Wrap-up and Reflections

 We have been so busy since arriving home that it has taken us two weeks to get around to our ‘wrap up’ of the trip.  It was so nice to be out there travelling around, however it’s also lovely to be home.   As we followed the news around the world and even in Australia, we thanked God that we were able to travel, albeit only in our own country. Although the border closures did stifle our ‘lap of Oz’ a little, it didn’t stop us from enjoying what we could do.  We kept reminding ourselves that the parts we weren’t able to see are not going away anytime soon so will be on the bucket list when the borders fully open.  Sometime soon we hope.  We guesstimated that the COVID situation has increased the volume of people travelling in Australia, by all sorts of means by at least 75 percent.  There were many places that we could not have stayed at if we had not booked well in advance. We ‘camped’ at 65 different cities/towns/places on the map at an average of $30/night. We only advance booked three of the 65 places; Darwin, Broome and Kalgoorlie (only because we had to have the Cruisers 30k km service done there). 

We were both amazed how quickly the four months odd went and could imagine if you were on the road full-time, how fast the years would whizz by.  Although Greg could quite easily do it full-time (with an appropriate home-base, like a block of land and a shed), Wendy is less keen, requiring a proper home to fall back on regularly.   

This time we seemed to have taken the appropriate amount of ’stuff’, the only things we purchased along the way were a couple of long-sleeved colourful souvenir shirts, which seem all the rage now with the grey nomads.  Although on our next big trip we will pack some basic camping gear that we can leave in the back of the Cruiser so that we can strike out on rough tracks and camp for a few days. Although we don’t do a lot of this rough camping, there were a few places that we would have liked to visit but the terrain wasn’t suitable for towing the van.  We are not afraid to take the van on dirt roads as it has off-road suspension, but there are limits as it’s not a rugged, fully off-road rig. 

Speaking of the van and the Cruiser, they both performed beyond our expectations. Yes, there were a couple of small things that went wrong with the van, which were easily fixed, but the Cruiser did not miss a beat.  It is so reassuring to have all that power and its mass guarantees that the van sits behind it and tows like a dream.  The 160-litre spare water tank in the back of the Cruiser was a real success.  Although we didn’t use it that often, it was just nice to know it was always there, just in case.  It also kept the back end of the Cruiser firmly attached to the road.  When we do end up doing those rough track camping trips that water will come into its own. We towed the van 16 919 km over all types of roads, and the cruiser drove a total of 19 338 km over the 126 days. The Cruiser drank 3 608 litres of diesel at an average price of $1.56 per litre. Fuel consumption averaged 18.66 litres per 100km. Whilst driving with the van attached, we counted 3 351 RVs; everything from 5th wheelers and buses to tear drops/bubbles and camper trailers. Once again, Jayco seemed to be the most popular brand.

Although we did not travel with anyone this trip, we thoroughly enjoyed the travelling; being able to dance to one’s own tunes gave us flexibility to do as we pleased, when we pleased. We got to meet some of our fellow travellers as well. 

Next trip?   The next trip will be a short one probably, not far from home.  However, in the meantime we will just enjoy being home, close to friends, local cycling, gardening and regular social outings for meals and catch-ups.  And, of course, Greg is enjoying his motorcycle rides with his mates. If COVID continues to keep international borders closed, we may end up doing another long trip, perhaps in the clockwise direction this time.