The good news is that my house is sold ! And for quite a bit more than I was expecting to actually get, and more than the unit next door sold for a few months ago. And a LOT quicker too !

The bad news is that some idiot at the Passports Office has entered the wrong data into my file. I tried to renew my passport the other day, and the security question is “what is your mother’s maiden name?” They tried to tell me I was wrong about my mother’s name …no mate, YOU are wrong ! So instead of a simple renewal, I now have to apply for a new passport, which means I have to get a certificate of citizenship first, which requires certified copies of paperwork and up to 8 weeks processing time, then I can apply for the new passport. The problem is that I will need a residential address, but I will not have one by then ! Because the house sold so quickly I am going to be of “no fixed address” sooner than anticipated….

It will be too early to head up north as it will be Wet Season, so I am thinking about just renting a cheap place in Cooma as a home base for a couple of months. Rents are dirt cheap there, it’s a nice little town (I’ve lived there before) and has easy access to the mountains to go fishing or hiking, up to Canberra or down to the coast. I reckon I could easily spend a couple of months there, then start to make my way up north.