The Road less Paved

While many grey nomads actively seek out the camaraderie and comradeship that is found in caravan parks, others prefer the thrill and excitement of getting off the bitumen and into the bush.

It was this desire to get onto the dirt that persuaded Alex and Penny to part with a few extra dollars to buy a second-hand Bushtracker off-road caravan.

“Sure, it cost us a bit more than a conventional caravan,” says Alex. “But it is just so well made. Everything about it is solid and you know it’s not going to fall apart on a few corrugations.”

The couple set off on their planned year-long trip from Perth with the goal of setting up a new home in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula at the end of their travels. One of the highlights of their journey has been the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley and the spectacular gorges that are there to enjoy.

The Bushtracker made it across the 600-odd kilometres of dirt without a problem.

“It’s set up to survive in the bush,” says Alex. “We have got three solar panels and extra batteries and we are able to stay out in the wilds for as long as we like. The only reason we would choose to come to the parks is because of the extra security they offer.

“I must admit, however, that it can be quite hard work towing the van and I’m always quite pleased to not have it behind me. We have got four 83-litre water tanks so whether they are full or not has a big effect on the weight of the van. We’ve nicknamed our Bushtracker Tessie – as in ten-tonne Tessie – although three tonnes might be a bit more accurate.

“I’ve worked out that it takes us about 21 litres to get 100 kilometres which is obviously an issue when you pay as much as you do these days for a litre of diesel.

“Fuel consumption is important and it’s only commonsense that the slower you travel the cheaper it is to live. We don’t really have a weekly budget or anything but when we get a credit card bill sometimes we just think ‘Eek! It’s time we reigned our spending in a bit this month’.”

For some of their journey, Alex and Penny have travelled alongside friends in another van.

“We’ve just had a fantastic time,” says Alex. “Obviously when you are travelling with friends you don’t meet as many new people but we have still met some great characters. We’ve also seen some top spots and I must admit that Tessie has enabled us to really get out there and experience the bush firsthand.”

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