Talk around the dinner table turned difficult when we finally addressed the issue of the annual travel policy finishing in August next year. To be honest, I was stunned we got another year – with my husband having so many pre-existing illnesses, and travel including destinations like USA and cruising. The cost was an eye watering $14,000, for one person, but we’ve always lived by the mantra “If you can’t afford insurance you can’t afford to travel.”
Well now it has got to that stage, and after one more candle on the cake this Christmas he has reached the age that we can’t get overseas insurance. Period.
Our options now? Domestic travel or to New Zealand.
He said, “Let’s get a caravan and do the big lap, we can become golden adventurers or grey nomads.”
In shock, when I thought about it, I realised that I’d be the one doing all the driving, towing a behemoth, in remote areas, unhooking, connecting up at caravan parks, and maintaining two expensive vehicles – a car and a caravan.
I googled caravans for sale, and nearly keeled over, $70,000-170,000! And where would we store it when we are not driving it, say if we came home for a break and to see the kids and grandkids. We would have to do that because they would be cranky if we just took off for a year.
What happens if you buy a caravan, set it up, stock it, plan the trip, set off and it sucks? We would potentially be literally living in a nightmare scenario with no escape. That is not my style!
But having run out of options for overseas travel together what other choice do we have?
Wait on, I googled motorhomes for hire, and landed straight away at https://www.starrv.com/au and was stunned at what was on offer. A big Polaris P6 – a Winnebago sized van to sleep 6, a Polaris P2, more like an Australia Post delivery van size and the facilities and things they offered for bedding, cooking, showering and toileting (yes inside the van – so no late-night runs to an amenity block) was eye-opening.
And you don’t have to buy any of it.
Just hire it, and as it turns out, on enquiry with Star RV, that on a long term basis of say 3 months it can be better value.
So, we can try before we buy!
Discover if we are made for it, with zero commitment.
But it keeps getting better, I am starting to get excited when I realise also that I don’t have to backtrack. Let me explain.
When you tow a caravan, you get to a park, unhitch, connect up, unpack and then get in your car to go and explore. Each and every day you drive away from, and then back to the caravan park (unless you are lucky enough to find a safe free camping spot along the way) – there and back, there and back.
You set off from home each time, and drive back to home each time. Backwards and forwards.
But, if you hire a motorhome, you can do one, two, three or as many as you choose, one-way, long-term hires. Think Brisbane to Cairns and driving on to Darwin. Or Perth to Sydney, Christchurch to the Bay of Islands and drop back in Auckland. Adelaide to Darwin, Melbourne to Cairns. Wait you’ve basically done the big lap now!
And in between these trips, you can fly home and visit the family and your friends, with no investment sitting at risk, losing value or racking up parking and maintenance fees.
All care, but no responsibility.
If something goes wrong during your trip, you have 24/7 service back up – at no cost to you.
A tow if necessary, a replacement vehicle if necessary, replacement of equipment if something gets broken, at no cost to you.
At the end of your sector, simply pack your things and drop it off to be cleaned by someone else, and head home or off on holiday somewhere else.
And you simply stop once you’ve had enough, with no asset to dispose of.
Let’s do it, we both say. We can try it … and if we like it, we can then buy!
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