Hazel and Paul use their bikes to explore local areas
Victorians Hazel & Paul (‘still youngish’) call the open road home and are not afraid to leave their motorhomes and get on their bikes
What do you travel in?
We travel in ‘Penny’ an ex-rental Sprinter base, 6-berth motorhome. It’s a bit rough around the edges but we love her, and it allows us to take some of the grandkids away with us during school holidays. We decided to buy a motorhome as we were not physically able to hitch and unhitch a caravan. We did find that, when set up, we were restricted in what we could see and do, so we now travel with two electric, pedal assist pushbikes. This allows us to explore the local communities and has increased our fitness and benefitted our health.
How long do your trips last?
We are full-time nomads, so life is just one big trip, punctuated with visits to family and friends.
Where do you camp?
We prefer to camp in towns and communities that provide a place for us close to town, let’s say within 6km or 8km. That way we have the option of riding in to get supplies or have a meal, but still have the free park experience. We have nothing against caravan parks but we would rather spend money in the community, which benefits the town in general rather than a caravan park. We can’t afford to do both.
Favourite on-the-road meal?
The impromptu meal you share with new friends when you realise around the campfire that dinner time was an hour ago, and you consider what you can throw together. Usually some potatoes in the fire or a jaffle. It’s not the food, it’s the company!
What wouldn’t you be without?
For those cold nights in a free camp we have a DVD player, and a hot water bottle.
Favourite place to camp?
There are so many but, for the beauty and remoteness, it would be Cape Tribulation.
Scariest nomad experience?
Has to be the time we decided to follow the ever reliable GPS. The ##*?!# thing took us up a road that a camel train would not attempt. There was nowhere to turn because of the cliff on one side, so we had no choice but to continue up the 95 degree incline for the next six kilometres!
