When Kathy and her husband Glen retired about five years ago, they decided it was time to do something about the travel they hadn’t yet done. After a couple of overseas holidays on organised tours, they set off on a trip that put them in charge of the itinerary, with their caravan in tow and their dog Lily along for the ride.

Their plan was a “half lap” of Australia, travelling through western NSW into the centre, heading north and turning left at Katherine before spending three months exploring Western Australia.

For Kathy, who had never towed a caravan before, the holiday also brought an unexpected change in the division of labour. Despite being new to it, she ended up doing most of the driving.

“I had done a towing course which gave me a bit of confidence before we left,” she says. “Once I got the feel for it I preferred to be driving and letting my husband do the ‘techy’ stuff.”

That left Glen managing Google Maps, podcasts, the radio, UHF, tyre pressures and cameras, an arrangement that suited them both.

“He agreed it was ‘better for our marriage’,” Kathy says. “And I felt safer and more in control.”

There were, however, a couple of exceptions: river crossings and corrugated dirt roads remained Glen’s department.

The landscapes were a large part of what drew them to the trip, particularly the Kimberley. They had heard plenty about the region, but arriving there brought a sense of its scale that neither had anticipated.

“The ruggedness of the ranges and huge expanse of the outback was awe inspiring,” Kathy says.

If she could return to one moment from the holiday, it would be approaching the Kimberley and seeing those rugged mountains towering above them.

Other places they had long known by name became highlights once they saw them in person: Uluru, Kings Canyon, Lake Argyle and the Ord River all delivered that feeling of having travelled a long way for something worth seeing.

The colours along the route also challenged their expectations. Kathy and Glen had imagined plenty of red sand and desert, but good summer rains had left grass across much of the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

“The NT was green!” Kathy says. “As was the Nullarbor on the way home.”

As they travelled, she was struck by how much the vegetation changed from one area to another, with the wildflowers in WA’s central west a particular favourite.

Life in the caravan settled into a routine. On driving days, they generally left by 9am and spent about four hours on the road, arriving in time for a late lunch and sometimes a nap. An afternoon swim was welcome wherever there was a pool, followed by a drink and nibbles outside before retreating into the van for dinner as the midges arrived.

At caravan parks and station stays, campfires lit by management gave guests somewhere to gather and chat at the end of the day.

Most meals were cooked in the caravan, although country pubs and the occasional restaurant provided a break from the kitchen. A Thai meal in Tom Price was among the meals they enjoyed, while a lobster boat tour in Kalbarri supplied something special for Glen to cook.

The bigger experiences were scattered throughout the journey. Kathy rates Uluru, Lake Argyle and Broome among the places that lived up to expectations, alongside a whale shark swim at Ningaloo and a helicopter flight over the Bungle Bungles in Purnululu.

Walks through enormous gorges and swims in warm spring pools are among the memories she returns to now she is home, although some of her favourite moments involved watching Lily enjoying the trip.

“Watching our little dog run along the beaches with no other dogs or people around,” she says. “She had a wonderful time too.”

Travelling with Lily did require a few adjustments, and one purchase proved less useful than expected. They had bought a dog backpack, but Lily was reluctant to stay in it. When they finally managed to get her inside, they discovered the premises they wanted to visit wouldn’t admit dogs, even in a backpack.

Kathy describes herself firmly as a spreadsheet planner, with most stops booked ahead. They did some free camping, but leaving the caravan in an isolated spot while heading out to explore wasn’t always something they felt comfortable doing.

Her advice to other Starts at 60 readers considering a similar trip is to allow more time than they think they will need. Even with four to five months away, they couldn’t see everything, and fitting in the sights between driving days could be tiring.

“Take your time,” she says.

As for where Kathy and Glen will head next, that decision is still to come. There is a more immediate job waiting at home.

“Still cleaning the red dust out of the van.”