A Day in the Life

Whether you are thinking about joining the ranks of the grey nomads, are new to the road, or even if you are a seasoned veteran, it’s always interesting to hear about other travellers’ experiences.

Below is an excerpt from one couple’s Big Lap diary, offering an insight into their experiences and lifestyle. But first a little background information. Trevor and Frances are veterans of the road. The last we heard from them they were heading north into Queensland in their new Nova caravan, planning to offset the rising fuel costs by spending more time in free overnight sites.

“We have always taken a computer with us and I religiously do a daily diary,” says Trevor. “When I get a spare moment I read through and it brings a smile to my face when I have recorded an amusing event … which happens quite often.”

The extracts below are from a while back … from their trip around Australia beginning in April 2004. Prior to their big adventure they had bought a single-axle Coromal pop-top for about $12k and an ’80 Series diesel LandCruiser. They then headed north from their home town of Perth.

Friday, 11th June, 2004
Off early to get to Kununurra (8.15am).  Stopped at the Boab Prison and the concrete trough. We should have gotten to Kununurra by 4.15pm if we could have kept the momentum but we stopped to give a group of Aboriginals a hand replacing a tyre.  They tried every trick in the book to get someone to stop even had one of them lay down in the road as though he had a problem.  What a bunch!!
They had an old Pajero and although it had a six-stud wheel they only had five nuts, one of which was not the original.  I used my new hydraulic jack plus an axle stand and managed to get the height to put on their spare.  At the same time they wanted water so Frances gave them a plastic container with about 10 litres of spring water in.  (We never saw the water again.)  All the time while I was helping them they had the engine running.  By the time I had repacked the ’Cruiser they had driven off.
My main concern was that they might break down again and we would have to take one of them into Halls Creek and delay us further.  They were an inquisitive bunch as always, with kids and adults all chattering and nosing around the ’Cruiser. I had to help them but Frances was a bit worried about what could have happened.
All’s well that ends well and maybe they might give us an Aboriginal blessing. We eventually got to Kununurra about 5pm as the sun set and we finished off setting up the van in the dark.  We did over 675km in the day.  Frances drove the ’Cruiser for a while but was annoyed with herself as she crashed the gears trying to get into fourth from fifth gear a couple of times. 
We went into the town to see what was available, and stopped at the Kununurra Hotel for a couple of wines and beer plus bangers and mash for a meal.  Not the Ritz but good tucker especially the wine, which was virtually a tumbler full

And here’s an account from Darwin a few months later
Frances is now my official hairdresser. She has mastered the electric hair clippers.  I have never had my hair cut so often or short. Apparently as I have gotten older nasal hairs are becoming a problem, not to me I might add.  When I bought the electric hair clippers I should have got one that had a nasal clipper facility. Presently Frances uses scissors to cut my nasal hair, which is risky as one slip or minor head movement could be painful. Tweezers are even more painful if the hair does not come out clean.  (I thought you might find that piece of information useful.)
For those of you who may be mildly interested I have lost 10 kilos in weight since leaving Perth.  I’m now a respectable 80kgs or roughly 12 stone 11lbs’ish.  Frances has also lost 5 kgs – (she needs to, of course!).  The trouble is that once we leave Darwin and our work is finished I will have the weight come back.  We will see.

Do Trevor and Frances’ travel experiences sound similar to your own? Would you like to share some of your adventures with us, and perhaps give ‘green’ grey nomads a taste of what to expect? Email us here.

Incidentally, Trevor and Frances helped finance their 2004 trip by picking up jobs here and there. They spent three months in Darwin where they used to clean a number of different offices, schools and the police college/headquarters. Click here to find out what fun casual jobs can be.

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