We met the Dickson clan (N91094) – Scott, Tracy, Rose, Noah and Jethro – at the Murray Bridge rally. The family only joined the CMCA in January of this year but while possibly being newbies in that regard they have dived headlong into the lifestyle and have been living full-time for more than two years on the 1985 Leyland bus they purchased for $8500. 

Once Tracy and the kids had removed all the seats (over two weeks while Scott was at work) it was time to install the fittings (with the help of a good friend) to make their new life functional. As you step aboard the bus, and are welcomed by Cadbury the collie taking his guard position on the driver’s seat, quarters are arranged along the length of the bus in the order of: sitting room, kitchen (proud of that), second door stairwell, kid’s bunks, toilet and master bedroom at the rear. The major headache facing Scott is where to create a new bed for fairly recent arrival, Jethro. (The result of having no TV, Scott confided.) 

And with having no TV and enjoying internet coverage only when in range there is focus for the kid’s education with home schooling to be done. Home schooling was part of the impetus to buy the bus in the first place. With exorbitant rents where they were living in Queensland and Scott with an injured back, the initial idea was to buy the bus and move into a caravan park with it. Tracy was home schooling Noah and the idea of having access to a pool to get rid of some of his excess energy was a good thing. 

Writing also runs strong in the family, too, with daughter Rose penning quite accomplished fantasy stories (to the point of creating three new languages within them) and Scott’s novel now ready for an editor to make the cuts. The Dickson’s did manage to pull up for a spell recently and house sit, where Tracy took the opportunity to start studying for Uni with the ultimate aim of becoming a midwife for when life in one spot beckons again. At that point Scott reckons piloting a government bus might be a job he could turn his hand to, or being the full-time dad. 

For the moment, though, life is all about the children and their education but in terms of it being as broad as the territory they’re covering in Tumbleweed the bus. How many of us reckon that kids’ development really would benefit from a life beyond a classroom and the limitations of a regimented system?

Life aboard such a large vehicle can have its drawbacks, though. Not every town can or wants to accommodate such rigs, which apart from the fuel use, is the biggest pain. Stocking up with the essentials or planning layovers needs to be planned in advance – the family have got used to walking into many towns – and that’s where the network of the road comes in handy. With plenty of other families in big rigs having pages on Facebook and forums at least tips and advice isn’t too far away. Showgrounds are the pick, as they don’t charge extra for kids, and dogs are welcome. Travel highlights have been Crescent Head, for its dogfriendly national park and Lightning Ridge (“It’s magnetic,” says Tracy).

I have been following the Tumbleweed’s travels on Facebook as they’ve headed west since Murray Bridge, and watched Scott’s frustration as the sharks seem to have followed his progress and marred his surfing; Scott’s a mad-keen board rider. 

Money can be tight on the road. And dramas such as stripped sump plugs can put a dent in your wallet and a halt in proceedings. Not something that’s on the shelf at Repco. The bus is fully furnished with second-hand materials but the biggest splurge on new items was the aircon unit we saw at Murray Bridge and the generator – both of which make sense. 

It can all be summed up quite well as Scott says: “We were faced with the choice of living below the poverty line … or seeing Australia.” 

So the rally experience has meant a change of routine, I asked? 

“Yes,” said Scott, “But there is still a freedom to choose to live the way members do. We’re permanently on the road; we never know where we’re going to be, to get to a rally requires us to be organised. And I don’t like being organised.” 

Not sure as to whether they’d join a chapter following Murray Bridge Scott and Tracy said, just about in unison: 

“We really do wander, so we’ll just meet up with fellow wanderers”. 

Simple, really.

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Written: Tue 01 Sept 2015
Printed: September, 2015
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