There is a new bus enthusiast in town :)

Started by KimB10M, January 27, 2012, 10:47:36 PM

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KimB10M

Hello,

There is a new bus enthusiast in Canberra, and that is me. My name is Kim and I am from Copenhagen Denmark but have just migrated to Canberra with my wife and son.

There is a lot to tell about myself and my interest for buses, but to sum it up; I am a busfan since 3 years old, I am a walking bus database and have followed the bus scene world wide for many years, also the Australian.

My special interest in buses are Volvo buses, so Canberra is the wrong place to settle, I know that - but at least Deans are driving in and out of the city with their Volvo B7R. :)

I have been an bus preservationist for the last 15 years, and have saved over 20 buses for preservation.

I am been a member here for some time now, and this forum has been to a lot of help to me already. It was probably not meant as a very serious subject for you guys, but the "Belconnen vs. Tuggeranong" thread http://actbus.net/forum/index.php?topic=1356.0;all was very helpful for me to know what part of the city I should concentrate on finding a home in. :)

For the last 12 years I have been selling buses for export, from Denmark/Sweden/Benelux to Eastern Europe. This business went bad because of the financial crises in Europe, and it was a chance get away and start a new life in Australia.

I have already enjoyed trips in Canberra on the old Renault's, and the first bus I rode on was #904 and the driver drove like he has stolen the bus, so I will for sure remember my first trip in an ACTION bus. ;)

I hope to be able to meet some of you Canberra bus fans for a chat about buses and other subjects.

Cheers
Kim




Bus 400

Quote from: KimB10M on January 27, 2012, 10:47:36 PM..... the "Belconnen vs. Tuggeranong" thread  very helpful for me to know what part of the city I should concentrate on finding a home in. :)

Welcome to Canberra (from Perth*) Kim. So I'm guessing you bought a place in on the south side....

It is good to see more enthusiasts moving to Canberra. I may see you around the traps, I usually out on the buses on Friday nights or the weekend.

*I'm checking out the new Volvo's (among other things) in Perth at the moment.

400:D

Quote from: Bus 400 on January 28, 2012, 12:13:39 AM
Welcome to Canberra (from Perth*) Kim. So I'm guessing you bought a place in on the south side....

Obviously he bought one on the North side then! Not the south side!  :rim:

Kramden

Quote from: KimB10M on January 27, 2012, 10:47:36 PM
... and the first bus I rode on was #904 and the driver drove like he has stolen the bus, so I will for sure remember my first trip in an ACTION bus. ;)

Hmmmm, must have been me...LOL!

Welcome to Canberra Kim.  May you and your family settle in well.  Sure, there are no Volvos at ACTION but the Scania artics will be something to look forward to.

Buzz Killington

Welcome to Canberra, Kim. Hope you and your family have settled in nicely.

And yeah.. probably not a good idea to base any serious decisions on where to live on our comments in the Tuggeranong vs Belconnen thread.. The obvious answer is Tuggeranong anyway.

KimB10M

Thank you very much.  :D

We are currently living in a hotel apartment in Forrest, and today we have been around Canberra to look at houses to rent (the Australian real estate prices are too high to purchase anything right now, we will wait 2-3 years until prices has dropped 20-30%, cause it will happen for sure, like it did in Europe and the USA.)

We are only looking for homes on the North side!  ;)

CNG


smitho

Welcome to the Forum, Kim. Good to have someone with European perspectives on board.

I hope your family is settling in and enjoying the Canberra lifestyle. Although it's not northside, in my view, Weston Creek properties offer are the best value in town at present - close to the city and the bush, nice suburbs, good shopping and school facilities...worth a look.

Look forward to seeing you on one of my bus runs sometime soon.

KimB10M

Thanks again mates :)

@ Smitho: I liked Canberra from the first moment, but I was also well prepared as I have spend 70-80 hours in total on Google Streetview, so when we arrived I felt like I have been here before. :)

I have read so much bad stuff about Canberra, but I found out that it comes from other Australians - and mostly people who have never been to Canberra. For sure, if one needs crowds of people and tall buildings and noisy traffic around them all the time, then Canberra is not the place.

I grew tired of the big city lifestyle, I have lived in Copenhagen (1.5 mill)  all my life and needed a change of scenery. My wife needs some more time to adjust, and she will - cause she has to. :)

It also seems like this city does not attract the wrong crowd - that other states have trouble with.. And Canberra is also not too warm in the summer and it's not flooded, so as long as no other bushfires occur - I think this is the place to be. (It just needs Volvo buses!!)

I have been a busy traveller (38 countries so far) and have been involved in almost anything concerning buses, preservation, databases, homepages, forums etc.. And I do not expect to sit on my hands here either.

http://www.youtube.com/kimb10m (ftp://www.youtube.com/kimb10m) This is my site for videos of buses.
http://www.b10r.com/ (ftp://www.b10r.com/) My own homepage, but it is rarely updated anymore as I prefer to place my photos in picture databases now.
http://busglobe.com/user/user_32 (ftp://busglobe.com/user/user_32) And Busglobe is one of them..
http://www.danskebusser.dk/bus/billeder/vis_index_fotograf.php?ID=13 (ftp://www.danskebusser.dk/bus/billeder/vis_index_fotograf.php?ID=13) My pictures in Danish online database, but it's only of Danish buses.

When I get proper internet access, I will upload videos of ACTION buses but for now I only got internet though a prepaid USB stick.



400:D

So you've moved from a small island lifestyle to a big island lifestyle...

Buzz Killington

Plenty of Volvos in the past here in Canberra but unfortunately none at the moment for you Kim.

Quote from: KimB10M on January 29, 2012, 06:27:29 PM
Canberra is also not too warm in the summer

Maybe not this summer, but it does get kinda hot normally.

Kramden

Quote from: KimB10M on January 29, 2012, 06:27:29 PM
Thanks again mates :)

@ Smitho: I liked Canberra from the first moment, but I was also well prepared as I have spend 70-80 hours in total on Google Streetview, so when we arrived I felt like I have been here before. :)

I have read so much bad stuff about Canberra, but I found out that it comes from other Australians - and mostly people who have never been to Canberra. For sure, if one needs crowds of people and tall buildings and noisy traffic around them all the time, then Canberra is not the place.


Despite what I've said in other posts (Belconnen vs Tuggeranong) I have NO regrets coming to Canberra many years ago.  I was only 20 at the time: a mere callow youth.

You'll soon get the idea Kim that Canberra's harshest critics have spent little time here - if they've ever been here at all!  The national media hate this place.  They do their best to perpetuate stereotypes that imply the entire populus comprises only senior public servants and polititans.  Just shows their collective ignorance. A pox on them. 

The city has many fine attributes - too many to list here.  The most important for me - but not initially - was when I married/started a family.  Education standards are the best in the country.  I've found it an excellent place to raise kids.  There's a variety of activities for young families to get invloved in.  About the only thing we're missing is a beach.  That's one thing I've never got used to because I came from Sydney and beach life was part of my growing up...and riding on the local buses and trains.

The fact that we have an abundance of vegetation as opposed to being a concrete jungle helps to give the city a special character. But of course the closeness of the bush was to our detriment in 2003 when we were struck by devastating bush fires. You can read a first hand account of how that event could have easliy wiped out the Tuggeranong Bus Depot elsewhere on this Forum.  Recommended reading.

You're evidently well travelled Kim and I find that people, like you, who get around are much more accepting of Canberra. Yes, it's different to most other places.  But it was planned to be that way.

I look forward to hearing/reading your observations as you settle in.

Oh, a pity about the lack of Volvos at ACTION.  Your arrival is a few decades too late to enjoy riding them here.  Check the pic galleries for some golden oldies.


   

Bus 400

Quote from: Kramden on January 29, 2012, 11:56:15 PMAbout the only thing we're missing is a beach.

Well the beach is only 2 hours away, the same goes for the snow (well the way I drive anyway).

I suspect you won't find many cities in the world like that.

We are also only a 3-4 hour drive away from a major city (Sydney).

Busnerd

Even I did Sydney - Canberra in 2hours 20, non stop to get there for a tour!

route56

Quote from: KimB10M on January 27, 2012, 10:47:36 PM

... the first bus I rode on was #904 and the driver drove like he has stolen the bus, so I will for sure remember my first trip in an ACTION bus. ;)


So youv'e met Ed then... :mono:

belcodriver