All packed up and ready to go!
Jeanette and Peter Roy had long dreamed of the moment they would be able to leave the hustle and bustle of their Sydney home to join the ranks of the grey nomads on the open road.
Then, one magical day back in 2013, they set off on their great adventure in their secondhand 19.5’ Roadstar caravan. They had hope in their hearts and the wind in their sails.
“The day we set off it was raining,” said Jeanette. “But we were so excited that we didn’t care about the gloom.”
As they spent the next six months exploring the north of Australia, they certainly became more accustomed to glorious sunny days … and to living a dream lifestyle. They found magnificent free camps … often next to rivers and lagoons where they launched their kayak and tried their hand at fishing while drinking in the scenery and admiring the birdlife.
At Dululu in Queensland, they volunteered with Blaze Aid.
“We spent a few days mending fences that had been destroyed in devastating floods,” said Jeanette. “What a great experience meeting new friends and finding out about a wonderful volunteer organisation!”
For all the pleasures though, there was one element of their early travels that the Roys didn’t enjoy.
“Back in 2013, the Outback was in the grip of drought and we were saddened to see dead kangaroos every few metres along the same section of the Capricorn Highway where they had probably been hit by the many semi-trailers travelling during the night,” said Jeanette. “Life is tough for our native animals, particularly when they are short of drinking water and have to wander close to the edges of highways in search of refreshment.”
It was on the Capricorn Highway that the Roys had their own way-too-close encounter with a giant native bird.
“We were travelling west towards Winton when we spotted a lone emu running towards us on the left hand edge of the road,” said Jeanette. “Expecting that he would head back to open ground we were shocked to see him run towards the side of our car where he was collected between the car and the caravan … and we saw him in the sideview mirror rolling away.”
When they arrived in Winton, the couple were surprised to discover an emu feather firmly embedded in the front left corner of their caravan. Ironically, that emu was the only one they had seen that day.
But the Roys’ misfortune didn’t stop there.
“During that initial six-month, 30,000-kilometre trip we also hit a very small wallaby,” said Jeanette. “It raced across the road just after sunset near Karumba before doubling back after safely reaching the other side of the road!”
Happily, in subsequent travels the Roys have traversed the entire length of the River Murray, and explored much of South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria … and they’ve managed to avoid all species of wandering wildlife!
