As we settle into our new normal, not everything has gone according to plan. The joys of moving into a brand new building became rapidly apparent. I did not mention this in the last post as we were in the thick of it and writing it all down just made us more and more angry. However, now, it is behind us (fingers crossed) and we can move forward.
It all started about two days after moving in when we found that flushing our master toilet not only led to water pouring into the bowl, but also a substantial trickle out the back of the toilet. It was four or so days before the plumber came to the rescue (not a big issue as we rented a 2 bed, 2 bath).
Soon after the plumber left I moved a box in the guest room. Interestingly the floor was wet. Fearing that for some reason we had shipped liquids in our air fright, I quickly removed the contents of the box, only to find more clothes. The window was not wet, the wall was not wet, but a good meter into the room was very wet. It was a week and a half before we saw someone check that out. Needless to say it dried. But my minor victory was that the contractors were as confused as us about the source of the water. Minutes later they were suspended off the outside of the building looking for cracks. Supposedly it was all fixed, but I hope that we do not get a heavy rain on that side of the building till we move out.
While the above water issues were going on we had another issue, this time with our washer. It was delivered and true to what I had guessed in the inspection, there was no way to get the washer in the space without removing the laundry closet door. So we first had to get a contractor to remove the door (if we lift a finger, we will clearly damage the place). A kind gent stopped by, removed the door, then he and I pushed and pulled the washer into place. But we couldn't hook it up. There were caps on the taps. And further yet, the drain hookup under the sink was solid. So time to arrange a plumber again. Two full weeks after the washer was delivered did it finally get hooked up. Phew. I was never so excited to do laundry.
Problems aside we have had our fun too. Last weekend we took the train to Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast. It was novel taking a 2 hr train ride to the beach and surf, and then being able to relax on the way home too. We saw some surf rowing and clearly need to find a way to partake in the sport. We also got in another season of strawberry picking. While we were super excited, our intake of strawberries in the field was nil due to the Queensland Fruit Fly and its prolific invasion of the fruit with its larvae.
Previous weekends we have taken in free concerts, visited a variety of museums (free!), and generally explored. This weekend we will head north to the Sunshine Coast for a long weekend of hiking, beaching, and eating.
It all started about two days after moving in when we found that flushing our master toilet not only led to water pouring into the bowl, but also a substantial trickle out the back of the toilet. It was four or so days before the plumber came to the rescue (not a big issue as we rented a 2 bed, 2 bath).
Soon after the plumber left I moved a box in the guest room. Interestingly the floor was wet. Fearing that for some reason we had shipped liquids in our air fright, I quickly removed the contents of the box, only to find more clothes. The window was not wet, the wall was not wet, but a good meter into the room was very wet. It was a week and a half before we saw someone check that out. Needless to say it dried. But my minor victory was that the contractors were as confused as us about the source of the water. Minutes later they were suspended off the outside of the building looking for cracks. Supposedly it was all fixed, but I hope that we do not get a heavy rain on that side of the building till we move out.
While the above water issues were going on we had another issue, this time with our washer. It was delivered and true to what I had guessed in the inspection, there was no way to get the washer in the space without removing the laundry closet door. So we first had to get a contractor to remove the door (if we lift a finger, we will clearly damage the place). A kind gent stopped by, removed the door, then he and I pushed and pulled the washer into place. But we couldn't hook it up. There were caps on the taps. And further yet, the drain hookup under the sink was solid. So time to arrange a plumber again. Two full weeks after the washer was delivered did it finally get hooked up. Phew. I was never so excited to do laundry.
Problems aside we have had our fun too. Last weekend we took the train to Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast. It was novel taking a 2 hr train ride to the beach and surf, and then being able to relax on the way home too. We saw some surf rowing and clearly need to find a way to partake in the sport. We also got in another season of strawberry picking. While we were super excited, our intake of strawberries in the field was nil due to the Queensland Fruit Fly and its prolific invasion of the fruit with its larvae.
Previous weekends we have taken in free concerts, visited a variety of museums (free!), and generally explored. This weekend we will head north to the Sunshine Coast for a long weekend of hiking, beaching, and eating.
Self explanatory
Wet box and wet floor :(
Of course you have to take the door off.
That's not going to drain
We had A LOT of paper from the movers.
This is just half of air freight. I am afraid what we will get with our sea shipment (it's in country!).
Blue Blubber Jelly Fish, aptly named.
Sarah's Gardening Shed.
Our night time view.
This is our city from Mt. Coot-Tha. Our building is one of the black ones just to the left of where you can see the river bend.
Aboriginal art at Queensland Art Gallery
An interesting reflection on museum captions.
Strawberries! And Queensland fruit flies!
Surfer's Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Free Friday night concert, Green Jam @ QPAC (Queensland Performing Arts Centre)
Comments