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Happy days at Baldy Top near #Quilpie in #outbackqueensland. A beautiful warm sunny winter’s day here. It was

Posted on June 29, 2020June 29, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

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Happy days at Baldy Top near #Quilpie in #outbackqueensland. A beautiful warm sunny winter’s day here. It was a work day for Sam. I did our washing, cleaned the house and watered our house plants and veggies. The boys and I went for a long hike before lunch exploring Baldy Top and the surrounding landscape. In the late afternoon Sam joined us as we climbed another red rocky formation called Table Top to catch the sunset. There is something so very beautiful about this landscape.

#buslife #nomads #outback #offgrid #australia #abcmyphoto #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia #rvlife

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Blog, Bus Adventures, Bus Conversion, Bus Life

Sunlight, tea and forest views.

Posted on November 15, 2019May 18, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

Sunlight, tea and forest views. Good morning from Bronte the bus! Hope you have a great weekend!

#busconversion #buslife #bus #tinyhouse #skoolie #skoolieconversion #schoolbusconversion #vanlife #offgrid #busbuild #rvlife #busnut #busrollwithit #livesmaller #nomad #happycamper #wander #wanderlust #homeiswhereyouparkit #ontheroad #buslifeaustralia #buslifeau #mybuslife #buslifeadventure #livingtinyproject

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Blog, Bus Conversion, Bus Life

Friday nights in Bronte bus. It’s cold, wet and windy outside, but warm and cosy in here!

Posted on November 8, 2019May 18, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

Friday nights in Bronte bus. It’s cold, wet and windy outside, but warm and cosy in here!

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Blog, Bus Life, Home Schooling

Gaming (the old fashioned way) is a big part of #buslife for the boys!

Posted on July 31, 2019May 18, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

Gaming (the old fashioned way) is a big part of #buslife for the boys!

#busconversion #tinyhouse #skoolie #skoolieconversion #schoolbusconversion #vanlife #offgrid #busbuild #rvlife #busnut #busrollwithit #livesmaller #nomad #happycamper #wanderlust #homeiswhereyouparkit #ontheroad #buslifeaustralia #buslifeau #mybuslife #buslifeadventure #livingtinyproject

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Blog, Bus Life

A weekend of birthday celebrations for our eldest boy who turned eight.

Posted on July 29, 2019May 18, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

A weekend of birthday celebrations for our eldest boy who turned eight. He invited the neighbourhood kids around for a disco and campfire. Afterwards we enjoyed some quiet family time by the fire. We may be camped in the side yard of our suburban house but we can all imagine exactly what bus life will look like for us in the coming months. We imagine lots of campfires. Sam and I have declared the next twelve months to be the ‘year of the campfire’ and the boys can hardly wait! We’re putting the house on the market within the next couple of weeks and are hoping to be on the road by the end of September. Not long now!

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Blog, Bus Conversion

There’s a home made composting toilet in our bus and it’s really pleasant to use!

Posted on May 6, 2019May 18, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

There’s a home made composting toilet in our bus and it’s really pleasant to use! In fact we like our bus toilet a lot more than our normal house toilet! The whole toilet set-up cost us less than $150. It’s basically a timber box with a toilet seat, a urine diverter in the ‘bowl’ to divert liquids to a tank underneath the bus and a 20 litre bucket for the solids. We start with a base layer of coconut coir in the bucket and add a handful more after each use. There’s a tiny extraction fan connected to the bucket. It runs 24 hours a day but is so quiet that we can’t actually hear it. With the fan running, there are no smells whatsoever in the bathroom area. The commercially available composting toilets usually have a hand cranked mixer for the solids compartment but alas, ours is not that advanced. Instead some lucky bloke (that’s me) has to mix the bucket and turn the compost over with a garden trowel. But I don’t mind! The toilet is very much going to be an ongoing experiment. Disposal of the composting material is one area of the project that we are still investigating. Ideally we’d love to bury the compost in a garden or around a tree, but it takes considerable time for pathogens in the compost to die off. We are planning to rotate a few buckets through the system and will see how the composting process goes. Stay tuned for updates on this fascinating subject! ~ Keiran.

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Blog, Bus Conversion, Bus Life

Our happy little home! We’ve been living in our bus for a month now and it feels great.

Posted on May 4, 2019May 18, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

Our happy little home! We’ve been living in our bus for nearly a month now and it feels great. In fact we don’t miss our ‘normal house’ at all. The interior of our new tiny home is starting to come alive with pot plants and greenery. Although it should be noted that we don’t normally have fresh produce spread all over the kitchen bench! I was halfway through unpacking our loot from the local farmers markets earlier this week when some photographic inspiration hit me!
In other news, I’ve been busy adding some finishing touches to the bus including shelving and hanging hooks in the kitchen and a spice rack in the pantry. I’ve also installed a car audio system in the living area (we love our music) and am making some adjustments to lighting in the kitchen. We’ve still got a few interior jobs to tick off (like upholstering the seats in the dining area) and then we’re just about ready to tackle the huge task of installing solar panels and a decent 24v battery bank. Stay tuned! ~ Keiran.

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Blog, Bus Life

Snack time in the bus. One likes green apple and cashews. The other, red apple and roasted almonds.

Posted on April 18, 2019May 18, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

Snack time in the bus. One likes green apple and cashews. The other, red apple and roasted almonds. I am endlessly amused and fascinated by how siblings can be so very alike and so very different at the same time!

It’s two weeks now since we moved into the bus (in our side yard) and we are all really pleased with how it feels to be living in the bus. The move has coincided with two whole weeks of school holidays, so the boys have certainly given the new space a thorough and rigorous testing! But it works and we are all loving our new home! Somehow we have managed to squeeze our entire house into 28 square metres and yet it feels uncluttered. There are ample spaces to escape to our own worlds when needed but at the same time, it’s cosy and compact. The reduced living space has literally brought us closer together as a family but it has seemingly helped to nurture a new and exciting family dynamic filled with creative vibes and a wonderful energy. I look forward to encouraging that creativity and energy as we travel slowly and explore country in the coming months and years.

Our time frame for hitting the road is still somewhat unclear. We are currently rearranging our finances to complete the final (big) steps of the project (solar panels, deep cycle batteries, inverter/charger and other assorted bits and pieces). And we are also underway in the massive task to sort and minimalise our possessions, and to prepare our house for selling. But the move into our bus has re-energised me and I am keen to tick off the final items on our big long list as soon as possible! ~ Keiran.

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Blog, Bus Conversion, Bus Life

It’s been a week already since we officially moved into our bus.

Posted on April 12, 2019May 18, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

It’s been a week already since we officially moved into our bus. And so far, we are really pleased with how the whole space works. We are currently parked up in the backyard of our suburban house, whilst we sort out the house and all of our things. We will be selling the house, so there’s much to do. We are also planning to install solar panels and a decent battery bank in the bus before we hit the road. So we’ll probably be living in the bus in our backyard for a few more months yet! But we’re definitely moving forward slowly and finalising our preparations for life on the road.

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Blog, Bus Conversion

Our bus project is coming along and we’re excited to say that it’s nearly finished now!

Posted on March 28, 2019May 18, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

Hello everyone! It’s been a while since we posted on here. Our bus project is coming along and we’re excited (or perhaps relieved) to say that it’s nearly finished now! I’ve been focussed lately on finishing off the bathroom (particularly the composting toilet) and various wiring jobs around the bus (some more lighting, a couple of fans and some much needed ventilation for the passengers when we’re driving). With a limited fortnightly budget, progress has been slow over the past few months. But we’re nearly there now!

Early next week we’re getting the gas connected and certified. To celebrate this significant milestone, we’ve decided to start moving into the bus this coming weekend! The kids can hardly wait! It’s been a long and challenging 17 months since we bought Bronte the bus and started our bus conversion project. We’re not quite ready to hit the road just yet but this is certainly an important step in the right direction. Stay tuned to see how the move goes this coming weekend! ~ Keiran.

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Blog, Bus Conversion

We’re back into the swing of things and striving hard to get the bus finished.

Posted on February 24, 2019May 18, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

We’re back into the swing of things and striving hard to get the bus finished. It’s been an epic effort underneath the bus (for the past few weeks… or months) to get the water tanks installed. With custom tanks beyond our budget, we opted for a string of smaller water tanks (59 litres each) and have installed two separate banks (4 x 59 litres for drinking and 5 x 59 litres for general purpose). Each bank has a separate filler, 24v pump and mains input (for when hooked up in caravan parks or showgrounds). We have managed to squeeze the tanks between the main chassis rails and the floor above that. The tanks are secured on a ‘bed’ of formply with ratchet straps to protect them from stone damage and prevent movement or rubbing against metal. It was a revolting job hooking up the hoses, especially the breather hoses on top of each tank, with very limited working space and a tight fitting for the tanks in the space above the chassis rails. But we got there in the end and now have water on tap in the bus! Yeehah! For keen observers and/or diehard supporters of the big beard, I regret to inform you that I chopped my beloved beard off a week or two ago. But never fear, a new beard growing project is already underway! Happy Sunday everyone!

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Blog, Bus Conversion, Bus Life

A well overdue update from the crew of Bronte the bus.

Posted on February 9, 2019May 18, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

A well overdue update from the crew of Bronte the bus. We mostly put the project on hold over the summer holidays, to spend time together as a family. The original plan was to be on the road by now and home schooling the boys. But with much work still to do and a very limited budget, we have enrolled the boys in school for now and will transition to home schooling when ready for our #buslife adventures to begin (hopefully in the coming months, not years!). In the meantime, we need to finish the bus (plumbing, electrical, solar, batteries and tow bar installation), downsize our household possessions and sort out some long-term storage, sell our house, sell our cars and buy a small 4wd and a vehicle trailer to tow behind the bus. Time to get busy! ~ Keiran.

#busconversion #bus #tinyhouse #skoolie #skoolieconversion #schoolbusconversion #vanlife #offgrid #busbuild #rvlife #busnut #busrollwithit #livesmaller #nomad #happycamper #wander #wanderlust #homeiswhereyouparkit #ontheroad #buslifeaustralia #buslifeau #mybuslife #buslifeadventure #livingtinyproject

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Blog, Bus Conversion, Bus Life

Merry Christmas from Bronte the bus and all her crew!

Posted on December 24, 2018May 18, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

Merry Christmas from Bronte the bus and all her crew @talesfromthewild!

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Blog, Bus Conversion, Bus Life

Getting our Christmas on in Bronte the bus.

Posted on December 23, 2018May 18, 2020 by Tales From The Wild

Getting our Christmas on in Bronte the bus. We made a Christmas tree with some leftover plywood last week. The boys were super keen to make a Christmas tree this year and this one certainly matches our bus. We’ve been a bit quiet on here lately. I got bogged down with fitting water tanks under the bus (it ain’t finished yet) and lost my mojo for a week or two. We also had to move the bus back into the yard after a neighbour’s complaint nearly landed us with a $650 fine from the city council (for parking a heavy vehicle on a suburban street). Thankfully we were able to chainsaw some trees and make room for the bus in our side yard again. Anyway, we’re taking a much needed break from the bus project over Christmas and will back on the job in the new year. Merry Christmas from Bronte the bus and her motley crew! ~ Keiran.

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Taking a tea break in Bronte the bus. And doing my best to remain zen amidst a jungle of mounting time and financial pressures. The project is continuing to move

Posted on November 26, 2018November 26, 2018 by Tales From The Wild

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Nov

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$Taking a tea break in Bronte the bus. And doing my best to remain zen amidst a jungle of mounting time and financial pressures. The project is continuing to move towards completion although the pace is now being dictated by our complete lack of funds. As a one income family with a mortgage and two kids, it's almost impossible to put money aside each fortnight for the project. We long ago exhausted our savings and have been using a credit card for most bus related purchases. It's been stressful to say the least. Every little decision in the bus has required careful consideration and a thorough analysis of the costs. It's hopefully a short term problem. In the new year we plan to sell our house and to rid ourselves of the mortgage and associated expenses of home ownership. Sam will continue to work (remotely) when we hit the road, whilst I take care of the home schooling and domestic chores each day. This should help to eventually get us back on track financially. We have this week filled the remaining space on our credit card with a big purchase of fresh water tanks, grey water tanks, pumps and plumbing supplies. We originally planned to have some custom water tanks made for the bus but the quotes proved too expensive. We revised our plans and have instead purchased nine smaller fresh water tanks (59 litres each) at a fraction of the cost of custom made tanks. We plan to string the tanks together to create a super tank of approximately 530 litres. The tanks will fit quite snugly into the space above the chassis rails and beneath the bus floor. I've spent the past few days clearing that space (we had to re-route the heater hoses) and working out how to secure the tanks into position. It's been a pleasant few days crawling about under the bus in some rather hot Queensland weather but I haven't given up yet! In other project developments, the window fly screens are now all fitted and the composting toilet is taking shape! #busconversion #buslife #bus #tinyhouse #skoolie #skoolieconversion #schoolbusconversion #vanlife #offgrid #busbuild #rvlife #busnut #buslifeadventure #buslifeaustralia #nomad #happycamper #wander #wanderlust #homeiswhereyouparkit$

Taking a tea break in Bronte the bus. And doing my best to remain zen amidst a jungle of mounting time and financial pressures. The project is continuing to move towards completion although the pace is now being dictated by our complete lack of funds. As a one income family with a mortgage and two kids, it’s almost impossible to put money aside each fortnight for the project. We long ago exhausted our savings and have been using a credit card for most bus related purchases. It’s been stressful to say the least. Every little decision in the bus has required careful consideration and a thorough analysis of the costs. It’s hopefully a short term problem. In the new year we plan to sell our house and to rid ourselves of the mortgage and associated expenses of home ownership. Sam will continue to work (remotely) when we hit the road, whilst I take care of the home schooling and domestic chores each day. This should help to eventually get us back on track financially. We have this week filled the remaining space on our credit card with a big purchase of fresh water tanks, grey water tanks, pumps and plumbing supplies. We originally planned to have some custom water tanks made for the bus but the quotes proved too expensive. We revised our plans and have instead purchased nine smaller fresh water tanks (59 litres each) at a fraction of the cost of custom made tanks. We plan to string the tanks together to create a super tank of approximately 530 litres. The tanks will fit quite snugly into the space above the chassis rails and beneath the bus floor. I’ve spent the past few days clearing that space (we had to re-route the heater hoses) and working out how to secure the tanks into position. It’s been a pleasant few days crawling about under the bus in some rather hot Queensland weather but I haven’t given up yet! In other project developments, the window fly screens are now all fitted and the composting toilet is taking shape!
#busconversion #buslife #bus #tinyhouse #skoolie #skoolieconversion #schoolbusconversion #vanlife #offgrid #busbuild #rvlife #busnut #buslifeadventure #buslifeaustralia #nomad #happycamper #wander #wanderlust #homeiswhereyouparkit

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Bus conversion moments from this week: step lights in the bus, sunset window reflections, our brand new ‘shoecase’ in the stairwell and yesterday morning’s storm passing by. Happy Friday everyone!

Posted on November 22, 2018November 22, 2018 by Tales From The Wild

22
Nov

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Bus conversion moments from this week: step lights in the bus, sunset window reflections, our brand new ‘shoecase’ in the stairwell and yesterday morning’s storm passing by. Happy Friday everyone!
#busconversion #buslife #bus #tinyhouse #skoolie #skoolieconversion #schoolbusconversion #vanlife #offgrid #busbuild #rvlife #busnut #busrollwithit #livesmaller #nomad #happycamper #wander #wanderlust #homeiswhereyouparkit #ontheroad #buslifeaustralia #buslifeau #mybuslife #buslifeadventure

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Bus conversion moments from this week: step lights in the bus, sunset window reflections, our brand new ‘shoecase’ in the stairwell and yesterday morning’s storm passing by. Happy Friday everyone!

Posted on November 22, 2018November 22, 2018 by Tales From The Wild

22
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A Sunday arvo tea break in Bronte the bus. Lots of exterior work completed on the bus over the weekend. The roof is now completely shiny and clean, aluminium cover

Posted on November 18, 2018November 18, 2018 by Tales From The Wild

18
Nov

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A Sunday arvo tea break in Bronte the bus. Lots of exterior work completed on the bus over the weekend. The roof is now completely shiny and clean, aluminium cover strips have been added over the window joints and tomorrow I’m hoping to get the last of the flyscreens done. ~ Keiran.
#busconversion #buslife #bus #tinyhouse #skoolie #skoolieconversion #schoolbusconversion #vanlife #offgrid #busbuild #rvlife #busnut #busrollwithit #livesmaller #nomad #happycamper #wander #wanderlust #homeiswhereyouparkit #ontheroad #buslifeaustralia #buslifeau #mybuslife #buslifeadventure

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Travelling lonely outback highways in my first bus a decade ago. This is one of two images that I keep focused on in my mind for motivation when the going

Posted on November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 by Tales From The Wild

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Travelling lonely outback highways in my first bus a decade ago. This is one of two images that I keep focused on in my mind for motivation when the going gets tough with our current bus conversion project. I spent many years living in the desert at Uluru and just love the wide open spaces and the beauty of outback Australia. And I can’t wait to be exploring this magical landscape with my family in Bronte the bus. We’ve been building now for thirteen months and I’m feeling both physically and mentally exhausted. But we’re on track to be living in the bus early in the new year. There are still a few big jobs in the bus to tick off before we can hit the road and travel outback highways like this. We’ve got to fit the fresh water tanks (540L) and grey water tanks (150L), set up the composting toilet and install an entire solar power system. We’ve also got to sort through and minimalise our possessions and sell our house. But I can definitely see a faint light (of sorts) at the end of the tunnel. And I’ve got my eyes fixed firmly on the prize. ~ Keiran.
#busconversion #buslife #bus #tinyhouse #skoolie #skoolieconversion #schoolbusconversion #vanlife #offgrid #busbuild #rvlife #busnut #busrollwithit #livesmaller #nomad #happycamper #wander #wanderlust #homeiswhereyouparkit #ontheroad #buslifeaustralia #buslifeau #mybuslife #buslifeadventure #outback #seeaustralia #australia #highway #desert

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It’s been a while since we checked in here but rest assured, we’ve been busy working on Bronte the bus. The job list over the past week has been pretty

Posted on November 13, 2018November 13, 2018 by Tales From The Wild

13
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It’s been a while since we checked in here but rest assured, we’ve been busy working on Bronte the bus. The job list over the past week has been pretty tedious. After a year parked under a mango tree, the bus roof needed a major clean with a high pressure water cleaner. The fibreglass roof seems to be in reasonable condition although I did find a few cracks here and there that will require some attention. In the coming months, we are hoping to add a large bank of solar panels to this lovely clean roof (we’re currently looking for a major sponsor for solar panels and batteries, let us know if you have any suggestions). The apprentice and I have been busy under the bus, measuring up spaces for fresh water and grey water tanks. Also this week, I have toiled away to install fly screens on the top hopper windows. The nearside windows are now complete and look fantastic. I’ve used aluminium flyscreen and bonded it around the aluminium window frames with an industrial adhesive sealant. My first attempt was a disaster. After a whole day bonding flyscreens to windows, I realised with horror that I had inadvertently glued stuck all of the hopper windows in the open position. So the next day was spent painstakingly removing the bonded screens and starting again. On a side note, I’ve finally moved away from using toxic polyurethane adhesives and am now using modified silyl polymer adhesives (which are isocyanate free and much more friendly to use). I only wish that I’d done more research into this at the beginning of the project. Anyway, the flyscreens are well and truly glued to the bus and should easily withstand the rigours of highway driving!

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