Possible Life Style Change.

John G10 all THESE CARAVANERS reckon it's a good lifestyle.

Fred

Gday...

I have been travelling full-time for the last 19 months. It was always my 'retirement plan' to do so.

Last year was just 'travelling' ... doing an "opal tour" Broken Hill, White Cliffs, Lightning Ridge, Cunnamulla, Eulo, Yowah, Toompine, Quilpie - and places inbetween. Then wandered back down the Fossickers Way (Warialda to Tamworth).

Spent 4 of the past 7 months fruit picking (grapes Stanthorpe, Citrus Biggenden, Strawberries Beerwah) ... for the change of activity .... and now back travelling slowly heading north and inland. Presently in Eidsvold moving to Carnia Gorge Monday then who knows.

I throroughly recommend it. I force myself to not make plans more than two weeks in advance .... but often change the 2nd week's plan before I have achieved the 1st week's plan ;-)

Fuel, food and accommodation are major expenses .... but you can control the fuel and accommodation by not driving long distances in short times ... and accommodation by free-camping as much as possible. Food unfortunately is my shortcoming :-)

I thoroughly recommend it ..... you just have to learn to slow down, "smell the roses", don't make plans to far ahead and enjoy the country.

Cheers
John

Hi John, while not on the road full time ourselves as it would not work for us both, you need to make VERY sure it is the lifestyle for you and your partner, if you have one. How have you coped on longer trips? My husband gets a bit edgy after two or three months and needs to go home, although i could cheerfully travel for much longer. Five months has been our longest trip and that was really stretching the friendship on the last couple of months. We both need to know that our home is there to return to and have a house very full of memories of our lives which we could not dispense with.

Will you feel cramped not being able to 'spread out' as in a house? Will you be getting under each others feet with no room for real private time and space? Do you need a lot of material things around you or are you prepared to dispense with the trappings of life and own very little?

There are then the issues of not having a static address - something our Government seems to think essential. For a few drawbacks on these aspects see Nomads on the road - no fixed address

Motherhen

Hi John, we too are trying out the life style on the road. If you know how to budget and live within that budet , then you wont have a problem. I don't know what the word budget means but the person oppsite me is very good. We left home and started wondering in Jan 2001 with the thought of trying it out for a 3 year period. Went home after 5 years and sold the house and put the money into fixed deposit. Yes there are plenty of better investment options but then our money is still there after the GFC and the rest of the market ups and downs.
The wife had bad news of a serious kidney complaint 3 years ago but as we were in Perth and the family were in Cairns we sat till things improved and learned to accept it. She has only come off monthly blood tests where the test is done in any town and results sent to the renal unit in Cairns and medication is adjusted accordingly. Now on 3 month test but enjoying the life.
If boredom becomes a problem then there is plenty of paid and voluntry work available.
Indepent camping most of the time and only had one problem and that was in a paid camping area at a rodeo.
We tend to go north in summer and south in winter as the crowds go the other way and we have our choice of camps. If you havent tried caravaning before and are worried about towing, i believe there are companies around that will hire out vans, and if still a bit dubious then dont outlay big money on a new van to start off.
We have ordered a new van so guess we will be on the road for a while yet.
Yep we could definately get to like the lifestyle.
Den

If you have no experience at all.... then you will never know the answer to that question.

Hit the road for three months or so. Don't make any big decisions untill you 'suck it and see'!