For those of you who don’t know Mike and myself and how we began this journey around Australia I shall briefly fill you in.
Mike and I live in Newcastle, have a lovely home, two amazing daughters and their partners, the best four grand children in the world (of course I’m biased) and a wonderful business in New Lambton called The Wellness Centre. Mike also has three sons in America who have eleven children between them, so we have quite a clan. Mike was the Chiropractor at the Centre along with a team of incredible practitioners and the best staff that any body could wish for. Together we have made this a special place which offers nurturing, support and healing for people and their families. It is not like a job, it is part of our life and our patients become part of our extended family. It has been an honour and a privilege helping so many people to live a better quality of life and we thank you all so much for allowing us be a part of your lives. We shall miss you all but know that we’ll catch up via this website, when we pop home for visits from time to time and of course when we once again reside back in Newcastle.
This journey around Australia began sometime during a peaceful sleep (so I thought) in September 2007. I don’t know what happened that night except that when I woke up I had this “knowing” that we had to sell everything, buy a caravan and tour around Australia. Now let me tell you, touring around in a caravan was certainly not my idea of a good time - I like the five star hotels with the beautiful swimming pools, king size beds, luxurious bathrooms and great food. Living in something the size of my kitchen with another person for a year or two was ludicrous and even bordering on insanity. We have a camper trailer which I love for a few days but then get me back home to all the mod cons in life.
Next step was to tell Mike what we were going to be doing for the next couple of years. So I head out to kitchen and said “hey Mike I just had this idea come to me when I was sleeping and we are going to sell everything and go around Australia in a caravan for a couple of years.” Mike just looked at me a little dumbstruck, thought about it for a couple of seconds, said _ _ _ _ _ hell, I’ve just done my three year plan. For those of you who know Mike, he is mister organisation and loves to plan. He is the stick em note and list king. Loves accomplishing things and crossing them off his lists. This idea of mine was like a bolt of lightening. I knew right then and there that I should not bring this up again for a while. So I just kept thinking about how it could be possible and started to set some time frames in my own head. After a few days Mike said to me, you know this idea of yours about going around Australia, well, I think we can do it. You could have knocked me down with a feather.
From that day on we have been busy researching caravans, tow vehicles, talking to others who have done the same thing. The first book that I bought was called “The Grey Nomads Guidebook” by Cindy and Jeremy Gough. It was fantastic and filled with so much valuable information that it almost became my Bible and we will be taking it with us. This book excited me so much that I just Knew that we were doing the right thing.
Our first spanner in the works was that we had just purchased a new Nissan X trail which we loved, was great to pull our camper trailer but not a caravan so we would have to sell it. So our first step on this journey would be a financial loss, anyway lets just plod on. As some would say “It’s only money!”
We set ourselves a budget for the caravan and tow vehicle and came in a little over that but all in all are very happy with our purchases. We spent months looking at new vans, used vans, caravan shows, internet and caravan and camping stores. We decided that we wanted a lounge at either the front or the rear with a separate shower and toilet.
We now have a beautiful Roadstar Daintree and a Turbo diesel Nissan Pathfinder. We have also bought a tent, camper beds, fridge and solar panels for places that we cannot take our caravan. So we are now ready for the caravan life and the camping life.
I love to have a bath from time to time and at home we have the most beautiful bath tub that we bought while on holidays in Bali. There is no way that I will be able to indulge in the luxury of a bath of course while staying in caravan parks or free camping so,...........a great reason to stay at a four or five star hotel from time to time. I’ll be checking out the baths before we check in though.
We don’t have a set plan or a definite time frame for the trip. All we know is that we are heading north from Newcastle and will learn along the way. I know that we will meet other nomads and travellers who will give us advice and recommendations which we will take on board. I have started a notebook of “must see places and must do things” that people have already so generously shared.
So bring on the journey. Lots of love, laughter and learning along the way. What more could one ask for.
Thank you for my life. It is a great one and just keeps getting better every day.
