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Graham Reid

‘I had fallen on my feet when I became a tour bus driver in Europe’
Graham Reid avatarGraham Reid
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Graham Reid

Graham Reid

Bought up on a farm in S/W WA, was a shearer, station jackaroo, drove triple road trains carting cattle in the Territory and Kimberley. Drove coaches out of Darwin and Perth all over the country. Did a stint in Saudi Arabia on my way to Europe where I drove a tour bus for 5 years. Spending winters in the snow at Austria. Married a girl from Cunnamulla, created Travel West moved to Charleville built a caravan park and continued to operate tag along tours all over the place including the Simpson Desert  we take people to Big Red Bash, Birdsville Races and Lake Eyre. Love the outback
Graham had never driven on the left-hand side before. Source: Pexels
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‘I wiped out the right-hand side off a bus while learning to drive in Europe’

‘I wiped out the right-hand side off a bus while learning to drive in Europe’

"The Dutch company that owned the bus needed to bring us another bus, which meant we were held up in Paris for a couple of days."
Graham had wanted to visit Torremolinos, Spain and living in the UK made it attainable. Source: Pixabay
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‘The things I’ll never forget about living overseas’

‘The things I’ll never forget about living overseas’

'It was a five-week working trip around Europe which allowed us to learn the roads, the tourist attractions and where the campsites were'.
Graham worked for 40 days in the Saudi Arabian desert just to earn money before landing in the UK. Source: Getty.
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‘I left Australia with $250 in my pocket and arrived in the UK $1,500 richer’

‘I left Australia with $250 in my pocket and arrived in the UK $1,500 richer’

"A friend had arranged a job for me in Saudi Arabia. I thought ‘This is going to be different’, but boy, I had no idea."
From trucks to buses, Graham crossed the Nullarbor. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Bloggers

‘I crossed the Nullarbor driving a bus’

‘I crossed the Nullarbor driving a bus’

My seven-year plan was in full swing, learning about coaches, people and touring.
Graham has driven across the Nullabor as a road train driver on numerous occasions. Source: Pexels
Bloggers

‘I drove road trains for a living, but it was not for the faint-hearted’

‘I drove road trains for a living, but it was not for the faint-hearted’

"I racked up the miles pretty quickly -- on one occasion I estimated I’d done 50,000km in 48 days."
One of the greatest things Graham's dad taught him was to double-clutch on the old farm truck. Source: Hilary Halliwell/Pexels
Bloggers

‘I didn’t know it then, but my father set me up for a life of adventure’

‘I didn’t know it then, but my father set me up for a life of adventure’

'I'm most thankful for in my early life is my dad teaching me to double the clutch on our old farm Bedford truck.'
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