Just wondering what prompted people to hit the road. Was it, kids are old enough, had enough of the rat race, seemed like a good idea or something completely different?
-- Edited by Ger08 on Thursday 17th of October 2019 08:55:42 PM
Love the outback . In my case retired, driving is not an issue for me . Over 50 years I would often just go for a drive . Big country! Love exploring. One thing though . Van or motorhome . Maintenance is king !! Almost as expensive as owning a boat !! Lol Stanfe part just being out there in nothing is a great feeling hard to explain . Peace and quiet !!
always dreamed of doing it. Already had a suitable van and vehicle so in 2011, after several health issues for Barry (aged 60) that could have had a very different outcome, I (aged 57) was sick of managing an aged care service, we decided to do 'it'. Sold our house, downsized and bought a unit that was then let, giving us some income, stored our 'stuff' in a container on a friends farm and hit the road.
Knew we would have to work along the way. Probably averaged 6 mths work a year in 3 mth blocks. Sometimes both working and sometimes just one of us. Would do it all again the same way.
After 5 yrs I wanted to settle in our unit and enjoy some family life with grand children. So now we lock up the unit and just travel for 5 mths. Its good to get away but also good to be home.
__________________
Jenny and Barry
2009 Roma Elegance / 2013 Colorado. Permanent travellers 2011-2015 now just travel for 4-6 mths
Not traveling full time and at home for 2-3 months at times. I do three or four longer treks each year (1 to 3 months), numerous 2-5 day trips and cover about 25k km a year. I have always travelled and happy to drive anywhere. Work and family commitments slowed me down for a few decades and changed most camping to motel/hotel, even resort, stays. After an extended European trip of three months then sitting at home for 5 months, I bought a used 4x,4 ute and set it up for touring. Haven't stopped since but there seems to always be something that drags me back to home base. Last time it was a house-sit fir relatives and next time it's another house and pet-sit (this time my own).
Towed the van to from Tassie to WA for my daughters grad from uni and took 5 years to come home, parents getting older and more frail, dad at 87 and mum at 83.
Woke up in hospital and was told I was on a very slippery slope. That was in 1996. Been on the road most of the time since then. Then 16 months ago same thing. In hospital and given a 1 in 3 chance. So we're about to hit the road again. You can't just sit and worry.
After the loss of my son then not long after my step son then not longer after them my wife I bit the bullet instead of it biting me and sold up and got what is listed in my signature below. I have been on the road now for 7 years, 5 full time.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
__________________
Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
Seriously, my aim was to see as much of our great country as possible while I still could, meaning young and fit enough.
My early caravan holiday experiences were in the 1970s and in borrowed caravans as a relative owned a hire and sales business. Those trips were limited to NSW, VIC, SA & QLD for annual leave times.
About ten years after I decided to retire from business life and then travelling staying at motels, after a trip to Kings Canyon and needing to drive late afternoon back to Alice Springs I decided that a caravan was needed and I purchased a second-hand Jaco pop top, and then two years later traded it in on a new Jurgens with ensuite. My AWD SUV covered 200,000 kms in 4-years before trade-in on a 4WD. And in the first year it did 50,000 kms but I have not used the caravan since returning from Broome mid-2018 because I have been volunteer carer for an elderly friend who has cancer for 14-months.
As another friend observed, with your own caravan you at least know who last slept in the bed!!!
Regarding the King Canyon return to Alice Springs, checking the road map I found a short cut cross country and much shorter in distance. The problem was that the gravel road was replaced by a creek bottom road with washouts and other holes, and at one stage an encounter with a cranky Bull Camel who objected to my 4WD intruding on his family that wee grazing alongside the track, and he charged. We escaped comfortably but later as I turned onto the highway I realised a rear tyre was deflating, but decided to keep going and made it into Alice Springs where next morning a tube was fitted by me and a service station attendant as no mechanical staff were on duty. With a local indigenous person supervising us.
Days later in Darwin I returned to my vehicle and that tyre was flat, so I put the spare tyre on and drove to a Yokohama Tyre dealer who supplied two new Geolander H/T replacements for the original tyres supplied by Mitsubishi for Pajero. Big mistake, after visiting Kakadu National Park and returning to the main highway south not far from Daly Waters the rear driver's side tyre suffered a tread loss, and before it came off it flapped around and badly damaged the rear of the vehicle. I had an LPG tank underneath and considering the heat I experienced after stopping from the blowout I was concerned.
The Daly Waters service station supplied two new Bridgestone A/T tyres placed on the rear axle, and advised me that NT people replace original H/T tyres immediately after purchasing a new vehicle which is why the Darwin Yokohama dealer had a stockpile of as new discounted tyres.
-- Edited by Knight on Friday 18th of October 2019 04:24:09 PM
Always wanted to do the full lap, and did so after forced retirement
Enjoyed it so much, (mainly free/donation/low cost camps), I now travel as often as possible
It came to me that the corperate world is screwing us over. So bailed out.
Well said,Wayne.There comes a time in your life when you must simply walk away from all the drama......and the people that cause it. There is no road to happiness.....Happiness is the road. Cheers
Always wanted to do the full lap, and did so after forced retirement Enjoyed it so much, (mainly free/donation/low cost camps), I now travel as often as possible
x 2
Always wanted to a slow lap of Oz, but work and then health probs always cut the time down to a few months at a time.
Brought my first van in 2001, sold it a few years later, brought a Motorhome in 2009 till 2011, then a two year old van till 2017 when I brought a new Van and Cruiser and retired, that's it no more money for toys.
We have tended to pick a State and travel there for 3 -4 months, come back to WA and do lots of smaller trips for 2 -3 weeks, SHMBO always wants a base to come back to, fair enough.
