Well hasn't time flown. We have been working and traveling for 2 years this month.
So what prompted our decision to pack up, leave Cairns and travel. Reading a number of blogs over time, sick of working long hours in realestate and not getting any younger we decided to just do it. So we packed what we needed into the car and camper and with our little dog, Bisket, we headed off.
We had a job lined up roughly 2500 Kim's away in Ernabella in SA. A Remote indigenous community where we were to work as trainee managers. Our accomodation was in a 20ft shipping container. Well after 6 weeks and being mislead we quit and ended up getting a job in Warburton WA. We stayed there for 11 months before heading to the Kimberley working at Mt Barnett Roadhouse.
After 2 months we were offered jobs to manage a remote community store in Peppimenarti NT. We have been here for just over 6 months and enjoy it immensely.
We have been to places such as Kalgoorlie, Uluru 3 times and even got married there, Alice Springs 3 times, crossed the Kimberly twice, Broome , Derby, Darwin and every where in between.
We have had some stressful times but mostly we have enjoyed our adventures, meeting some great people, seeing some spectacular sights and experiencing lifestyles we never thought we would see.
Our 2000 model cruiser has not let us down. Apart from a broken radiator bracket held on by cable ties and a new starter motor it has handled all the rough roads we have traveled. The cruiser is set up with a draw system in the rear to carry parts , tools, electrical parts such as fuses, wire etc, we have a built in compressor in the rear also, led driving lights for night driving, uhf radio, dual batteries for the 2 fridges we carry, rear airbags, roof rack and good tyres. You don't need to go over the top with gear as most places we travel to are remote with no mechanic. Get used to having dust and dirt in your car and bush pin stripes on your duco.
The camper carries a generator, camping chairs, weber BBQ, storage boxes, jerry cans and other bits and pieces.
So what have we learnt in the 2 years.
Carry only the basics in clothing and other gear. We buy what we need in electrical appliances and leave them behind when we move on. All our personal papers are scanned and uploaded on Dropbox and retrieved if needed. Make friends with the local nurses as you never know when you need them. Make sure all insurance policies for the car and camper cover remote travel. Have a dedicated address for mail. (We use Penny's parents address). Get used to being isolated, we subscribe to NETFLIX, STAN and Google Movies for entertainment. Have a hobby, I enjoy doing up gardens where ever we stay. eBay is your friend. Explore your surroundings, if your in an indigenous community get permission if required. Boredom can set in so learn to cope with it. Your phone takes some great photos, we have a good digital still camera we have rarely used. Adapt to your accomodation, we have lived in a shipping container, 2 bedroom duplex, the camper and currently in a 3 bedroom house.
The benefits of doing what we do, have been;
experiencing places you would rarely see, meeting some great people, exploring remote areas, witnessing traditional ceremonies and enjoying a lifestyle you would never have dreamed of having.
The downside is missing family but internet, social media, Skype and phone calls help alleviate that plus long holidays.
So how do we get our jobs. The best place we found is Gumtree and there are plenty of jobs out there. Something you should take into consideration is that you may work for some, let me say it nicely, interesting people.
So do we regret doing it......NEVER 😀, is it for everyone, no.
The hardest thing is taking the first step. Save some money and go.
We should have done this years ago.
Watch the you tube clip in high def.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vTakcmm3H-YMark
