It wasn’t easy but today I finally got the roadworthy certificate (RWC) for my car. A RWC is necessary to register a car and can be issued by certified mechanics. Unlike the German TÜV there are no specialised inspection stations. The Italian couple that sold me the car had it checked by a mechanic in the city and because it failed in some points didn’t get the RWC.

In such cases the car has to be repaired and presented again to the mechanic that did the initial roadworthy check. He’ll check it again free of charge and either issue a RWC if everything has been fixed or point out the damages that are still in need of repair.

This is the story of my cars RWC:

Thursday 21st: I bought the car knowing that the RWC will cost me around $600. After buying the car I talked to Fred from the car rental to get a recommendation for a mechanic that works for cash. He named the one that also services their cars. In the afternoon I went to see him, showed him the paper that lists the necessary repairs for the RWC  and he quoted me $500 to $550 for the repairs. “How much if I pay cash?” I asked. “$450” he answered. I agreed and he told me to bring the car around on Monday.

Monday 25th: In the morning I drop of the car at the mechanic and in the afternoon I pick it up and drive straight to the mechanic that did the roadworthy check. He was too busy that day and asked me to bring the car around the next day.

Tuesday 26th: I drop the car of in the morning and come back in the afternoon to pick it up. “We have a bit of a problem here.” I was told. “Your mechanic repaired the wrong part of the car.”. “WTF” I think and say. Apparently the radius arms on the front wheels were repaired but those on the rear wheels needed to be repaired.

It was about time to pay the Great Barrier Reef another visit. My friend is a certified open water diver as well and we booked a three dives trip with Tusa. They’re a little more expensive than Divers Den where I did my course but they provide better equipment as well. Especially wet suits are a critical point for me as it’s hard to find one that fits me.

We left Cairns aboard Tusa 5 on Saturday last week at 8am sharp. After the usual introduction by the crew we had a bumpy ride to the reef. The wind was blowing at almost 30 knots and the crew was handing out sick bags to the needing.

After about 90 minutes we arrived at Saxon reef. Not 15 minutes later we were in our gear and in the water. Like the last time it was absolutely stunning. This time we brought a camera and got some really nice pictures.

The dive site was called “Magic Wall”, probably because of the coral structure that formed a wall easily 10m high. It looked like