-- From Brisbane to Brendale, back to Brisbane, stay in Brisbane

The road tracklog 
From Brisbane to Brendale (Bodyline) back to Brisbane
from 2010/10/21 to 2010/10/31 

Thursday October 21 the plane coming from Christchurch landed on time in Brisbane in spite of a 20-minute delay on takeoff. At the end of the afternoon the frequency of the trains from the airport to the centre town is not important I waited approximately half an hour on the quay to arrive at the B&B Annie's around 7pm. As of my arrival in Auckland on September 23 I had asked for by Internet a three-month evisitor to return to Australia. I was very surprised to obtain it quasi instantaneously. It remained to print it in a cybercafé. On arrival in Brisbane I have not to present it because with a biometric passport and a optical character reading "Big Brother" knew that I had it!

Friday morning I went to Brendale at Bodyline where I had left my truck to carry out some repairs during my stay in NZ. I left it around 11 am to return again at the New Market Gardens CP. I had an appointment on Monday morning at SDV to inform the transfer of my truck to a  future country to be decided.

Saturdays morning I was going to the CBD to do shopping in particular a parcel sent as a Poste Restante from Draguignan in France to the GPO Brisbane. The weekend was occupied in administrative work and preparation of my truck to be shipped.

Monday October 25 during the meeting with Ashleigh of SDV I decided to send my truck to Vancouver in roro by Swire Shipping without stopping in Japan. I asked Ashleigh to plead my cause near the maritime company not to empty my truck of the personal effects due to the wall between the cabin and the cell. Indeed all the companies ask that campervans be emptied personal effects except for the mattress. It would be a rule to go to the USA in particular by passing in Japan. This rule made me give up going to Japan then to Korea with my truck. I returned to Bodyline to have two minor modifications. I was back to Newmarket Gardens CP towards 11.30am.

The next morning I returned to the CBD to have the broken bridge of my spectacles repaired. The repairer agreed to do the work for midday. Being close to the Cultural Centre I decided to spend time to the Art Gallery Museum of which collections were attractive. Of course I was stayed lengthily in the room devoted to French impressionists.

To go there it is necessary to cross the Brisbane River by a pedestrian lane on which the carriageway markings require to keep left. All each one complies with this fundamental rule of the Australian behaviour in particular at the rush hours. The remainder of the day was stretched in length, I awaited news from SDV Logistics concerning the voyage of my truck to Vancouver.

At the end week Ashleigh gave me the agreement of Swire Shipping to ship my whole truck under my responsibility. The Pacific Java vessel was schedules in Brisbane on November 25 with an arrival in Vancouver around January 18, 2011. I accepted this offer although there was an ultimate possibility by using a flatrack from Sydney but more expensive and with other complications. A binary choice, the future will tell if it were convenient. SDV Logistics have to send me the exact shipping cost from port to port with fees on arrival.

It remained to decide what to do until November 25, date to give my truck at the port, to park it somewhere and to leave on a journey or to stay in Brisbane and to wait. After one night of reflexion I decided to stay in Brisbane privileging the safety of send of my truck until the last moment. Still a binary choice, the experiment shows that life comprises as a majority of such decisions. I extended the hiring of the site in Newmarket Gardens CP for four more weeks. But the boat could have delay or many difficulties occur at the port.

I was to buy the air flight tickets to visit Japan and Korea knowing that for these countries a VOA, visa one arrival, is granted with a return ticket. It was not easy to all plan due to various uncertainties, always binary choices. The entry Canada supports, a priori, no difficulty with a six-month VOA but the entry the USA is subordinate to obtain a preliminary authorization to travel, ESTA, -Electronic System for Travel Authorization- As of the 29/10 I required it and I have it on line by Internet immediately . As for my return in Australia after the stay in NZ this authorization does not prejudge a decision of the immigration officer at the entry in the country. Finally the last but not the least a purchase of a compulsory insurance for driving in Canada and in the USA, to follow.

For these last months I sent more than one score of messages to Ashleigh who I cordially thank for her help. During the long stay in Brisbane I prepared the visit in Japan and in Korea, and I read further into the book Mister Pip by Llyod Jones, reading difficult and attaching. This concise report but prolix shows that travel is not always a sinecure. It takes time and patience, travel is a full-time job, fortunately pleasures are up to challenges.

Next publication: After the shipping of my truck, maybe around November 25th?

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