On the road again... and again

Retirees with a sense of adventure are joining the army of grey nomads who spend their days exploring our sunburnt country

- SUSAN HELY

For people who travel to get away from it all, some grey nomads certainly take along a lot of stuff.

On my road trips, I come across plenty of LandCruisers and Pajeros towing mighty caravans laden with gear: solar panels, twin electric bikes, kayaks or a runabout. Sometimes they are towing a small car behind the caravan. On the one hand, I’m impressed by their adventurous spirit. On the other, I worry about driving with so much stuff over winding mountain roads and rough outback tracks. The cost of fuel must be eye-watering.

Of course, you don’t have to spend $250,000-plus on a powerful new 4WD and big caravan to be a grey nomad. You can travel for months on all sorts of budgets in a range of vehicles. After all, one of the lures of simple van life is the low cost of caravan sites compared with motels, hotels and Airbnb.

“The greatest thing about being on the road is leaving the crazy world behind and connecting with nature,” says grey nomad Sonia Fernandes. “There’s no stress. It’s exciting exploring new sites, you meet lots of amazing people, you learn so much and you appreciate life as it comes.”

Fernandes appreciates spending time with her partner, Frank. “I find this special as you can both share the attention or just focus on yourself. There are no chores, sometimes no planning. [It’s] go with the flow and just be free. Life is good.”

There are around 800,000 registered recreational vehicles (RVs) in Australia, including caravans, campervans and motorhomes, according to the Caravan Industry Association. There are almost 2000 caravan parks.