Dearne and Rod

Rod and Dearne

1 February 2015

Many of you will be stunned that we managed to get our travel blog off the ground such is Rod’s aversion to the social media scene.  In his view it is the scourge of this century and probably the next. However he softened when asked ‘how would the grandchildren get hold of us or know what we are doing when we are away in the motorhome’.  Goal achieved?

We have been asked a number of times over the past two years “how much courage has it taken do what we have done” i.e. sold both our businesses, sold our home in Auckland, relocated permanently to Whangamata and in June 2013 shipped our motorhome and ourselves to Australia to undertake an adventure around the ‘lucky land’. None really – it has not been so much about courage but a commitment to enjoying our future.

Whangamata will be our home base while travelling. We both love it there and it suits our travel programme.  We have had a home in Whangamata for some twelve years so moving there permanently was no great struggle.

How long will we be in Australia? We have planned for two years but it will not be compulsory. If we get to a stage where either of us has had enough, we have agreed we will return to New Zealand and start another adventure.

We have now been on the road for twenty one months in Australia and are still having a brilliant time – no regrets. We certainly have a respectful appreciation of Australia’s vastness and her very different climatic conditions. We have become experts in ‘on the road’ maintenance (personal and mechanical) and have a total respect for the motorhome’s many technical features that help make our lives more comfortable.

2013 and 2014 saw us complete the circumnavigation of Australia including a 3200km journey up the middle of the continent. Sadly however, our Australia adventure is coming to an end. Our focus for the first quarter of 2015 is arranging our return to New Zealand. Our two-year Carnet expires on the 8 May 2015 and rather than risk a financial penalty for late departure, we intend shipping home during the first quarter – probably March 2015. With shipping schedules being promulgated quarterly, the first quarter seems sensible to us.

Prior to our return to New Zealand we have a busy schedule. After Xmas/New year we depart Adelaide on the 4 January 15 and make our way along the Mallee Highway to Echuca situated north of Melbourne and on the Murray River. We plan to explore that area of Australia for approximately two weeks before making our way slowly south through Bendigo, Ballarat, Melton into Melbourne then onto Port Warrnambool on the south coast where we will deliver the little jeep to its new owners. We will be very sad to see it go as it has been a brilliant vehicle and has done us proud. We could not have had the same journey without it.

From Warrnambool we return to Melbourne and on the 1 February put the motorhome and ourselves on a ferry to enjoy Tasmania for a month. We are really looking forward to that visit. We return to the mainland on the 1 March 2015 to prepare the motorhome for shipping back Auckland hopefully during the first two weeks of March.

Are we excited about returning home? Definately. While the Australia journey has been amazing and we have met some brilliant people – home, family and friends are beckoning. We only hope we will be able to settle. Having fallen in love with the freedom of a gypsy lifestyle, we doubt that the urge to start the motorhome and take off to where ever and whenever, will be lost. There is still plenty of world to see.

Take care everyone and we wish you a safe and prosperous 2015.

If you love life, don’t waste time. Time is what life is made up of!