Wikipedia describes the Australian Dream in the following way: ‘The Australian Dream or Great Australian Dream is a belief that in Australia, home ownership can lead to a better life and is an expression of success and security. Although this standard of living is enjoyed by many in the existing Australian population, rising house prices compared to average wages are making it increasingly difficult for many to achieve the “great Australian Dream”, especially for those living in large cities’.
Whilst many people have made their fortune investing in property, many others have come ’unstuck’ and found that the Great Australian Dream has become the ‘albatross around their neck’. Wildly fluctuating interest rates, tenants horribilus, alternating governments with varying rules & regulations, the need to satisfy your lending facility with a ‘permanent’ income combined with the transient or ‘casual’ nature of work in certain areas, being tied to a mortgage and a house and a yard to mow and a certain group of friends ….. the list goes on.
The more cynical conspiracy theorists among us could even make a case for the Great Australian Dream being an idea advanced and supported by the Government to keep the citizens under ‘control’. Imagine the added difficulties in policing, locating wanted persons, tax collection, controlling the ‘Cash Economy’ (imagine Julia’s sleepless nights….!), not to mention the collapse of the property market, local rates collection etc etc, if a large portion of the Australian citizenship was self sufficient and mobile in work and living?
On a 10 day holiday in 2006, where we experienced the freedom of travelling in a hired motorhome in Tasmania, an idea was born….
The trip that started it all
What if we could do this full time?
Then the ‘buts’ arrived. But: what about the Mortgage? How will we pay the bills? Do we dare to leave the safety and security of what we know for the great unknown? How will the children handle it? What about leaving family and friends? etc etc…….
I think most Aussies have the travel bug. We love our holidays exploring new places and so many of us have great memories of the ‘family road trip’ from when we were kids. Full time travel or even part time travelling in a caravan/campervan/motorhome has been the dream and realm of the retired and semi retired for many years.
We think that for more and more Australians, this is ‘The New Australian Dream’
How to juggle the New Australian Dream with reality? Reality said we were not comfortable with selling our beautiful property near Mackay in North Queensland or with quitting our day jobs whilst carrying the level of debt on our Mortgage. And so hatched our 5 Year Plan. Renovate and rent our house, buy a bus and convert it. Sounded simple enough …
7 years later we embarked on our New Australian Dream. Follow us on our Journey!
Our Motorhome