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| King George Sound - Albany WA |
23/06/2012 Saturday. It’s been
about six weeks since our last update that I barely know where to begin. Lib’s
parents stayed with us in Albany for a further three weeks while Lib and I got
settled. We moved from the King River Caravan Park after the first week to the
Albany Holiday Park to be closer to town for ease of access to town while
looking for work. This ended up being a good move. The caravan park people are
friendly and seem happy to bend the rules a little to accommodate us. They even
have an off-leash area for the dogs. They don’t allow permanents with dogs but
are booking us in on a month by month basis.
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| Middleton Beach - Albany WA |
While Barry and Judith were here
we explored our immediate area a little to find out where the dog beaches were
because Charlie loves the beach. He is now seven months old and is getting
huge. We went for a drive over three days to explore one of the national parks
close to town and to find a good fishing spot called Salmon Holes. It lived up
to its name because in a few short hours I’d landed about 10 salmon though we
only kept five. And they were delicious, especially cooked in Lib’s famous beer
batter. We also checked out other places such as the wind turbine farm, the whaling
station and the war memorial. This place is fantastic. It has something for
everyone including but not limited to- fishing, sailing, boating, rock
climbing, bush walking, all manner of ball sports, wineries, cafes, a small
alternative culture, photography etc. The list goes on and on. We have decided
pretty much that if we don’t find anywhere as good as this then this is most
likely where we will end up living permanently if we ever stop travelling. Only
one other spot in Tassie has impressed us so much.
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| Princess Royal Harbour - Albany WA |
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| Wind Farm, Albany WA |
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| Wind Turbine |
As our funds were getting
desperate, I got one shift waitering at the Albany Entertainment Centre and
then got a job working as a relief driver for Cleanaway. While only casual to
begin with, hopefully it will lead to a full time position. I’d been working
there full time for two weeks training on the trucks and learning the runs when
late one Friday afternoon a plastic bag fell out of a garbage bin. I got out of
the truck to put it back in the bin but as I grabbed it the bag bit back. Glass
or something such in the bag sliced through my gloves cutting my thumb and
middle finger. It was only a slight cut on my middle finger requiring four
stitches, while the cut to my thumb had separated the nerves and had cut
through more than 50% of my flexor tendon.
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| The Gap, Albany WA |
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| The Gap, Albany WA |
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| The Gap, Albany WA |
I was taken to hospital straight
away and then told by the treating physician that I would need to travel to
Perth the following day to have surgery by a plastic’s hand specialist to put
it back together again. Yay for workers comp! There’s no way we could have
afforded the operation and I would probably have lost the use of my thumb
otherwise.
Lib was amazing during this time,
getting us to Perth, organising accommodation and kennelling for the dogs,
getting us around as required. All in a town she didn’t know. She was wonderful
and continues to be, looking after us while I recover. She even ties my shoe
laces for me.
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| M&D Albany WA |
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| Asha & Charlie's new matching collars |
On the Monday I was seen again by
the surgeon who told me no driving for eight weeks and that my recovery would
take between 12-14 weeks. I was then seen by physio who put my arm in a splint
and told me I would be in it for six weeks as that is how long it will take the
tendon to heal. The following six to eight weeks are to return the strength to
that hand after not being used for so long.
That was two weeks ago. I’m back
at work but on administrative duties only and I’m extremely bored. I’ve seen
the physio down here in Albany a few times and they’re happy with my recovery
so far. I have an appointment with the specialist on Wednesday and I need to
convince him I can enter and exit a truck safely so I can get out of the office
and continue learning the runs but as an observer, not as the driver.
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| How big is he now? |
Lib has gotten a part time job as
the local gas meter reader. She is very happy with her new role but it is
taking her a little time getting used to all the hills.
In the first week that I was
working at Cleanaway, Lib and I bought a second hand car to get around in while
we are living in Albany. It is a 1992 Ford Laser and cost us $1400. It seems
mechanically sound though it is losing a little oil. It did get us to Perth and
back with no dramas.
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| Ocean Beach, Denmark WA |
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| Our New Car |
My apologies beforehand if
updates are a little slow as we are not doing much at the moment. We are
hibernating for the winter. We are not doing much except working and watching
TV. This is also due to the weather here as we have seen about two days of sun
in the last three weeks. It doesn’t feel like it has stopped raining.
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| My Cast for 6 Weeks |
