20 months on the road

One way to get over the jealousy is to pack up and meet us on the road lol. Seriously if you get the chance grab it with both hands cause it is the best thing you can do. We have a 5 + 7 yr old and they just love it.

Olds did about 10 months with us. They are currently working on a sheep station 70 km's north of Esperance. Have been working. Ranged for doing stocktakes to renovation work and managed a landscaping buissiness in Roxby. I probably shouldn't tell you what I do now though as you are already envious. I work for a company as a sales rep so I now have work lined up for me in advance. On the east coast work was harder to find but over west work is everywhere, just cost of living is dearer. Working in mines is not as easy to get into as they make it sound. If you are willing to do anything there is work around. If it keeps you on the road then it's worth doing.

Thanks Josh,all the best to you and the family.Hope there are many more Klms left for you. If you travel up the east coast make sure you stop at Lake Conjola,(Conjola Lakeside CP)just north of Ulladulla/Milton on the NSW south coast. Just try not to coincide with holiday times as it gets really packed out then,other times it's perfect. There are many more beautiful places as you travel up the coast,all get packed out in peak but are great outside of those times.Bob.

We talk to alot of people who are interested in doing the big trip but not sure how to actually get on the road. If anyone is interested in having a chat about how we did we are more than happy to offer our thoughts. Not that we have got it all right. If the girls are unsure about travelling my wife is willing to let you know her thoughts( good and bad) Yes some days are bad.

My wife struggles with the humidity. I do plan to do a wet season up north as I agree with you it is the best time for up north and I want to see that amazing storm and lightning show. Just because it's dry doesn't mean it's not beautiful either, depends on what you are looking for.

Have had trouble in some places but generally seem to get them in.I carry spares so when I stuff one I throw it out. If I bend 3 in the one hole I move site lol. Only our annexe and Kids room needs pegs, the main part is rope and peg free.

Josh

carry some six inch masonry nails for places like arkaroola. Available from places like Bunnings.

In our tenting days I used to carry a cordless drill with a long masonry bit.

If the ground was a bit hard, out came the drill first, then the tent peg.

Most times that solved the problem.

Now I'm an old fart and use a caravan..... just like you Doug !!

Thanks guys some good tips there.

To be honest guys I have found caravan parks the worst for hard ground. They level the site and spread gravel around then charge you $45 a night to wreck you pegs.

A little while ago my wife said "I feel like the 'holiday' is over and the trip has begun". You were right, it is a lifestyle and it is amazing. We are closer now as a family and the girls are learning so much. We have friends all over Oz that we met on the road. In fact we are camped with friends in Kununurra at the moment that we met in a camp ground in N.S.W. 12 months ago. Some days aren't easy but they make the good ones even better.

Josh

We sold our house. didn't want to make around with tenants and not sure we will go back to vic to live after seeing what we have seen. ^ months or 6 years it is worth doing. Anyone thinking of doing it, stop thinking and start doing. Make the decision to go and from that point on aim for the trip. You won't regret it.

Maybe my wife should answer as she is now our teacher. We are home schooling. Some states require you to still be registered and send work in each week. we are lucky, vic doesn't. We have a curriculum that we follow(sort of ) lol. Some weeks school is regular other weeks its more nature study, outdoor ed etc. If you take out all the time wasted at school ( getting settled, naughty kids, answering 10 questions at once etc ) schooling can be done fairly quickly one on one. They learn far more on the road than in a class room cause it is real life. Maths can be done on the beach with shells or at the shop with change. English can be on a jetty reading the regs for fishing. Geography - well, need I say anything.
We spent 8 months in Roxby working, 6 weeks in Murrayville plus other places. As I said early I work for a company as a sales rep now, so I line up my work in advance. We are currently booked through to December. We spend a week in each town I am booked in for but I can also take time off in between when I need to eg. just did 2 weeks on the gibb river rd. Please don't hate me but for someone travelling around oz it doesn't get much better. East coast we found harder to find work. W.A. heaps of work but accom can be hard or expensive. S.A. pretty good. Best advise, forget employment agents. They are useless. Have a resume and go into places to look for work. Go back or ring them. Show them you want the job. Be prepare to do whatever. If stacking shelves in Woolies pays for you to get to the next place who cares.

Thanks geoff,
it is an amazing time spent on the road. Unfortunately to many people leave it to late to do it. It took us 8 years from when we first discussed it to actually getting on the road. We got good jobs, had kids bought a house etc.. Then we realised we weren't doing what we really wanted to do so we packed up and headed off. If you enjoy it half as much as us you should still have a great time. You mentioned we may see each other on the road. We met my cousin at Manning George on the Gibb river rd. We knew they were up that way but had been unable to contact them. They pulled into the amp ground 1 hr after we did, so we spent 3 days with them at one of the best gorges. So you never know what might happen. Happy and safe travels for you guys.

Josh