Meet Ben & Olivia - On the Road With Caravan Society

First things first – tell us a bit about your story and your travel journey.

Who are you? What are you travelling in? And what is your set-up?

Ben, 31, and Olivia, 29 (25 and 23 when we originally started full-time travel). Ben worked full-time as a ceiling fixer in commercial building, and Olivia worked full-time as a legal assistant. We had both had enough of the long commutes to work and not spending enough time doing what we loved, and decided to purchase our 1999 Toyota Troopcarrier in 2018 and began to build it up with the dream of full-time travel.

In June 2019, we quit our very secure full-time jobs, rented out our house, and hit the road for what was meant to be 12 months and turned into 5 years. We travelled with just the Troopy (Kevin) for the first year and a half, and then bought our 4.3m tinny, which was the best addition to our set up by far. Our 12-year-old Kelpie, Archie, has been alongside us the whole way. We’ve covered close to 200,000 km and spent probably over $90,000 on diesel.

What’s been your most memorable trip so far – who were you with, what happened, and why does it stand out?

Ben – Taking part in the Australian Barra Tournaments (ABT) and travelling down from Lake Tinaroo to the dams by Mackay, competing against professional anglers and being the only team from Adelaide was a highlight. Three months of fishing almost every day – normally twice a day. Meeting friends all over the country and being able to fly up to Darwin or fly into Cairns to go fishing with mates has been an unreal experience.

Olivia – If I had to pinpoint a particular part of the trip that stands out to me, it would be our trip to Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays. I booked a plane flight over the reef and a full-day tour of snorkelling and lunch on Whitehaven Beach. The weather, winds, and tides couldn’t have been more perfect. We extended our time there, and Ben and I were lucky enough to be able to take the tinny out to a few of the islands and pull up for a swim on our very own secluded beach in the purest white sand and crystal-clear flat waters. Something that I will never ever forget.

Tell us your most unforgettable camping moment – funny, epic, or even a bit of a disaster!

Maybe not “camping” as such, but our travels home from Far North Queensland through to Adelaide when we returned from the ABT Fishing Tournaments. It was December (very, very hot up north at that time of year), and we were coming back through the Queensland outback when the Troopy started struggling with the heat.

The car was running hot (not a normal thing for Big Kev), and we had to stop using the aircon. We had no phone service, Ben’s driver’s side window wouldn’t go down, and we had to wet a clean pair of his underwear with bore water (so as not to use up all of our drinking water) and pop it into the centre console fridge until it was cold. Then stretch the undies across my open passenger door window for the only “aircon” we had available (on repeat for two days).

We eventually broke down about 4.5 hours from home in Ouyen in Victoria, beside a tap and across from a pub. So we camped up for the night, had a shower using the water from the tap, and had dinner and a beer at the pub whilst waiting for RAA assistance to collect us, the dog, the Troopy, and the tinny and tow us back to Adelaide the following day.

Where’s your favourite place you’ve travelled in Australia, and why?

We have thoroughly travelled through Queensland, Northern Territory, and New South Wales, and Ben has spent a lot of time in the Victorian High Country. It would have to be a tie between New South Wales and Queensland as a whole.

The Mid-North Coast of NSW is stunning, but the Queensland Whitsundays area has so much to offer. From snorkelling and island hopping to fishing impoundment dams for barramundi, it really has something for everyone.

What’s the one trip or experience you’re still itching to tick off?

We’re really still trying to get across to WA and Tasmania. Each time we had a plan to take our travels to WA, the borders would shut (costs of travelling over COVID). We recently had a trip to Tasmania booked, but we’ve just had to postpone that. Both WA and Tasmania are very weather dependent, which means we only want to do it when we can make the absolute most of our time there.

What’s one tip or piece of advice you’d pass on to someone just getting into caravanning, camping, or travelling Australia?

Maybe something you wish you knew sooner?

So many tips.

Don’t feel like you have to “keep up with the Jones’s”. Everyone’s set ups are different and unique to them. Our set up changed constantly through our travels, but we never felt like we had to have the newest or the best of anything. Sure, we agree that paying for good quality gear pays off, but you can generally still have a pretty damn good time when using second-hand gear.

Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone – we travelled for 5 years, which meant we had to work along the way. Take the job at the café or at the petrol station, whatever it takes to get you moving onto the next town or state to continue your journeys. We had a combined total of over 20 jobs whilst travelling and working, and we wouldn’t change those experiences for the world.

Take everyone’s “must see’s” or “don’t bother’s” with a grain of salt. Everyone travels differently or enjoys different things. You’re better off giving it a go and saying it wasn’t amazing, rather than saying, “gee, I wish we tried it”.

Mainly, be adaptable and accept that what is meant to be will be, and timing has a place. Don’t let a bit of bad weather hold you back from enjoying where you are and what you are doing. You will look back on trips a few years down the track and remember that you were having the time of your life.