Darwin Renovations & a Xmas Surprise

December 11, 2016 / Paul McKenzie

There's been radio silence over here for the past few months due to our time and energy being taken up with the renovations and challenges of starting anew in a new town, yes I have finally made the move, Howard Springs in Darwin. I bought 5 acres and a very good ordinary house, due to having a deadline of December for the major renovations we've been pushing ahead as fast as budget and manpower allows. I found myself some arms and legs [George] and between the two of us have made some amazing changes.

We've completed our ensuite bathroom, bedroom extension, outdoor covered deck, garden landscaping, and are making progress on our container guest house, third bedroom, and kitchen extension. Oh, and then there's the hoist that's gone in over the dip pool (aka spa) that I'm excited to use once a couple more minor alterations have been made.

It's been getting hotter here with the official end of Dry season on October 1st, although we've been getting rain for a few weeks already in what they're calling a 'wet build up' to the rainy season meaning higher humidity. Despite throwing water over myself I've found my limits with overheating a couple of times, noting that a feeling of nausea and weakness overcomes me and is my body's way of telling me to get under the air con asap. (For those scratching their heads - us quads, and some paras, lose the ability to regulate our body temperature, meaning no sweating, hence the water I tip over myself and put ice packs under my feet). I'd still rather the heat than being constantly cold and parking under a heater in the southern states.

And now to get clear on our December deadline - it's not just about the weather - there's another reason for getting things done for some down time. Now this won't be a surprise for anyone in our Facebook circles... my partner Jess and I are expecting a baby in late December (my bet is on Christmas Day). I've kept my sperm on ice for the past 20 years, had to fight to keep it frozen, and here's the payoff, at a grand old age of 51. ;)

Jess is the girl I met who was crazy enough to follow my adventures and be part of my life. For those interested in the process we went through to get pregnant, leave a comment and we might just get around to writing that post.. but for now here's a few pics for you to enjoy.

37 weeks

Me & Gary the croc

New chair

All the best,

Macca

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Destination Darwin

July 05, 2016 / Paul McKenzie

We have arrived at our destination; our new home in Darwin! Yep we made it.

Leaving Adelaide we traveled along the Flinders Ranges on our way to our first stop Port Augusta. We stayed at the Shoreline caravan park, Jes thought the cabin was dated but it suited my needs. The interest the croc is attracting is amazing with one fella wanting to buy it.

This croc surely has made us the most photographed vehicle on the Stuart Highway in 2016

Up early and 600kms to travel to our next stay Coober Pedy, it's a pretty barren drive but we stop at Pimba and Glendambo and start our sticker collection for my toy hauler I'm towing up. Coober Pedy is a real example of anti social behavior in and around town going out of a night is not an option. We stay at a cabin at the Big 4 caravan park (Stuart Ranges Outback Resort) a little out of town and is a grouse place to stay with a little band playing away at the pizza bar next to reception. Refreshed from a good nights sleep and more travel today we head into town for the morning market, after chatting to many different characters it was sadly time to hit the road..

The Stuart Highway sticker haul on the toy hauler

Another 600 kms today as we head for Alice Springs with Marla and kulgera stop at it is a pretty easy drive apart from the road trains and caravaners everywhere. It's Saturday night and Jess has been great so we decide to unwind with a couple of nights at the casino and relax and sit around the pool jess or gambling macca. It's a very luxurious place and is just what we need.

Monday morning we head for Tennant Creek traveling the Stuart Highway the countryside is stunning as it changes all the time, we stop at Ti Tree, Barrow creek , Wycliffe Well and Wauchope for coffee and stickers and arrive at the motel about 5pm. We have tea at the restaurant and get a good nights sleep. We head into town and meet a few fellas and one particular bloke had me in tears as he told me the struggles of isolated life and his time in the war and how some locals treat him and three other diggers - a fair dinkum tear jerker. I had a couple of frozen crayfish with me and gave them for him and his mates to enjoy.

Crays caught in South Australia that made their way to an old digger in Tennant Creek

Daly Waters here we come - 400 kms until I can have a beer at the oldest pub in Australia. We collect stickers at Renner springs, Elliott, Dunmarra to name a few. Temperatures have changed dramatically since Coober Pedy 18 degrees to Daly Waters 33 degrees, ah feeling better already. We book at the Highway Inn and enjoy the night.

Darwin and our new home at Howard springs are 600kms away it's a very easy drive with Mataranka and Katherine to enjoy with rivers flowing because of recent rains.

Although we did have our new toy hauler with us, it was so jam-packed with stuff and it was first of all too cold, then too hot and we don't have air con or heaters sorted in there yet, so we opted to find accommodation along the way. Below is a few pics of places we stayed, reviews on these to come.

My initiation into Darwin life has been one of going shirtless and shoe-less, and pouring water over my head in attempts to prevent myself from overheating (quads have no body temperature regulation).

Jess has also been struggling to adjust to the heat but her real initiation has involved the wildlife in her nightly trips out to the outdoor bathroom. This morning the squeals were due to a giant grasshopper perching on the shower curtain (a google search just showed this is actually a thing) and a green tree frog hiding under, and then refusing to get off the toilet seat.

There's going to be steep learning curve I think in terms of life in the tropical north. We just learnt today there's a scary disease you can catch from mossie bites... any other stuff we should know fellow Territorians?!

We've spent our first few days cleaning, unpacking, buying up furniture and home stuff, and exploring the neighbourhood... and we'll likely remain busy doing all of that for a few weeks as well as tidying up the property and house improvements... luckily I love to work myself hard, and Jess is a goer too, when not snoozing the afternoon away!

The plan at this stage is to spend the next few months in Darwin, and see how we go in the wet season, with perhaps a trip south in the new year. Let us know if you're coming up for a break, and tell any locals WE HAVE ARRIVED!

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categories / Travel with SCI, Life with SCI, Accommodation
tags / wheelchair access, travel, Central Australia, Stuart Highway, accommodation, accessibility, disability

On the Road Again!

May 18, 2016 / Paul McKenzie

Yes we are officially on the road again after a few months in Echuca working on business matters, renovating a new southern base, refitting a toy hauler (aka caravan), and packing up my old house. It's been a super busy time but still squeezed in some trips down to Melbourne to check in with some of the newbies at Royal Talbot spinal ward.

We got on the road finally last Thursday and we spent our first few days in south eastern South Australia at my mate Seagull's holiday home in Rendelsham. I've got a few old mates down there as I lived there in my 20s and played in the local footy team. Below are some pics from a stormy day out at Beachport pier.

We had a day out at the races for the Mount Gambier Cup and enjoyed some luck coming our way, including meeting a fellow benny there - Trevor Palmer - who is a good bloke and gave us some top tips for Adelaide hotels.

Trevor's Fave Adelaide Hotels:

We tried the Stanford, but they didn't have great availability, and were a tad on the pricey side for the nights they did have available. The Mercure ummed and ahhed, had to move some guests out of our room (that had no need of an accessible bathroom), but came through with a good rate and all five nights available.

We've enjoyed our stay here, although we were disappointed to find there's no wheelchair access to the breakfast buffet - heartbroken! We did have the option of room service however which proved helpful. It is a good central place to be (opposite the casino!), with secure basement parking (we will write a thorough review and post soon).

In the past I've spent a lot of time doing volunteer work for Paraquad SA so there were a fair few catch-ups over the past few days in Adelaide including contacts at the spinal rehab as well as personal friends. Sadly didn't get to meet any newbies, but hope to be connected with some people that have been through recently and returned to the NT.

We will be hitting the road and heading north to Darwin tomorrow - Thursday 19th May - with our newly renovated toy hauler (rear-opening caravan) and a whole load of our stuff bound for a new life in Darwin as it gets cold down here in the south.

The setup - snow-skiing croc and all - we've had a few looks and piccies taken of us!

If you're along the way and want us to drop in give a shout, we're always keen to meet new people and get some local tips. We'll be taking it easy this trip and doing it over a week or so - whereas I normally aim to make it in 3 days.

Wish us safe travels.

Macca out.

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categories / Travel with SCI
tags / wheelchair, holiday, road trip, South Australia, Adelaide, Millicent, Rendelsham, PQSA

Me Ol' Mate Jamie - 20 years on

May 02, 2016 / Paul McKenzie

I recently had the pleasure of spending some quality time with me ol' mate and his family in his home town of Launceston... we met in the spinal rehab 20 years ago... but here I'll let him tell his own story:

My typical day starts about 6 am rising up out of bed ready for a days work on a construction site as a carpenter, pushing my body and brain to the best of its capabilities like any 22 year old healthy male's body is designed for. On weekdays after work depending on what day of the week or what time of the year it is, I would do what most guys would do which was hang out with mates, and have a drink at the pub after work meet my girlfriend or depending on the time of year during summer cricket training, during winter boxing and running. Weekends play or watch sport, mow my lawns and my father's as he relies on me as he is older now an unable to or take my dog for a walk go fishing.

A simple but happy every day life, not complicated but what I felt was the life for me. Many other people would probably agree - a job, steady income, girlfriend, mans best friend a dog, mates, a roof over my head, and fantastic health - it seems perfect life on track really AND THEN THAT'S WHEN IT HAPPENED.

Let me introduce myself my name is Jamie Kelly from Tasmania, and on the 29th of October 1995 at the age of 22 I became part of a group that I knew nothing about, that is a spinal cord injury (SCI) or in my case a T-6 Complete paraplegic. I woke up not knowing where I was or what was going on and very groggy not being able to move to be told eventually when I could understand things that I was involved in a motor bike accident and have broken my back and would be staying in Melbourne for 6 months or more for rehabilitation at the Royal Talbot along with other injuries such as loss of sight in my right eye, breakayl plexus in my right arm, jaw rewired with missing teeth a loss of over 20 kilos a trachy in so I cannot even communicate back to ask questions all I can do is listen as a doctor just keeps telling me what is in store for me. Face reconstruction when I saw myself in the mirror I could hardly believe the reflection to see that I was actually looking at myself and not someone else.

When I was told my back was broken I knew that meant I could not walk again, which a lot of people knew from common sense or word of mouth about that injury - but was I shocked to find out the other symptoms that go along with a SCI such as no feeling from level of break, spasms, hyperreflexia (also known as autonomic dysreflexia), loss of bowel and bladder control, bladder infections, pressure sores, and if that wasn't enough then the rush of other things started to enter my thoughts like where am I going to live? My place is not wheelchair accessible it has stairs, a bath, tight corridors and there goes sport and what about an income because there goes my job. Will I be able to drive again? What world am I living in now, can I cope and am I strong enough to do this? Have I really got friends or people just hanging around and relationship wow that's friggin scary to even think about, and can I still have kids? So many questions and things to organise and yet I'm supposed to concentrate on getting healthy and strong again just to sit up so I can start rehab.

Well you too may have these thoughts and the answer is yes you can have these things and after rehabilitation you can adapt and continue on. I'm now 41 and married from a new relationship since my accident with children and yes we can learn to drive with hand controls. You will find your friends will stand by you and help when needed after all that's why you can call them your friend.

You will learn to LIVE in a different way but it's still worth living so don't give up, it's just a new chapter to your life.

Like any injury it will test your spirit and who you are as a person, but at the end of the day you are still you - just not walking - so keep on "fighting" for you and your family.

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categories / Friends with SCI, Life with SCI
tags / SCIlife, trauma, health, spinal cord injury, rehabilitation

Tasmania Travels - getting lucky in Hobart

February 23, 2016 / Paul McKenzie

Our final days in Hobart consisted of enjoying the harbour views, solid time with the bennies and Peg (an upright mate I used to play footy with in Waaia in Victoria) and his missus Chrissie before heading to Launceston to see some old mates from rehab.

Peg, me, and Boof in front of the Grand Chancellor Hobart

We stayed at the Grand Chancellor in Hobart for three nights, lapping up the 5 star luxury, which ended up being paid for in the winnings off the roulette wheel at the Casino - my numbers 33 and 35 came through for me again. For the full report on the hotel room take a look at the review blog post... did I mention it had an AAAAAAAMMMAAYYZZZIIINNNGG view over the harbour... you'd pay 4 figures a night in Sydney for a view like that!

Whilst there we visited the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery which was right across the road - check out the pics below of the pretty groovy sculptural ramp come courtyard seating. We didn't have enough time to have a good look around but what we saw was really interesting.

We also called into the Maritime Museum of Tasmania where we were greeted by ol' mate x 3 - they finished off our look around with some entertaining stories (even if they did have a tendency of repeating themselves!). Fantastic access here and a lift is going in to open up the second level of the building.

On our drive up from Hobart we stopped into say goodbye to Boof and he recommended we take the turnoff to Ross for a stopover... and we were glad he did.... Ross is one lovely old town and I even bumped into my mate Bruce from the cigarette shop in Echuca there! It boasts the third oldest bridge still in use in Australia - a sandstone number constructed by the convicts in 1936. There's many lovely old buildings down tree-lined streets- including the old barracks for the soldiers - throw in a great bakery, and a fantastic antique shop or two and this is one town I was happy to have discovered. No antique finds for me, but I enjoyed the process of looking!

Then on up the highway to Launie...

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categories / Travel with SCI, Friends with SCI
tags / Hobart, travel, wheelchair access, Tasmania, disability, SCIlife, SCI, spinal cord injury