PAPERWORK – MY WORST NIGHTMARE! THE CASE; MY VEHICLE OBVIOUSLY REGISTERED IN NEW SOUTH WALES/ AUSTRALIA IS  TRAVELLING ON A ‘CARNET’ – WHICH IS A DOCUMENT THAT ALLOWS ME TO TEMPORARILY IMPORT AND EXPORT THE TRUCK INTO DIFFERENT PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES WITHOUT PAYING IMPORT TAX. THIS DOCUMENT GOT ISSUED BY THE AAA (AUSTRALIAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION) AND IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF PAPER IN MY FOLDER! TO KEEP THE CARNET VALID THE VEHICLE NEEDS TO REMAIN REGISTERED IN THE ISSUING COUNTRY. IN MY CASE AGAIN AUSTRALIA. A WHILE AGO I NOTICED I ONLY GOT 10 DAYS LEFT TO RENEW IT SO I GOT ONTO IT. TO RENEW THE ‘REGO’ YOU NEED TO PROVIDE AN E-SAFETY CHECK TO THE ROAD AND MARITIME SERVICES OF NEW SOUTH WALES – YOU GO TO A MECHANIC – HE DOES A CHECK OVER AND FILES THE CAR ONLINE TO BE ‘ROADWORTHY’. AS I WAS QUITE FAR AWAY FROM SYDNEY I ASKED THEM TO EXEMPT ME FROM THIS PARTICULAR E-SAFETY CHECK AS IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO GET IT CHECKED BY AN AUSTRALIAN MECHANIC. THE RESPONSE – TWICE- ‘THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE’. SO SOME PERSON ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MY EMAIL JUST DECIDED IT IS NOT POSSIBLE – RESPONDING WITH A SIMPLE ANSWER AND LEAVING IT LIKE THAT – INSTEAD OF DOING SOME RESEARCH OR GETTING HELP FROM FURTHER UP THE LADDER.

SO I CONTACTED THE Ä (AUSTRALIAN AUTOMOBIL ASSOCIATION) THAT ISSUED THE CARNET FOR ME – ASKING THEM IF THEY GOT EXPERIENCE WITH THAT AND THAT I NEED HELP – URGENTLY. THE LOVELY LADY FROM THE Ä WENT TO THE ROAD AND MARITIME SERVICES OFFICE IN SYDNEY AND TRIED TO SOLVE THE ERROR PERSONALLY – WITHOUT SUCCESS. BY THAT TIME THE VEHCILE WAS ALREADY UNREGISTERED AND THEORETICALLY ROLLING ILLEGALLY – ILLEGALLY IN AUSTRALIA AND ILLEGALLY ESPECIALLY ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD – SO I STARTED SWEATING A BIT.

SO ALL I NEEDED WAS A MECHANICAL CHECK FOR A VEHICLE NOT EVEN ROLLING ON AUSTRALIAN ROADS – AND THEY DON’T WANT TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR AN EXEMPTION- REDICULOUS FROM MY OPINION

I ASKED THE AAA HOW IT IS POSSIBLE TO ISSUE A DOCUMENT THAT ALLOWS TAKING A CAR OVERSEAS FOR 12 MONTHS IF THERE IS NO MECHANICAL SAFETY CHECK THAT IS VALID FOR MORE THAN 12 MONTHS – OBVIOUSLY AN ERROR IN THE SYSTEM

I GOT REFERED TO THE NATIONAL TEMPORARY IMPORTS AND SECURITIES DEPARTMENT ASKING THEM FOR ADVICE – THEIR RESPONSE – THE AUSTRALIAN BORDER FORCE IS NOT INVOLVED IN NEITHER REGISTRATION NOR AUSTRALIAN VEHICLES TRAVELLING OVERSEAS ON A CARNET AND THAT I SHOULD SPEAK TO A LADY FROM THE AAA ALREADY CC’D TO THEIR RESPONSE.

I DIDN’T TAKE LONG AND THAT LADY CC’D MAILED ME SAYING THAT THEY GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH RENEWING THE VEHICLES REGISTRATION – SHE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT MY CARNET DOCUMENT IS NOW INVALID. HAPPY DAYS

I SIPPED ON A STRONG COFFEE, TOOK A BIG SHIT AND STARTED RESEARCHING DEEPER. I FOUND A FORM: ‘VEHICLE SUITABLE FOR SAFE USE DECLARATION FORM’ USUALLY USED FOR HISTORIC VEHICLES AND VEHICLES THAT GET USED IN AND AROUND FARMS. SO YOU DECLARE YOUR VEHICLE IS SAFE AND NO MECHANIC NEEDS TO CHECK IT. SOUNDS BRILLIANT TO ME – HOW COME ALL MY MAILS TO THEIR DEPARTMENT AND TO THE AUSTRALIAN AUTOMOBIL ASSOCIATION HAS NEVER RESULTED IN A  SUGGESTION OF FILLING OUT THAT DOCUMENT – I GUESS BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE SEEING PROBLEMS INSTEAD OF SOLUTIONS.

I FILLED OUT THAT SAFE USE DECLARATION AND SENT ATTACHED A TO A MAIL EXPLAINING MY SITUATION – NO RESPONSE – I FELT LEFT ALONE

SO I TRIED IT AGAIN SENDING THEM A VERY LONG AND EMOTIONAL MAIL EXPLAINING THAT FAILURE TO RENEW THIS REGISTRATION WILL RESULT INTO BURSTING A YOUNG MAN’S DREAMS AND BELIEFS. AND IF THEIR ANSWER IS NO, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE THAT I WANT TO GET REFERRED TO SOMEONE WHO MAY ASSIST WITH HELP.

THE RESPONSE FROM SOME LOVELY LADY CALLED COURTNEY: CUSTOMERS TRAVELLING OVERSEAS MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AND OVERSEAS MECHANICAL CHECK SIMILAR TO A NEW SOUTH WALES VEHICLE CHECKOVER – ALL OF A SUDDEN AFTER 20 DAYS AND TO MILLION MAILS IT WAS POSSIBLE. GREAT!

NO I ONLY NEED TO FIND A MECHANICAL CHECKOVER IN INDONESIA – A COUNTRY WHERE POEPLE DRIVE WITH NO LIGHTS, BREAKS, OVERLOADED VEHCILES AND MUCH MORE.. GOOD LUCK

I HAD TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH AND LUCKILY THERE IS AN AUTHORITY THAT IF YOU LEGALLY SELL YOUR VEHICLE THERE IS A DEPARTMENT CALLED ‘SAMSAT’ AND THEY CHECK THE ENGINE NUMBER PLUS THE VEHICLES ‘CONDITION’

THERE IS NO INFORMATION ONLINE WHERE THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE THOUGH. LUCKILY I WAS NOT FAR FROM SURABAYA – INDONESIA’S SECOND LARGEST CITY – LUCKY OR WHAT.

THE NEXT DAY – I FOUND THEIR YARD SOMEWHERE IN SURABAYA – ENGLISH SPEAKING STAFF – NOT EMPLOYED. HANDS AND FEET GOT USED TO EXPLAIN WHAT I NEEDED. AND EVEN HARDER TO EXPLAIN WHY I WOULD NEED IT. I MEAN I DID’T REALLY KNOW MYSELF. A YOUNG LADY GOT INVOLVED FROM THE SIDE – SPEAKING SOME ENGLISH. I EXPLAINED HER WHAT I NEED – AND NOW IT GOT WORSE – SHE THOUGHT SHE UNDERSTOOD WHAT I WANTED AND STARTED TRANSLATING INTO BAHASA (INDONESIAN) TO THE STAFF AROUND – I TOLD HER MULTIPLE TIMES THAT THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANT AND NEED AND THAT SHE MISUNDERSTOOD ME. BUT SHE WAS SO HAPPY THAT SHE THOUGHT SHE KNOWS WHATS GOING ON THAT SHE WOULDN’T BE QUIET. HOWEVER THE MALE STAFF – I GUESS MEN STILL HAVE SOME SORT OF VIBES THAT MAKE US UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER SOMEHOW – SEEMED TO GET SLOWLY WHAT I WAS THERE FOR EVENTHOUGH THEY WERE CONFUSED WHAT I NEED IT FOR AND STARTED OVERHEARING THAT FEMALE THAT WAS ACTING LIKE MY PERSONAL SECRETARY BUT ONLY MAKING THINGS WORSE.

FINALLY THEY ISSUED A BRILLIANT LOOKING DOCUMENT THAT I WAS SURE OF GETTING ACCEPTED BY AUSTRALIAN AUTHORITIES. EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE MORE AMBITIOUS OF SCRIBBLING DOWN THE ENGINE NUMBER THAN ACTUALLY CHECKING THE VEHICLES SAFETY. ANYWAY IT WAS DONE

I PHONED UP AUSRALIA – SENT THEM THE DOCUMENT AND MY LANDCRUISER WAS LEGAL AGAIN – WITHIN 2 MINUTES OF A PHONE CALL. THERE WAS DEFINITELY NO WAY THE LADY ON THE OTHER SIDE COULD HAVE TRANSLATED THE DOCUMENT – I GUESS SHE MUST HAVE FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THE LOOK OF IT

SHOCKING THAT I HAD TO SPENT SO MUCH OF MY LIFETIME IN SORTING OUT SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SO SIMPLE.

GUESS I AM BOOKING A HOLIDAY IN A BEACH RESORT NEXT TIME – NAAAH BUT I GUESS THAT’S ALL PART OF IT!

SO I WENT SIGHTSEEING WITH A BIG SMILE IN MY FACE

DESTINATION PRAMBANAN – UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE AROUND JAVA’S CULTURAL CAPITOL ‘YOGYAKARTA’

EXPLORING THE REST OF YOGYAKARTA ON THE SCOOTER – HAD TO TAKE A BREAK OF DRIVING MYSELF

ENOUGH CULTURAL SITES AND IT WAS ABOUT TIME FOR ME TO RIDE FURTHER WEST TO JAKARTA – INDONESIA’S GREAT CAPITOL

I ALSO GOT SPOTTED BY THE LOCAL TRAFFIC AND POSTED ON AN INDONESIAN AUTOMOBIL WEBSITE

‘HELLO, YESTERDAY … ON THE RIGHT LANE THERE IS AN OLD LANDCRUISER WITH FOREIGN NUMBERPLATES, BOTH IN THE FRONT AND THE BACK. (I’M SORRY THAT I DID’T GET THE FRONT OF THE CAR RIGHT) DRIVEN BY A WHITE GUY WITHOUT A SHIRT LIKE DRIVING WITH MAP APPLICATIONS RELYING ON HIS PHONE, LICENCE PLATE NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA?!‘ 

WHERE A 5 SIDED DISCUSSION STARTED WEATHER A FOREIGN VEHICLE IS ALLOWED ON INDONESIAN ROADS… SOMEONE THEN CONTACTED ME VIA INSTAGRAM TO INFORM ME ABOUT IT –  FIND THE LINK HERE

 

 

IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY AND I WAS JUST BY MYSELF WITH NO FRIENDS AROUND. A GOOD OLD FRIEND FROM HOME – ADAM – WHO HAPPENED TO BE IN SINGAPORE AT THE TIME SPONTANEOUSLY DECIDED TO FLY OVER FOR THE NIGHT

THE NEXT MORNING – I TRIED TO GET ADAM BACK TO THE AIRPORT TO CATCH HIS FLIGHT BACK TO SINGAPORE BUT THE TRAFFIC WAS SO BAD THAT HE MISSED HIS FLIGHT.

UNFORTUNATELY I HAD TO DRIVE BACK INTO THE CROWDED CBD TO PICK UP MY BANK CARD THAT GOT SWALLOWED BY AN ATM 3 WEEKS AGO ON GILI ISLAND – THEY DIDN’T MANAGE TO FIND THE CARD (COMMONWEALTH ATM) SO I SENT THEM BACK TO THE ATM 3 (THREE!) TIMES TO HAVE A BETTER LOOK. FINALLY THEY GOT IT OUT OF THERE AFTER LOOKING FOR IT THE 4TH TIME. I TOLD THEM TO SEND IT AHEAD OF ME TO THEIR HEADOFFICE IN JAKARTA.

THE TRAFFIC WAS SO BAD THAT ADAM WAS BACK IN SINGAPORE EARLIER THAN I WAS AT THE COMMONWEALTH HEADOFFICE. EVEN THOUGH HE MISSED HIS FIRST ACTUAL FLIGHT. MENTAL!

WAS TIME TO GET OUT OF THIS PACKED ISLAND

THIS IS THE LAST FERRY I NEEDED TO TAKE WITHIN INDONESIA – NUMBER SIX – TO SUMATRA