MORE and more younger caravanners are shunning the bright lights and
joining Australia's army of grey nomads.
Official figures released by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia
indicate that couples in their twenties are taking
caravan holidays, with a 16 percent rise over
the past year.
And while the majority are satisfied with a couple of
weeks in a holiday park, others are
turning caravanning into a lifestyle and hitting the road fulltime.
Many may question whether a life on the road is for them, but for one
couple from Bundaberg in Queensland it was a no brainer.
"Waking up every day to new experiences, new
faces, new opportunities ... it's the life we wanted to live," electrician
Jack Hambrecht and teacher Brittney Roberts told
Caravanning News.
Three years after beginning their adventures on Australia's highways and
byways, they are still doing what they love most.
"We have established some really great relationships along the way, lived
in places we never thought we would and worked in areas we never dreamed
of," they explained.
The couple, who are in their late twenties, did not want to wait until
they were old to began their travels.
So they set off in 2016 in a five-year-old Nissan Navara and 2014 Jayco
Journey Outback caravan bearing the logo Bold Not
Old.
"Two years later we knew it was time to upgrade the Navara to something
that allowed easier towing,
which is why we made the switch to a 2012,
200-series LandCruiser," they said.
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Jack and
Brittney's rig |
"Ultimately, this was a great choice as it was better economically and had
a better towing capacity."
Jack and Brittney said there had been many
highlights during their three years
on the road, but
inspiring other young people during their travels had definitely been the
biggest milestone.
"Before we left, we wanted to change the face of the travelling scene and
prove that you don't have to wait until retirement to live your life,"
they explained.
"Times have changed and this is a new era where opportunities are more
prominent than ever.
"We chose to go against the grain and live a bold life by steering away
from the typical 'work hard, live later' ideology."
The couple told how they worked hard to buy a house ‒
which they now rent out ‒ before embarking on
their travels.
"We travel for as long as we can before having to stop and find work in a
new town to pay our bills just like everybody else," they said.
Jack and Brittney have earned an income by
working as jackaroos and jillaroos,
fruit pickers and even caravan park cooks and
cleaners.
"The beauty about that is connecting with like-minded people, finding
those local hot spots and truly getting to know that area, not making it a
pit stop to tick off the list."
The adventurers have lined up two big trips
for
after their wedding in May.
"We have about five cars and two boats joining us in
Arnhem Land in the NT and the Kimberley in WA," they explained.
"We have a fantastic camera crew ‒ Wild Creative
‒ joining us in The Kimberley to film some
spectacular scenes.
"The crew is made up of the young travellers we have met along the way at
the most northerly point in Australia and at Darwin, Townsville and
Bundaberg."
The couple is now urging other young people to follow their example and
take to the road.
"Dive in head first and take it from there," they
advised, adding: "Stay bold and live the life you want to create."
