6 essential investments for a long haul road trip
One year ago, we decided we wanted to see Australia. Now, Australia is massive, there is no doubt about it. Unless you are a millionaire entrepreneur or a lotto winner, there is really only one affordable way to do it, and that is driving. You can take your comfortable life with you in the form of a caravan, you can squeeze yourself and your belongings into a campervan, or you can do what we did and customise your existing vehicle to suit the trip. This can take a lot of time and effort and money. It took us four months to get from Perth to Cairns, and in that time we learnt what our best investments
were, and what we could have lived without. I wish I had someone experienced there to tell me what to buy and what not to bother with, because I would have saved myself a lot of money! So here is my list of the top 6 investments we made that ended up being worth every penny and more!
- A durable and quick set-up tent. We went for the Oztrail because it literally pops up in 30 seconds and then you just peg it down. I can’t count how many nights we got to a camp site in the dark, exhausted and in some cases in the pouring rain, so eternally grateful that we did not have to spend the next half hour fiddling with tent poles. It sits on a pop-up frame that slides into place, with no extra parts. It also fits a queen airbed quite easily. The high price tag means nothing to someone who struggles to put Ikea furniture together, let alone a tent frame. The one downside to this type of tent frame is that you need a roof rack to store it, as it folds up to be about 2 metres long. This leads me to number two:
- A quality roof rack. Rhino was our choice due to the good reviews and recommendations by most camping and outdoors stores. This rack itself is very light and pricey, but can be installed by you rather than paying someone to do it. We opted for an open ended rack to allow us to slide our tent and kayaks on and off with ease. A roof rack comes in handy when things start to get messy or smelly from heavy rain, because you don’t have to store them in the vehicle.
- Car Fridge/Freezer. When you are able to store three days’ worth of food such as bacon, eggs and milk, your life becomes much easier. You save money on food bills and have a safety net for emergencies. It’s always best to go for a model with a compressor, despite the obvious price increase. These fridges are capable of freezing, or just chilling food. In Australia’s hot climate, we became extremely grateful for the ability to store chilled water. The biggest downside to installing a car fridge is the secondary deep cycle battery that will also need to be installed to run the fridge. These are not cheap, but will last forever.
- A quality bed. We chose an airbed, and were really surprised at the comfort level! If you invest a little more you can buy a bed with anti-roll, giving you a great night’s sleep. It is also filled up via a battery so you just flick the switch and 30 seconds later you have a bed! Other choices on the market include self-filling air matts or a fold up camp bed. Rhino Companion is a luxury camp bed for the single sleeper, with the most comfortable setup I have ever slept on! However options like this take up a lot of space.
- Gas camp stove. The simple fact is camp fires are becoming less and less viable for camping. In national parks you must cart your own wood in from outside, if you are allowed a fire at all. They become impossible in a windy or rainy environment, and take far more maintenance than a gas stove option. You can pick up a camping stove now for less than a bag of firewood, and gas cylinders are not much dearer. Even as a backup option, they are invaluable for the savvy traveller.
- Safety equipment. This is for those explorers who plan on going way beyond civilisation. Cars are fickle things; you never know when one is going to start causing problems. CB Radios are important when you don’t have cell phone reception because you can use them for call for help. They are also really handy in the outback or northern states when you can communicate with passing trucks and vehicles about the road conditions ahead. Keep a window breaker and seatbelt cutter in your glove box in case of rollovers. Carry a jack and spare tire in case of punctures. Keep an emergency solar battery pack to charge electronics. Carry a snakebite kit when you go hiking. These can all be picked up fairly cheaply, and could very well save your life.
When preparing for such a long trip, there is always a long list of equipment to be considered. Sorting out what you will definitely need and what you would like to take with you is often the best way to cut down costs and make good investments.
Just a note…
I am loving vintage Australian travel posters at the moment, especially this one available on eBay!
blatant blessings
The town of Esperance, on western Australia’s South East coast, is truly blessed with natural beauty. It’s inescapable, around every corner. The town itself suffers from the WA curse: old, tired, expensive and with no sign of changing. It’s lucky that the thousands of tourists that visit every year don’t come for the town. They come for the beaches. Water in every shade of blue possible hypnotises and enchants visitors to the point where it’s impossible to notice anything else around you.
The first 1000kms
Two weeks into our trip around Australia, past our first 1000kms, and the challenges are piling up already. There are those challenges we sort of expected, those that were sort of inevitable. J’s phone became a casualty , the main battery for the car failed, and the ants have finally found their way into the tent. We solved this particular problem by emptying the entire contents of the tent and drowning it in surface spray.
Then there are those problems we were not expecting. The tent seems to amplify the temperature outside by double, so every night the biting cold brings us to breaking point. As a result, the surplus of blankets has filled the car to the point that we can’t see out the back window. Want to go 4wding? Well you can’t because the cars too heavy! Also the sad demise of free camping in Australia has added financial pressure to our problems.
And finally, there are those annoying ‘things’ that aren’t major enough to be considered problems but still bug me endlessly. Such as the lamp that developed a high pitch whine after it’s first use. It might be communicating on a level only aliens can hear, I can’t be sure. The other lamp keeps shattering it’s glass case because of the significant temperature difference of the flame inside and the cold night air. $12.00 each time. The birds never shut up, the neighbours never shut up and the showers never work!
But after all is said and done, every day so far has left me in awe of the pure beauty of Australia. Around every corner there is a wonderful surprise. A beautiful beach, an ancient forest or a gurgling river. It makes it all worth it and now I really know there is no turning back.
the in’s and out’s of Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is a phenomenon sweeping the travel community. Still relatively a new concept, the theory behind it has been around for centuries. You simply call on a friend or acquaintance for a cosy piece of floor or sofa to sleep on, and in return you offer the same service to one of your friends or acquaintances. Sort of like travel Karma, if you will. Only now, Couchsurfing.com has taken the concept much further. You can now contact a total stranger in a country on the other side of the world and request a few nights stay in return for good conversation or the chance to return the favour in the future. To join in, you simply fill out a free profile and specify your availability to host travellers or any upcoming travel plans. If your anything like me, you have your concerns about safety and feasibility of the system, which is why I have included a few pointers for both hosts and the hosted to ease you into this fantastic community. If you have participated in couchsurfing, I would love to hear about your experiences and feedback!
For the Hosts:
- Know what your expectations and limits are before you offer up your services. Are you only willing to host females? are there certain dates you can/cannot host? make these facts clear on your profile to prevent unnecessary declines to requests.
- Specify what kind of accommodation you are offering to prevent disappointment from either side when the traveller arrives. Is the accommodation private? is it a share house? are you offering a bed or just a sofa? are there pets that travellers could potentially be allergic to or be afraid of?
- Define your house rules. Is it a vegetarian household? do you expect your travellers to pitch in with the housework? will you allow smoking on the premises?
- Don’t forget to give positive references for the travellers that have stayed with you so they can get more host offeres. Alternatively, if you have a terrible experience you can protect other potential hosts by giving bad feedback.
- Lastly, don’t give out any details such as where you live, your contact number etc. until you have had a proper discussion with the person. Be aware of profiles that are missing details such as a last name, these could be scammers. (It only takes one to ruin it for the rest of us!)
For the Surfers:
- When you send out your request, make sure it is well worded, polite and friendly. Specify exactly what you need, how many people are travelling with you and such. This saves disappointment further down the communications when the host informs you they cannot host more than one, will only host families etc. It also pays to offer something in return, such as good conversation, cooking skills, or offer to do housework.
- Be safe. If you are a female, its better to stay with other females or families. Inform others of where you will be staying.
- For more responses, get your account verified for a small fee. Some hosts will only host verified travellers, and those who have good references. Of course, if it is your first time you will not have references but most hosts are a good judge of character and will offer you the opportunity anyway.
- Read your hosts profile carefully. Does it seem genuine? is it missing information that might indicate scammers?
- To ensure you get a good reference from your host after staying with them, leave the place in better condition than when you arrived.
- If your host does well, give them a good reference in return. Some surfers even bring a little gift from their home country.
Remember, you don’t need a bed or couch to offer up your hosting abilities. Some travellers carry their own tent and are willing to sleep in the backyard, others are willing to sleep on the floor! Even if you cannot accommodate them, you can always offer yourself up as a guide or just a friendly face. This is a fantastic community to be a part of and I encourage everyone to give it a go!
3 lesser known resources for travellers
If your an avid traveller like myself, chances are you have your own trusty travel resources. Over time you would have slowly weeded out those less helpful sources in favour of those you can always rely upon. For example, Tripadvisor has become a useful tool for a majority of travellers. So have guidebooks, tourism websites and Facebook. However, if you are also like me, you occasionally get bored or feel limited by the normal sites and go looking for something a little different. So I have compiled a list of resources that might help you broaden your travel horizons, or at least give you some ideas of where to look.
I recently joined the couchsurfing revolution, and although I still hold some reservations, on the whole it is a fantastic resource for meeting new people from around the world. Two days after creating the profile, I had two requests to use my spare bedroom. My first visitor from Berlin arrives at the end of August and I am genuinely excited to have the chance to show her around this huge city. The upside of this particular site is you can choose to only accept those people with recommendations from previous hosts, or like me, you can be their first couchsurfing experience.
This is a little-known Australian travel magazine that I absolutely love for one simple reason; Its content is relevant to ME. Most travel magazines available in Australia cater towards American or UK readers. This means the prices are listed in different currencies and the flights leave from the wrong places. Get Lost features destinations I am more likely to visit, lists resources I am more likely to use, and gives me a fairer idea of costs. If you do not live in Australia, then you can follow the same tactic and try to find a publication from your own country that will give you more relevant information than an international source.
When WAYN (Where Are You Now) was in its prime, I was an avid user. Unfortunately, in recent times, it has become more of a dating tool than a travel networking site (particularly for the older generations??). To fill the void it left, I desperately searched the internet until I found travellerspoint. Well there are some features I miss, there are others I never knew I was missing until I found this site! It has more of a community feel, and less of a sense that your ‘friends’ are looking for someone to help get them a visa. I like that it helps you plan your trip in a more organised and concise way, well worth a try if you enjoy getting real advice about real places.
Do you have any undiscovered resources you rely on for your adventures?
why Tripadvisor isn’t always a blessing
There are plenty of good reasons to use Tripadvisor to plan your hotels, activities and meals. However, as with all good things in life, bad things come with it. Here’s how to minimise disappointment and create your own experiences.
Not all restaurants and attractions are listed. While Tripadvisor is a great way of weeding out the places with the bad food, worst service and impossible locations, some of the best places may not be listed yet. There have been times when I myself have stalled or avoided writing a review because it meant I would be the one writing the first listing. Sometimes just getting outside and going for a walk will help you uncover the best unknown restaurants in the city, so try not to rely on Tripadvisor for planning every hour of your day.
Some people just have a chip on their shoulder. We have all been guilty of seeing that one terrible review and using it as an excuse to write off that tour operator and spend your money on something else. However, we have also seen people in life totally overreact to a situation because they couldn’t get their own way. Try to read between the lines on bad reviews: was that person expecting the company to perhaps give them special treatment? Or go above and beyond their professional obligations? Sometimes it simply isn’t feasible for all requests to be upheld. Decide first what your expectations of that company might be, and then decide if that bad review applies to what you expect from them, particularly if theirs was the only bad review in the bunch. If you’re still concerned, contact the company and query the situation.
Uncontrollable factors might have affected the review. No matter how much we wish it otherwise, companies simply cannot control the weather. Sometimes a review will offer less praise that it ought to simply because the visitor happened to be there on a day with bad weather. Or, they may have arrived on a rare picture perfect day and raved about it. In this situation, be reasonable. If you are going in monsoon season, expect rain. If you are going in peak season, expect crowds and long ques. No two experiences will ever be identical.
I love Tripadvisor, and have been relying on it to help plan my holidays for years. It can mean the difference between a quiet room or a restless night’s sleep. It can save you from wasting your money on those tired attractions, or help you to avoid the worst waiter service in the entire town. However, it pays to stray from other people’s opinions every now and again to help you form your own experiences. Get out on the street and explore, ask the taxi driver for his favourite place or ask the locals in a bar. Not all people have the same expectations, finding the perfect balance could be the key to having the best holiday you ever imagined.
is Singapore taking it to extremes?
When a lot of people think of Singapore, they think of chewing gum. Not because the nation is famous for making it, but because the Singapore government has banned it. If you are caught desecrating the city streets with the almost pointless commodity, you can be looking at a fine from $500 to $2000 USD and community service. The laws that keep Singapore beautiful don’t stop there. You can get fined for spitting, littering, eating or drinking anything (including water) on public transport, and even for using a publicly situation power supply (locals told me a story of a school girl being fine $200 for plugging her phone into a power supply at her local MRT station). The fine for smoking outside of designated areas? $1000 USD. There is a waiting list for the limited amount of vehicles allowed on the island, and noisy mufflers are unheard of. Many think the city’s numerous rules and regulations are stifling, preventing the city from developing its character and personality. Personally, as a tourist, I loved it. I have never known what its like to be walking the streets of a city and NOT have to worry about stepping in something sticky, about walking through someone’s second hand smoke or having people pushing and shoving you to get through the train doors. People park only where they are allowed to, there’s no tyre marks on the road from bored youths and the sound of an annoying thumping boom box can never be heard coming from a car window. You never really realise how much rubbish can affect how you see a city until you have seen a city with genuinely clean streets. Honestly, if Perth adopted just one of these seemingly tough laws, we would be living in an improved city. So what if chewing gum is missing from the shop shelves. If you don’t like it, don’t go there! I respect what Singapore is trying do, and I hope to see more cities of the world adopt the same attitude.
The Big Trip!
So it is official! In mid-October J and I will be leaving on the trip of a life time. We will be spending an entire year travelling around Australia, living out of our 4WD (or SUV depending on where you are from). Hereby known as The Colonel, our home will be a 1999 Mitsubishi Pajero. We will head South from Perth in the west, and follow the coast the entire way around.
Now I am a total newbie at camping and off-roading so any advice will be very much appreciated!
expressions of Singapore
I was lucky enough to chance upon an outdoor art exhibition on the Marina Bay waterfront. The theme was obviously light, and the creative ways in which it was used was really inspiring. These art pieces were clearly designed to give the audience warmth and inspiration, drawing them in to actively participate in the project. I LOVED IT. Best outdoor display I have ever seen, hands down. The most fascinating aspect about the display was the fact that I walked away with particularly good feelings for Singapore in general, not just for the pieces or the location or its creators.
The Travelling Circus 