Monique and Ryan from @endlessadventureseekers share with us their top tips in travelling the Big Lap. Currently staying in Perth to top up the funds, check out how they have fun and fund their travel as well as make choices for their next adventures with their dog Satchel. After you’ve finished watching, share with us your favourite tips/takeaway from the vid.
Welcome to Aussie Travel Stories, the series where we ask Aussie travellers questions to help inspire and educate the Big Lap community to enjoy the greatest road trip of their lives.
What’s Your Travel Story?
Monique: So we started our big lap in May 2021.
What is your setup?
Monique: We’re travelling in a Nissan Navarra with a camping trailer.
Do you travel with a pet?
Monique: Our dog Satchel
Where are you currently, the route you’re taking?
Monique: We started up to North Queensland across to Northern Territory and into Western Australia, where we are now in the Perth area. Staying put, exploring a bit more and topping up the funds.
Why did you decide to do a Big Lap?
Monique & Ryan: Well, why not?
Monique: So we both enjoy camping and doing the outdoors. I’ve particularly always wanted to do the lap because while we’re fit and young enough and still able to see all the beautiful surroundings
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Where do you stay – caravan parks? Free camps? Both?
Monique: So we stay in a lot of the caravan parks, and the reason being is for the facilities. We have a lot of dog-friendly situations as well. Ryan is on Wiki Camps checking out some lesser-known places and he’s always on the app looking for the next adventure
Where is the best place you’ve ever been?
Ryan: Well, mine was Broome, just liked it. I just really like Broome.
Monique: Broome was really lovely. I think when you first come across into Western Australia, you don’t see the ocean for a little bit. And Broome is one of our favourite places for that very reason. We just drove straight into the ocean. I also liked shark bay. It was quite dog-friendly. Satchel could come to the aquarium with us. And there were lots of dog-friendly beaches and activities that we could do.
Gantheaume Point, Broome WA
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Any scary or funny moments on the road?
Monique: One of our scariest moments in the camping trailer was at Shark Bay. There was a lot of wind and the camping trailer doesn’t have walls. So it blew us around a bit but we survived. And we still remember it as a really good time.
Tell us how you fund your Big Lap and budget – did you save before you left? Do you work on the road?
Monique: So with our funds, we saved up for a number of years. We sold our house as well, and there are plenty of opportunities to be able to work whilst on the road. At the moment we’re stopped to top up the funds at the moment and maybe change a few things in our setup. But other than that we are just enjoying a good time.
What’s something you know now but didn’t before you left?
Ryan: Just take the essentials, you get most stuff on the road, so you don’t need to pack your car. Just get it on the road if you need it.
Monique: And for me is just going with the flow. So you can’t plan everything, things change, especially with borders. Bookings, if you book ahead, if you wanna stay somewhere a bit longer you’ve got that opportunity if you haven’t booked a whole bit of places after that particular spot.
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What is your favourite thing about travelling?
Ryan: Just exploring different places and meeting different people along the way as well. It’s been there. It’s been pretty good doing that.
Monique: And then for me, it’s been the freedom to do what we want. So we have been able to do what we want. So not really having those plans locked in place.
How were you affected by lockdown?
Monique: We weren’t really affected by lockdowns. It’s all been kind of behind us. It has probably affected us in our decision to stay put in Western Australia. Just because the east coast is a bit of the unknown with what’s going on over there with covid.
What is your biggest tip to other big lappers?
Ryan: You don’t always need the best, we’re all in the same spot. We’ve got this, going to the same places you don’t need a big fancy caravan, big fancy cars. You do it in anything you want.
Monique: Absolutely. And we’ve seen people doing it in swags, rooftop tents to the big rig. So something like a big five-wheeler caravan. So absolutely, that’s a really good tip. And then for me, it would be “just do it now”. You’ll never have the best setup. You’ll be constantly changing your setup on the road from what you are using, not using. And just do it, just do it is the biggest tip.
