; to head off \u2018proper\u2019&nbsp; early in the new year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks to all our loyal subscribers who have wondered what had become of us.&nbsp; We expect to get the blog \u2018back into gear\u2019 in the near future, once we get back &#8216;out there&#8217; in the new vehicle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"685\" height=\"514\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Wundowie.jpeg?resize=685%2C514&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6306\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Wundowie.jpeg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Wundowie.jpeg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Wundowie.jpeg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Wundowie.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Wundowie.jpeg?resize=685%2C514&amp;ssl=1 685w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Wundowie.jpeg?w=1370&amp;ssl=1 1370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 685px) 100vw, 685px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s a pic of the truck taken en route from where we collected it on the other side of the country earlier this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"685\" height=\"756\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IMG_6840.jpeg?resize=685%2C756&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6301\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IMG_6840.jpeg?resize=1812%2C2000&amp;ssl=1 1812w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IMG_6840.jpeg?resize=272%2C300&amp;ssl=1 272w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IMG_6840.jpeg?resize=768%2C847&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IMG_6840.jpeg?resize=1392%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1392w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IMG_6840.jpeg?resize=1856%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1856w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IMG_6840.jpeg?resize=685%2C756&amp;ssl=1 685w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IMG_6840.jpeg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 685px) 100vw, 685px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A more recent pic just after I had added the Red Tailed  Black Cockatoo decal we had made from a photo. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A comprehensive description of the truck is planned once we are actually using it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Best wishes to all,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cuppa &amp; MrsTea.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In May &#8217;23 we left the Iron Range rainforest after a wonderful year wrapped in it\u2019s warm green &amp; sticky embrace. ( 2 years on Cape York\u00a0 &amp; a total of almost 4 years in Far North Queensland). On our way home to Victoria, we stopped en route to inspect a vehicle we had heard &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/we-are-still-here\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">We are still here!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[61,15,134,135,60,59,137,62,136],"class_list":["post-6300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-australia","tag-australian-travel","tag-cockatoo","tag-cuppa-mrstea","tag-full-time-travel","tag-life-on-the-road","tag-motorhome","tag-off-road","tag-oka"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Gigapixeled.jpeg?fit=2000%2C1334&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8PHoJ-1DC","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6300"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6300\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6314,"href":"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6300\/revisions\/6314"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cuppa500.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}