Essential Tasks. Or where is Mr Fix It

K is on the road to Newcastle so I'm home in the caravan by myself. At moments like this I am acutely aware of the various tasks that have to be done around our little house. 




Our nearest neighbours, entertaining the peahens this morning

We are currently hooked up to 240v electricity and the local water supply so we are not relying on the solar panels and we are not carrying water in from somewhere else and filling the tanks, which we have to do when free-siting.  However our power and water systems need ongoing care. When K is here that is his area of expertise.

Batteries need exercise. They are being charged by our power management system all the time, so to exercise them we are running one of the fridge freezers off battery and there is a power board we use to charge phones and the like plugged into the inverter. K lifts the lid of the power area and checks the batteries every now and again. Ok a bit more than now and again. Frequently.

Not a bad view from the cab of the car this morning

The water supply here is has a noticeable concentration of lime although it is potable. When you heat the water the lime drops out and deposits in the kettle and water heater. It also settles out onto taps and makes the bathroom  and shower surfaces look like you never cleaned them. Coming from Adelaide which has high calcium levels in the water we are pretty familiar with this.

However the lime drops to the bottom of the heater tanks and  if it  builds up high enough the thermostat in the hot water heater is no longer in contact with water and therefore does not turn off.  Busted element.  Burnt out. Big repair job. Mr Fix It has a couple of water heaters around that he cleans up and swaps with sick ones for the accommodation blocks.

Not wanting our little heater to get this sick,  or our  kettle to have a white crust on the bottom, once a week K boils vinegar in the kettle and once every three months adds it to the hot water service. He de-limes the shower head and taps, and he treats the shower surfaces to remove the build  up. (He does this for 15 cabins and over 20 motels rooms on a regular maintenance cycle)

The water here is ok to drink (It has to be tested each year to keep the Bistro food licence)  but not to put through the coffee machine so K refills the bladders of the 10 litre water boxes you can buy at the supermarket from a neighbour's rainwater tank. Boxed and bottled water is more expensive than just about any other thing here. The mark up is astounding.

Another major task K does is the toilet cassette. Since we treat it with napisan the odour is ok and I can manage the actual emptying, I do find getting it out of its box and into the ute tray a bit hard. Not a pleasant task, but not awful enough to make me go out on the ablutions block expedition at night.

Some travellers fly in. This is a common
 sight up behind our camp site

All of these important tasks have become mine for a couple of weeks.
As well as filling the windscreen washer in the ute, a thing K usually dors cos I have trouble getting my hand in past the roo bar to work the latch. Oh and refilling the diesel jerry can  I used out bush yesterday.  And switching over the gas bottle to the spare one and taking it down to be filled ....... And unscrewing the impeller in the washing machine to get the coins out that were rattling around during last weeks wash.


I do miss him you know. (Not just because of the extra work either)

 Cheers Sue

A Ferg on the Move