After eight years on the road, grey nomad Marilyn Luxford has a fair idea of what it is that makes the Big Lap so special … the people you meet!
She and her husband, Steve, left their rented accommodation back in May, 2018, in an Isuzu D-Max with canopy towing a Concept Innovation caravan and – metaphorically speaking – they’ve never looked back.
“We’ve visited every state and love the variety of scenery … the desert at Alice Springs, the beauty of the Atherton Tablelands, the Victorian Alps, the Snowy Mountains … there’s so much,” said Marilyn, “We also budget for outings and have had a great flight from Cooktown to the Top End, a fabulous boat trip from Kununurra to Lake Argyle, a flight over Eyre Lake from Birdsville to Williamstown … and the list goes on.”
Marilyn and Steve have been travelling in their rig for eight years
But, ultimately, it is the people that make the trip.
“We have made lots of friends on the road with whom we keep in contact and either visit, or travel with occasionally,” said Marilyn.
And it is not just their fellow travellers.
“We find country towns particularly welcoming and friendly, and some will bend over backwards for you,” she said. “We’ve used mechanics in small towns who have been superior to big companies, and fruit and veges can be fresher than in the big supermarkets.”
Although the Luxfords are on the pension and travel on a tight budget, they understand the importance of giving something back, especially when free camping.
“We don’t mind spending a bit more on food that is a bit dearer as it is local and fresher, and we’re helping the community,” said Marilyn. “We also spend money at the pub which we couldn’t otherwise afford.”
To help with finances, the pair also house sit every so often. With their main expenses being fuel, food and park fees, when the Luxfords do stay at van parks, they will always ask if there are specials available, such as stay for four nights, pay for three.
“We avoid staying along the coast as van parks are usually expensive but tend to base ourselves in a showground or free camp when possible,” said Marilyn. “We use them as a base and visit coastal areas in the car … although we don’t usually leave our van at a free camp unless we’re with friends who can keep an eye on it.”
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We prefer the scenery, meeting other people is not a priority for us.
We’re always friendly but we’ve never kept in contact with anyone that we’ve met on our travels.
That goes for the past 15 years of retirement travels & the previous 40 years that we were earning a living.
We love bush camping mostly by ourselves mainly because we do wildlife photography.
Everything that you’ve mentioned I’ve experienced.
Its great you are still enjoying all that the lifestyle has to offer.
Safe travels..!