
Travel Australia Podcast by The Feel Good Family
G’day! We’re Katie, Paul and Jasper Guerin from Queensland’s Gold Coast.
We’ve been traveling full time around Australia as a family for over 5 years in our Toyota Landcruiser 79 series and Zone RV Sojourn off road caravan.
In September 2019 we packed up our lives and hit the road for full time travel around Australia. After a 4 year IVF journey to create our family and long hours spent working our corporate roles we started to wonder if there was a better way. After Jasper was born our perception of what really mattered changed and we realised our most precious commodity was time. We wanted to create more time together as a family, and spend our days sharing experiences and making memories to last a lifetime.
What seemed like a crazy idea at the time set in motion a 2 year plan to pack up our lives, downsize our ‘stuff’ and explore this great country of ours traveling Australia full time in a caravan.
It is the best decision we ever made, and over 5 years and over 180,000km later we are still loving traveling this incredible country and living in our tiny home on wheels.
Each week we produce an episode of our Travel Australia series for our YouTube Channel and free to air television (Channel 31 Melbourne and Channel 44 Adelaide and new in 2025 SKY TV New Zealand), as well as a weekly Podcast that showcases destinations, experiences, RV Industry News and Special Guests that share their journey around Australia!
If you are planning on road tripping Australia, are dreaming of tackling your own ‘Big Lap’ or are just looking for inspiration to get out there on weekends or school holidays, we’d love you to travel with us and experience the best this country has to offer!
www.thefeelgoodfamily.com
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Thank you for your support! Katie, Paul and Jasper 😁
We’d also love to connect with you via our social and media channels Website www.thefeelgoodfamily.com Instagram @thefeelgoodfamily_ Facebook @thefeelgoodfamily YouTube @thefeelgoodfamily
Travel Australia Podcast by The Feel Good Family
Beyond the Forecast: Staying Safe When Adventure Meets Extreme Weather
Cyclones, bushfires, and flash floods – Australia's weather can turn from perfect to perilous faster than you can pack up your awning. When Cyclone Alfred approached Queensland's southeast coast, our family faced an unfamiliar threat that transformed from potential disaster to valuable learning experience.
The slow-moving cyclone (downgraded before landfall yet still delivering destructive rain and widespread power outages) highlighted a crucial truth for all travelers: emergency preparedness isn't optional – it's essential. Drawing from both this recent experience and our earlier encounter with bushfire danger, we share five critical components of an effective evacuation plan that every caravanner needs.
From assessing campground risks (those picturesque dry creek beds can flood with just 10mm of rain!) to configuring emergency alert apps, maintaining a ready-to-go emergency kit, keeping your vehicle primed for quick departure, and knowing when to make the call to leave – our practical approach demystifies disaster preparedness without inducing panic.
We've learned through experience that preparation doesn't diminish adventure; rather, it provides the confidence to explore further knowing you're equipped to handle unexpected situations. With climate extremes becoming more frequent, these discussions are increasingly vital for all travelers, especially families.
The ultimate message resonates beyond caravanning: prepare thoroughly, stay informed, and prioritize safety above all else – because while your vehicle and gear can be replaced, nothing can replace you. Join us for this essential conversation about protecting what matters most while embracing the beauty and unpredictability of Australia's magnificent landscapes.
Ready to feel more secure on your next adventure? Subscribe now and join our community of prepared travelers who believe adventures are best when they end with everyone safely sharing stories around the campfire.And as a massive thank you to our podcast listeners we’re offering a 25% off discount code on our best-selling eBook bundle! That’s over $200 in value, for only $60! Use discount code PODCAST25 to take advantage of this awesome offer -https://shopthefeelgoodfamily.com/products/eofy-e-book-bundle
Be sure to Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and join us for all of the road trip adventures! Check out the footage from our latest episode on our YouTube channel – https://youtu.be/k_FwRqwPTNc?si=HVc_V0vPRV9dhtqM
Check out the Gear we love on our website - https://thefeelgoodfamily.com/gear-and-discounts/ Watch our TV series Feel Good RoadTrips on the 7Plus streaming platform - https://thefeelgoodfamily.com/feelgood-roadtrips-channel-seven-tv-series/ This episode is proudly brought to you by our friends at Nakie – the world’s first 100% recycled hammock! Relax wherever you go with the awesome range of Nakie products. Take advantage of our 15% Discount -
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Our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/thefeelgoodfamily has a new destination video every Tuesday night at 7.30pm (AEST). We would love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram and our website www.thefeelgoodfamily.com
Our Family Travel Australia Podcast is now LIVE and available on all podcast platforms, with a new episode aired every Friday night 8:30pm [AEST].
Welcome to the Travel Australia podcast. We are Paul, Katie and Jasper from the Feel Good family. Join us as we explore this great country, Australia, its people, places and cultures.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's the Travel Australia podcast, where we share the latest in RV news road trip travel, caravanning and camping, product reviews, guest interviews, way to go, what to do and so much more. Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 1:This week we survive a cyclone. Well kind of we discuss everything you need to know to get you prepared for a major weather event. Alfred, was it a little bit of a non-event, katie?
Speaker 2:Well, it was definitely an event, Paul, just probably not the event we were all expecting.
Speaker 1:No, that's right, and we're quite happy about that.
Speaker 2:Oh look, we really are. And I must preface this whole conversation and say for any of you out there around the world who are in these weather event prone areas, we absolutely take our hats off to you for what you deal with, for your knowledge and how you prepare for these sorts of events. I know here in Australia, particularly in the northern regions, we know so many people who have lived and survived through numerous terrifying cyclones, you know, and to come out the other end and have the resilience and the ability to rebuild and move on is just so courageous, and so we just think you're all awesome, yeah absolutely, and it's interesting because for our little one, jasper, we've been to Darwin many times and we've been to their incredible museum.
Speaker 2:Free experience probably. Yeah, that is an amazing place.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the number one free experience in Darwin is their natural and history museum there right on the water, and it's also their art gallery, the Northern Territory Art Gallery. They have a Cyclone Tracy exhibit, which is historically the most destructive cyclone that hit Darwin, in a sense that people were not prepared.
Speaker 2:That's right. And I think they just commemorated 50 years from the date that Cyclone Tracy hit up there and so obviously technology and building techniques and infrastructure and all of those things have changed dramatically over that 50 years and we're much more well prepared and set up for these weather events. But that exhibit is incredible. You know, even just talking about it I've got goosebumps all over me because it certainly stirs up emotions that we all have deep down inside of us that you know, you don't even really know are there, even if you haven't been through something like this. And to go and actually, you know, read through and experience firsthand these accounts of people's experiences through Cyclone Tracy is just remarkable. And then I think for us, paul, having then that expectation, that anticipation that we had with this Cyclone Alfred moving down the coast into an area predominantly on the southeast coast of Queensland where we just don't get these sorts of weather patterns, was a really strange time, wasn't it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think they said it was around 60 or 70 years since we'd had a cyclone cross the coast that far south still, really right on the edge of Queensland and New South Wales borders. But yeah, with the cyclone Tracy, jasper, having seen and experienced that exhibit, they even have a room that you go into that's completely dark and it is actual recordings of this 270 kilometer an hour winds, I think the wind gauge, once it hit a certain speed, actually broken, so then they weren't able to continue recording it, so it was even more ferocious, but the sound and that it permeates every part of your Chilling, yeah, your being and your senses. And so he had experienced that. So he was quite sensitive. Once he heard the word cyclone, he had lots of questions and he referenced Cyclone Tracy. Now, it was nothing like that. In fact, it really crossed the coast in the end as a low pressure system.
Speaker 1:It was downgraded from a three to a two to a one, I think when it finally hit Moreton Bay. And then the interesting thing was that it took like a week, longer than everyone expected. It's the slowest moving cyclone, I think, ever. So the destruction from the wind component didn't eventuate Destruction from the wind component didn't eventuate.
Speaker 1:However, the amount of rain in short amounts of time did definitely create the most havoc, and also, I think there was 450,000 homes and properties without power in southeast Queensland alone, and then, once you got across the border into New South Wales, a similar episode had happened as well. So it was very destructive in a different version of how everyone expected you would associate to a cyclone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's so true, paul. And look for us. We should say you know, we've been off the airways with our podcast for a little longer than anticipated, and that is because we managed to fly home. We'd been down to Victoria and then, of course, across to Adelaide for the caravan shows, having left our van up on the Gold Coast. We managed to fly in just a few days before what they were originally predicting that this weather system would hit, and so it was a little bit of a scramble for us to figure out.
Speaker 2:Okay, what are we doing? We're staying in the van. Are we going to try and seek shelter elsewhere? Where are we parking up the van? There was a couple of days of, I think, elevated heart rates and just trying to stay as calm as we could while we prepared for the real unknown, because you know it was such an unknown. And, of course, then we were out of the van for longer than anticipated, so we didn't have our podcast suite with us. We didn't have a lot of the things that we normally travel. So apologies to all of you who listen to our podcast. We are back, and we're back in the van, which we're super excited about and being able to, of course, get back into our regular weekly podcast.
Speaker 1:Oh, we've missed you. We've missed being on the mic, that's for sure, and we just missed being in our routine. We're so out of sync.
Speaker 1:We've been out of our brand new van longer than we've been in it. Okay, so we are back. So, really, what we wanted to cover off and this will be fairly quick delivery on five main points that we feel that if you're caravanning or camping, you need to create an evacuation plan when you are faced with a major weather event, which, let's face it, happens multiple times every year here in Australia.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. Look, when we first set off, you know, paul and I were worried about pretty well everything being so green and new to caravanning and camping, and we certainly had separate worries that kept us awake at night. But we were really underprepared when it came to the natural disaster, the bushfires, the flooding. We're a country of extremes here in Australia and I think it's fair to say, over the last few years in particular, with climate change and different things going on, the weather is all over the place. All over the place, and so you just never know what is around the corner.
Speaker 2:And, being so unprepared, we had quite a scary experience early on with some bushfires and a fire that was actually purposely lit across the road from a caravan park we were staying at and you know we actually woke up in the middle of the night it was around midnight to the smell of smoke and an orange sky and embers like literally falling around our caravan awning, and it was panic stations because we hadn't even had a discussion about well, what do we do in this sort of situation. So we learned a lot very early on from that experience and we got ourselves, I guess, to where we thought we were prepared enough. But what we're about to talk about now really delves a little bit deeper into that, and it is simple stuff that we can all do and that prior preparation to really help alleviate stressful situations If you do find yourself faced with, you know, any major weather event, be it a flood, a cyclone, a bushfire or whatever you've got, you know in the country that you live in.
Speaker 1:All right. So these are the top five considerations. Let's go through the list. Katie Number one know your risks.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, and this is a really great one just to even ask yourself or have a conversation between your you know, your travelling party, For Paul and I we try and keep these conversations around anything to do with emergency procedures, evacuation plans, the safety and security. We try and keep these conversations between us, especially if you are traveling with kids. You know you don't want to cause any unnecessary stress or worry with the little ones in your family.
Speaker 1:What they always say is you know, be aware, don't be alarmed.
Speaker 2:Great saying, paul. I love that. So before you set up camp, you know, just have a look around and ask yourself, like, what is the biggest weather threat here? You know? Are we camping somewhere that's prone to flooding? Is it in a low-lying flood plain?
Speaker 1:Look in the Flinders Ranges we saw only 10 mils of rain in 10 minutes. But what happened was there were people that were camping in the forever dry creek beds and then all of a sudden, 10 mil across that escarpment and that amount of land and the creek being, you know, collection point, boom. They were very quickly in a foot of water and scrambling to get themselves and their gear out and be safe. So it can happen very quickly.
Speaker 2:That's right, paul, and it's an excellent point. You know, it is so tempting as you travel around Australia, particularly in these rural and remote areas, to camp up in these incredible old creek beds or river beds, you know, because they are generally the most picturesque place to camp. But look, I tell you what. They can certainly flash flood very quickly, and out in the outback in particular, a little bit of rain seems to go a super long way. And that 10 mils that we had out at the Flinders Ranges, paul, I mean we were camped up on higher ground, but the hard red ground that we were camped on quickly turned to the muddiest, slipperiest, sloppiest, slushiest earth you can imagine. And we moved the caravan out a few hours after that rain event to try and get to even higher ground, on the off chance that you know we would expect some more rain, which we did get. And even just that slippery, slidey drive out to higher ground was enough. So look, really, just have that conversation.
Speaker 2:You know what is the biggest weather threat here? We've spoken about flooding, bushfires, of course. So unpredictable, and you never just know. But particularly across the warmer or the summer months, australia is a country prone to bushfire, and more and more, it seems, these days. So have a look at where you're camping. A lot of these amazing places that we go and spend our time in are bushland. That is full of very easily combustible items, so just be very aware of that. A good thing to do would be to research the fire danger ratings and also check for local burn restrictions, because all of the states have different fire or burn restrictions at different times of year and even regions within the states. So really be aware of that. You don't want to cop a fine, but you also don't want to be responsible for starting something bigger.
Speaker 1:Now, we did discuss cyclones. Obviously a cyclone Alfred making the appearance. You did discuss cyclones. Obviously a cyclone Alfred making an appearance. If you're in the north during cyclone season, do know where those evacuation shelters are and look. If you are in the northern parts of Australia, there'll be signs up. The locals will know, the councils will tell you. So just ask a local or visit the VIC, the Visitor Information Centre, and get informed.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Which is great, katie, because that is number two is stay informed.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you know, the weather can change so fast, as we all know, and staying updated is crucial. So a couple of things that we would suggest that are really easy to do is to download official emergency apps. And I mean, how do we ever survive, Paul, without smartphones and apps? I mean, they're just ingrained in our daily life now, aren't they?
Speaker 1:My dad really. He said it was easy Got a window Open it. Yes.
Speaker 2:Yes, that is good advice. Thank you, papa Feelgood. But some of the official emergency apps like the BOM, the Bureau of Meteorology that is an excellent resource and the state emergency services apps as well, If you are wanting to really stay up to date, then we would suggest that you turn on those weather alerts on your phone so that you get those warnings that pop up in real time. And a lot of these apps are great as far as being on the road full time and travelling, because you can actually set your regions as you're travelling into these new areas within a radius of however far out you want that warning to, I guess, encounter, and so you can set up your parameters so that you receive warnings.
Speaker 2:For I know, when we were traveling through the Northern Territory, particularly across summertime, paul, I would set up, I guess, warnings on my phone that that went out for a radius of at least a few hundred kilometers so that even if there were bushfires, you know, a couple of hundred k's up the road, I was getting alerted about it so that we could make a plan accordingly. A lot of these places, and particularly the Northern Territory, is a great example. You know it's pretty well one road, you know it's that Stuart Highway that runs up the middle and everything shoots off from that. So if you've got a bushfire a couple of hundred kilometres up the road, you do need to be aware of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is great advice, and the only thing I would say is that the alerts can sometimes in these regions in that season be thick and fast, like you'll be getting alerts a lot. So just be prepared for that Again, be aware, not alarmed. Absolutely prepared for that Again, be aware, not alarmed.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And if you are a traveling family, we would say again just be discreet with all of this sort of stuff, because you just don't want you know what really is a simple alert to notify you to turn into panic stations with the family.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Traveling up in the Cape there with Tony Davies from Australian 4x4 Tricks was a real eye-opener because there were so many bushfires and he said, well, it's just normal, mate. I was like, okay, well, it actually calms me down to hear that he said, yeah, no, this is normal.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:You're driving through smoke really thick. Yeah, it's normal mate, you know, and I'm like oh righto.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, be of the mindset that, yeah, this is just part of the seasons as well when you're in those areas. Now listen, as far as apps, maps, resources, we will direct you back to our website, the feelgoodfamilycom. Loads of free resources there, but the ebook in particular, the ultimate touringing Guide to Australia, has all of this information, the exact apps and maps and resources that you'll need to safely, securely, confidently, comfortably tour Australia, you know, for the cost of less than one night's camping. Awesome resources there.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Okay. Another good thing would be to follow the local emergency services on social media. You know they all post those real-time critical updates onto their social accounts, so make sure that you are just following those specific accounts and we also have a little battery-powered radio.
Speaker 1:It sounds very old school, but make sure that, well, you've got batteries, that are you not dead batteries? But certainly if your phone falls out of signal or there's powers down or you've got an issue with comms being on, any of those ABC network radio stations in remote locations will certainly be able to get the information that way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right, Paul. The more informed you are, the faster you can react.
Speaker 1:All right. Number three pack a grab and go bag. Again, in our e-book, the Ultimate Touring Guide to Australia, we have a very detailed list of what to pack in that grab and go bag.
Speaker 2:Yeah, look, this was the biggest lesson we learned in that fire situation that we woke up to in the middle of the night was that we were totally unprepared, with a bag pre-packed, ready to grab and go and look in an evacuation. You don't have time to be. Oh, hang on a second, should I be packing this? And where's those special documents that we need? Have all of the important things already pre-packed into what becomes literally a bag that you grab and go. It's your emergency bag. There are many things and everybody's different, and again in that ebook that Paul was referencing, the Travel Australia Guide, we do have a template for a grab-and-go bag with a list of suggested items that you can then add to, but some of the I guess the easy-to-access essentials we would include would be your IDs, insurance documents, any important documents that you have with your traveling with you, and to keep digital copies of these as well is a great tip.
Speaker 1:Yeah, look, just take a photo and then send it to your partner's phone or your traveling companion's phone, so that you've got a backup plan.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's an excellent idea. I know for us too, Paul. Like things like our licenses and our passports. I've taken digital copies of, and then I've also sent them back home to my mum so that she has a copy of those documents as well, and that's a really great tip for when you're traveling overseas as well Make sure that somebody back home has a copy of your passport documents.
Speaker 1:You're the most efficient woman I've ever met. Hayley, I'm learning stuff about you all the time.
Speaker 2:Thanks, del. Okay, now, what else do we want in that grab and go bag? A little first aid kit, any essential medications, great to have a torch or headlamp, have some spare batteries, a phone charger, a little power bank you can pick those up now from Kmart for five bucks or something. But having a power bank to ensure that you can keep your devices, particularly your phones, charged, water in bottles, some non-perishable snacks so you know, might be some muesli bars or something like that that's easy to throw in that bag, to know that you've got a little bit of something, just in case.
Speaker 1:And, of course, we can't forget our little four-legged furry family members. If you're travelling with pets pet food, leash medications, things that obviously are reliant for their wellbeing as well just consider those little guys. Don't leave that to the last minute. Jasper keeps asking for a dog.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's really on that. I need a friend to play with at the moment bandwagon.
Speaker 1:I've promised him a goldfish. You should see him roll his eyes. Anyone else had a little eight-year-old you know, rolling their eyes. He's like Dad, we can't travel with a goldfish.
Speaker 2:I'm like yeah the best pet ever, mate. That's very funny. I can just picture him in the back seat with this goldfish bowl on a travel day. Yeehaw, look just quickly, paul. A couple of other things that we have in our grab and go bag is essential toiletries like even if it's just spare toothbrushes and toothpaste and a change of clothes for each of us. So you know. You just never know, in the event of an emergency, how long you'll be away from your home on wheels.
Speaker 1:Speaking of home on wheels number four, keep your rig ready to roll.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you know, if you are towing a caravan, like us, you do want to be able to move quickly in the event of an emergency, of course, if it is safe to do so. So we would say, regardless of what style of traveller you are this applies to whether you're towing a van like us or whether you're sleeping in a swag or a tent keep your vehicle or your tow vehicle fueled. Never let it drop below half a tank. This is a rule of thumb that we use traveling around the country anyway, because you just never know when your next fuel station is going to be, or whether you know when you're in the outback are they actually going to have enough fuel there for all of the travellers. We've waited at fuel stations before because they've been waiting for the tankers to come and refill the stations. So always have half a tank of fuel, because I mean, I couldn't even imagine being in an emergency evacuation situation and hopping in your vehicle and having that fuel light come on.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, Heightened situation, that sort of trigger point, it would go downhill really quickly.
Speaker 2:Yes, Okay. Also, do your regular checks If you are towing with your caravan. Make sure your hitch and your brakes, your tires, are all in good and working order Again. You don't want to be doing last minute repairs or fixes in order to be able to move quickly.
Speaker 1:Now at least two exit routes. Now we would say in Australia, particularly in some of these remote places, there's only one road in and out. We're very aware of that. Look, in that situation hopefully you've got really good comms and you can get help to fly into you of Australia, like we saw a few years back in the major fires where a whole township of I think there was 350 holidaymakers along the east coast there down in the south parts of Victoria, new South Wales that had to be evacuated off the beach.
Speaker 1:That would be incredibly frightening and scary scenario. Absolutely they were all rescued. But yeah, sometimes you don't have another exit opportunity. We certainly in Yippoon had two roads and one of them was blocked, so fortunately we had a second road out. But yeah, be prepared if you can have at least two exit routes.
Speaker 2:And, look, this can just be a little you know, couple of minute conversation between you and your traveling partner when you do arrive into these campgrounds to, just you know, clock each other and say, okay, how are we getting out of here? If we need to evacuate quickly, what's the plan? Is it route or route? I think in Australia we say route, but I'm pretty sure in America it's route. It's both spelt the same. You say it, however. You want it.
Speaker 1:Something else I've got that song, isn't it on route 66?
Speaker 2:Yeah, or is it route 66?.
Speaker 2:Oh, I don't know. I thought they said route and we say route, but maybe they say route as well, and maybe in the UK they say route. I don't know. If you know, let us know, get in contact with us. It's the question of the day.
Speaker 2:I thought there was something else that I wanted to say on that, Paul, and now it's totally gone in and out of my head. Oh, look, yes, in the event of you know a huge weather system coming, or you know, if you know that something is approaching that you are going to have to move on fairly quickly with, make sure, if you are towing, that your van is either hitched and ready to go or very easily able to be hitched. We are quite minimalistic with our camp setup and we've got a pretty good system now of knowing who does what job when we're packing down camp, and so, again, this is a really great thing to put in play for your traveling party to know who does what, what are the things happening and how quickly you can and calmly remember you don't want to be panic stations but how quickly and calmly you can get packed up to hitch and go.
Speaker 1:Love it. And there is a reason why when you're at a caravan park, they make you leave your hitch to the road or curbside, and that really is because if it hits the fan, it's got to be as orderly in the chaos as possible. So good thoughts to have in the back of your mind and be prepared. Finally, number five, leave early, not at the last minute. If you've got an opportunity to leave early, which in the case of a cyclone non-event, elfrid, we felt we didn't have the time to hitch up and drive 300 kilometers to get out of its path. The other confusing part about that cyclone was well one it was 300 kilometers across the whole, like it was so big as in its width.
Speaker 2:Yes, width. Yes, yeah, there was a, really that. You know the? I guess the span of where the impact zone was was so large that it was confusing everybody, even the meteorologists.
Speaker 1:Exactly so we made a plan B, but anyway, if you, if you can leave early, leave early.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely Look, especially in bushfire and flooding situations too, because the longer you leave it, obviously the more intense or the worse the situation can get, and you just don't want to ever find yourself in a trapped sort of situation or scenario where you just can't get out because you've waited too long to go. So a couple of really good pointers here. Of course, in Queensland, as we say, if it's flooded, forget it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, never drive through floodwaters and look again. Unfortunately, you know, even with the cyclone Alfred here in southeast Queensland, you know, sort of being rapidly downgraded and not considered a cyclone, there were still cases of vehicles being swept away and, very sadly, to loss of life from people entering flood waters.
Speaker 1:Just tragic. Not necessary Again. If you see a fire coming, leave before you see the flames or thick smoke and don't drive into a fire. It seems obvious, but it happens. I think the biggest mistake people make is just waiting too long to leave.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And look at the end of the day your vehicles, your gear, your caravan, all of that stuff that can be replaced, but your life can't, and that is the most important thing.
Speaker 1:Look, the final thought on all of this is prepare today, travel safe tomorrow placed, but your life can't, and that is the most important thing. Look, the final thought on all of this is prepare today, travel safe tomorrow. You know, it's such an incredible backyard we've got here to explore, but just knowing your preparedness is part of the adventure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. And having that evacuation plan, staying informed, keeping your rig and your vehicles ready to go, it means that you actually can travel with confidence. You know that you can still get out there and feel like you are prepared as well as you can be for whatever the conditions throw at you, Love it Okay, travel safe. Yeah.
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Speaker 1:Aussies doing incredible things. Now, we talked about many times being off-grid in our off-road zone. Sojourn a family bunk van and the very first year that we had our van, we actually put ourselves to the challenge and were off-grid for a year, by way of meaning that we were unplugged from mains power.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, Sticking it to the man, Katie, as you like to say I loved it. It was the best 12 months I think we've ever spent, because not only did we feel like fully fledged campers, you know, we were also being as sustainable as possible. We were generating our own power from the sun baby.
Speaker 1:It's the power of the sun. Feel alive Now. This week's takeaway, I like this. It's related to that Off-grid, more like on life, where the only notifications come from the wildlife.
Speaker 2:I really, really love that. You know, because don't we just get hammered with notifications, like my phone constantly gives me notifications from things that I didn't even know exist. On my phone, apps that maybe you know, a million years ago I downloaded and all of a sudden I'm getting a notification about and you can just get so bombarded. But isn't it awesome when you're out camping and literally your notifications come from you know the birds in the trees and the wandering wildlife?
Speaker 1:Look, we're in a caravan park at the moment.
Speaker 2:Yes, the notifications are coming from the kids, the hundreds of kids they are, and they start early morning.
Speaker 1:We start early morning. They're up earlier than us, oh man. Yelling and carrying on.
Speaker 2:Yep Out there on their bikes, scooters, living their best lives. Polly, it's just awesome.
Speaker 1:All right. Now next week we are back into the mix. Baby, we are back. We have got some special guests. They are full-time travelling legends. Can't wait to talk to them. Plus, we're going to update on the new tow vehicle. Look out For big news. Thanks for joining us. Take care, look after yourself and look after your family.
Speaker 2:Happy Trails, bye.