Solo Travellers

You are not on your own out there Dave.
This winter will be my fifth trip doing the same thing as you.
If we are visiting family, friends, grand kids my wife is in the front row.
She just loves her School Teaching and wants to carry on with it.
I am getting too close to my 3 score and 10.So if I don't go now the body might not keep up with the dreams.
There are many long dusty roads I need to see, and still yet to find a bad bush camp.. Have a heap of Photos though.
The Kids say go for it Dad so that is a help.
Compromise!
She does her thing ,I do mine.
I am a bit like you, I don't mind being by myself.
Don't get me wrong I would just love her to come with me.
Hell the only time I feel lonely is when I am in a crowd.
I belong to this club along with NZ and Oz motor home clubs but most times I am quite happy to do my own thing.
The only person I can upset that way is me, and that doesn't seem to happen very often.
Good On You Mate
Go For It.

I guess in some ways I might have the best of both worlds. The good wife and I prefer to travel alone, that way we go where and when we feel like it.I'm lucky in that she loves remote area travel as much as I do (not doing any way near enough at the moment)
We joined a 4WD club many years ago and did a few outings with them but found out their idea of a good time was finding the deepest mud hole or steepest sand dune and spending the weekend getting bogged. On the couple of longer trips with 15 to 20 cars involved we might as well have set up camp at the local metropolitan beach.
I acknowledge that these clubs do a lot of good in some ways, just not for us.
To us remote means not having the crowd coming with us and yes we probably are rotten unsociable buggers..............lol

ob

yep I do pretty much all of my travelling solo
tried a few times when i had a missus but you ptretty soon get jack of spending all your time just keeping them pleased and the rest of the time worrieing if they are pleased

done a couple of trips with like minded people but its hard organising it when everyones got time off etc so going by yourself is just easy

Using a large company's motto, JUST DO IT

I have travelled to Cape york, Kakadu, kargoorlie via Simpson desert & great central road, (3 seperate trips) all solo.

I had no problem with doing it MY way, no discussion needed for every choice that you become faced with.

I made sure I was well eqiupt with my crossing on the Simpson desert, staying in Birdsville for 3 days before heading west, i saw just how many where also going west, or arriving, point i'm making is that such a trip reqiures a great deal of planning, getting the timing right for all concered only to have unforseen problems with-in the gruop, flush the whole trip down the drain.

I sat at the pub and dran. . . observed, and was alerted to 3 blokes in a troopy going across with similar plans to mine, ( not that I really had any) gave each other a plan B if things really went wrong, once we got to Mt dare they went their way, I stayed at the pub.

Another positive aspect travelling solo, is that at campsites (assuming your camping) you become more inclinded to interact with other campers instead of staying with your own group, giving more insight into where you may next or somewhere you hadn't consider.

My wife is more 5 star than million star and there is always comprimise both for me and her and it always ends up detracting from the full get out there experience IMHO, I don't mind the resorts (except for the cost) from time to time, but has no character.

I can go from Brisbane (home) to Melbourne in under 24 hours solo, with wife and kids, forget it, not to mention cost

Give me solo travell any day.

Shane

Hi Dave,

I've traveled solo (no passenger) quite a few times, sometimes in remote areas.

I've two minds about this. Solo you get to see what you want when you want. You can stop whenever you like, or keep driving however long you want. You can see a lot more of what you want solo.

However, sometimes it's good to have others around as you can share those moments when you arrive at a special place. Nothing worse that finding a special place and being there all alone. Still, there's more chance of finding those special places when you're solo.

I'm mixing it a bit on this years trip, a couple of weeks with others and a few weeks solo.

Cheers
Alan

We are 'Solo Vehicle/Rig' travellers & meet many, many folks who are 'Solo Vehicle/Rig' travellers - for the very sentiments aired on this thread. There are a lot more reasons as well, which I willl not venture into here.
Just for a smile on the dial now - it occured to me one day in a fit of stupidity that maybe all of the "Solo" types should form a - now please don't think ill of me - but you may well guess it - "SoloTravellers Club".
Now, come to think of it it was not a fit of stupidity it was a major stroke of insanity! :-) :-)
Cheers - Mobi

Hi David,

I backpacked all over, on my own, for quite few years, and loved it. almost for all the same reasons above.

First girlfriend turned wife came along, the travelleing got better to have someone special to share it with. Dont go anywhere without her now.

Then came 'serious' work together, living and working together 24hrs in cramped accomodation for many months at a time. We spend more hours together than any normal couple might. It doesnt feel normal to have her not with me for any period of time. (a few hours even)

We now plan our big Australia trip for an extended travel for our own time together.

For us, it doesnt matter, its our time together that counts.

Perhaps my wife and I are suited together better than most couples, or maybe its the fact I have such a great wife who also wants to spend everytime with me as much as I want to spend every second with her.
She even attempts to push me to do my own thing without her, so I dont have the burden of thinking I have to please her.

When we do go on our trip, we will be solo travelling, but together, if that makes sense.
We find we dont often have to make any compromises for each other.
If we do, at least I dont notice it. She has been known to put the tent up in the rain on her own when I refused to get out of the car.

It might also help that my wife is a chef and I like to eat. She's also pretty good at the cleaning up part also !!

am pretty new to the whole camping thing (well back at it I guess but it's been a long time since girl guides lol)! Have only been going with me and the 3 little men (4,6 & 8) but have thought about taking off on a weekend they are at Dad's on my own. Thing is currently the tent is way too big for that. We haven't yet left the security of caravan parks but will do so hopefully next spring/summer...I do worry a little about security given its just me and 3 little people....are there many female solo campers around?

Jude

Hi Dave

So long as she is happy to stay home (or in a town along the way) while you do more adventurous excursions , go for it. If she is not, the compromises may have to stay! Can't understand it myself. Staying in caravan parks is not how i want to see Australia.

We meet plenty of solo travellers (both male and female).

Motherhen