Camp Winnie

We Aussies love a battler story, don’t we? The underdog without hope, who ultimately and victoriously takes the prize. Come on, doesn’t seeing multiple Australian gold medals during the Olympics give you a warm and fuzzy belly?

Let’s look at some of our moments in history. Dick Johnson builds his own race car at home, wearing rubber thongs, then goes on to win Bathurst as a privateer. Wayne Gardiner, a young kid from Wollongong NSW, became the first Australian to win the 500cc motorcycle championship. Paul Hogan, who was told he couldn’t act, showed us that a rigger on a bridge could have a crack at Hollywood without any drama lessons (and that he did)! It seems we just can’t get enough of the unusual. 

Whilst exact figures are unknown, it’s obvious that the top choice of RVs in Australia is caravans, followed by camper vans, and then motorhomes. The percentage of caravans dominating our campsites seems to be at least 70% or greater. So, with that said, should those with the top-end caravans be the only roamers of Australia who get the spotlight?

Let’s take a look at the more fascinating world of how a few folk wander the land down under. Little battlers can often surprise you.

A Japanese Tourist and His Pram Across the Outback

Driving our motorhome through some of the most barren lands we have seen so far whilst travelling around Australia, Lisa and I are deep in conversation. Discussing tonight’s meal, talking about somebody we met a week ago, life back home, or having the biggest argument regarding Chloe’s over-use of her iPad. We haven’t seen any sign of life for hours. Then, like an oasis in a desert, we see something moving in the distance. Our quarrel ceases. It can’t be, can it? A figure appears out of the dusty horizon.

Lisa and I turn to one another. “What the hell is anyone doing out here on foot?”

We were just out of Halls Creek in Western Australia. But there he was, this young man from Japan, pushing a baby’s pram, hitchhiking all the way around Australia. Talk about seeing a country on a budget! 

He doesn’t have a baby, though. Inside that pram is this man’s worldly possessions. The heat is searing near 40 degrees, he is dressed all in black, and he looks totally cooked. He declines our assistance, but a French musician (also a traveller) later told us that this Japanese tourist had become well known among the travelling fraternity and regularly received rides all over Australia. That was a relief to know, as we made our way out to Wolfe Creek meteor crater. Quite a sight to behold in the sunburnt Outback.

The Travelling Jackaroo’s Tractor Adventure

We move on throughout this arid landscape into Queensland. At this point, I couldn’t even tell you where we are. It’s hot, dusty and barren. We haven’t seen human life for many hours. We actually thought at one stage we were lost. Alone, we eat our lunch at a roadside stop. Having a public waste bin near us is an absolute gift – even if they do attract a lot of crows who just love scrabbling through garbage. An orange tractor pulls into the rest area, towing what can only be described as a gypsy wagon. A lost farmer? Somebody to read our palms? Is the circus passing through town? Not even close! 

I call out to my family to pass me the GoPro and I jog over to introduce myself before he gets the chance to leave. It’s Sam Hughes, also known as The Travelling Jackaroo. A 19-year-old from Queensland who broke the record of travelling around Australia at 40kph, taking three years … on a tractor! Only those who have penetrated the most barren, unforgiving remoteness of Australia could know just how isolating it can be out here – and for a man so young to be alone was fascinating to me. Sam is raising funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), and awareness against bullying in schools (Dolly’s Dream). Two very worthy causes that are close to my heart indeed; medical aid in the bush, and protecting our kids.

A Horseman’s Trek for Mental Health Awareness

It reminded me of the mystery horseman we met on the Nullarbor Plain the previous year whilst in South Australia, in an eerily similar tale. Whilst crossing the formidable 90-mile straight (the longest straight section of road in Australia), we were literally in the middle of ‘no man’s land’. John Wayne or Clint Eastwood on a spaghetti Western film set came to mind. We pulled our motorhome into the loose sand and beckoned the attention of this lone rider. Was he lost? Was he in need of water? Would he speak with us? Introducing Erwin. A man from Manjimup WA, riding his horse all around Australia, raising awareness for Beyond Blue – an organisation dedicated to men’s mental health. His beautiful wife (who believed in his pursuit and was also the driver of their horse truck) awaited each night up ahead with a makeshift stable set-up and a home-cooked meal. Erwin’s journey has now ended at the time of writing this article, and he completed a full lap of Australia (taking three years) on his horse.

Tandem Cyclists Raising Awareness for Cancer Research

It can’t be. Another oasis in the hot sands of the Nullarbor. Lisa and I looked at each other in disbelief. What a circuit-breaker for any doubt that we may have had regarding making the decision to travel Australia. This is Bas and Nga, a super-fit couple riding a very well-appointed tandem bike. It’s a bizarre thing to see out here. Of course, we stop and say hello; as having some company out in this arid landscape is not only nice, but I feel that it’s absolutely necessary. Did they need some food and water or to use our phone? Not at all. This dedicated couple are riding across Australia unsupported, raising awareness for gastrointestinal cancer research being conducted at the Flinders Medical Centre in South Australia.

The travelling community never ceases to amaze me. We all have passions and favourite pastimes, but I always have loved (and always will love) the thrill of travelling Australia. Whilst I love the adventure, it’s definitely about the people and the places for me. That vulnerability, tenacity, innocence, and perhaps even ignorance, is what keeps me truly engaged with today’s travellers … hook, line and sinker.

Teen Pilot Circumnavigates Australia for Crohn’s Awareness

There is one more person I want you to meet before I go. Say g’day to Byron Waller, a 14-year-old boy from Queensland. I had the pleasure of interviewing Byron regarding his recent quest – to become the youngest person in Australia to circumnavigate the whole country in an aeroplane. In his case, a Cessna 172. But it is not the accolades he desires. This boy’s wish is to raise awareness for Crohn’s disease, and funding for health in regional areas of Australia. His story touched the hearts of many after he appeared on Channel 7, sharing his unique story. 

I was fortunate enough to spend a few days with Byron, his father, and Rod from Flightscope Aviation (their instructing pilot) during his Sydney stop-over. To describe Bryon, this boy has a unique personality. He is quite a theatrical character indeed, with a sense of humour beyond his years; always at the ready with a joke, an impersonation, or just being a regular kid living in the moment. He doesn’t seem deterred by Crohn’s disease, a condition that he has battled for years. All I sensed while being around him was that he wants to be an ordinary kid, despite the extraordinary tale that he has to tell. As an adult, I did draw a life lesson from that. Maybe it really is time to stop sweating about the small, insignificant things that don’t actually matter. 

In completing his lap of Australia, Byron logged over 70 hours of flying time, travelling 11,000 kilometres over three weeks; with the finale being a fly-around of Queensland Children’s Hospital, the very hospital where Byron receives treatment for Crohn’s. And just like that, the following week, he was back at high school, where he will have had one hell of a story to share with his friends. It is a pleasure to share his story with The Wanderer, and I would love to see him achieve his next step in aviation someday … and that is to fly around the entire world. I am sure a dream like that will materialise for such a tenacious young man.

The Common Thread: Charity-Focused Adventures

It is such a paradox when you reminisce and write about your experiences with travelling. Sometimes, your very own writing invokes memories that you had long stored away in your mind and might have otherwise never recalled them. But it dawned on me – whilst these fascinating people were traversing Australia in the most unconventional ways, it was not for self gain. It was not for social media content, and it certainly was not to prove anything to anyone. Although none of these individuals will ever meet each other, I realised that they had a common thread between them. They were all travelling Australia for charity.

Category: Features
Written: Sun 01 Dec 2024
Printed: December, 2024
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